THE SHELBYVILLE Garden Club has been cultivating beauty — not just in flowerbeds, but in friendships and civic pride — since April 27, 1955. Whether they’re planting flowers at The Fly Arts Center, hosting educational workshops, or simply swapping gardening tips, the club’s members share a deep-rooted love for making our community a more beautiful place to live.
Babs Chicoine has been a member since 2009 and currently serves as the club president. Chicoine grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, called Downers Grove. For her, the appreciation of flowers bloomed when she was a child.
“The house I grew up in had a long, narrow strip of peonies planted by the previous owners that grew on the side of the yard. Every year, I would help my mother pick these to decorate the graves of our relatives on Memorial Day. They were one of the first flowers to bloom in our yard and signaled the start of warmer weather,” recalled Chicoine. “Years later, when I sold my parents’ home, I dug up as many peonies as I could and planted them in my yard.”
Seeds planted within her heart sprouted, and the tiny buds were fertilized and watered while visiting Colonial Williamsburg.
“My husband and I stayed at a guest house, and our hostess was Mrs. Johnson, who was a member of a garden club. Her floral arrangements were always beautiful, and I enjoyed hearing her stories of belonging to a club. So, when I was invited to attend the spring luncheon of the Shelbyville Garden Club at the RiverBend Country Club by one of the members, I jumped at the chance.”
Every other year, they provide centerpieces for the tables at the library luncheon held at the Blue Ribbon Circle. Last year, they donated orchids, which were used as door prizes. They also participate in Arbor Day, and every first week of June, they celebrate National Garden Week. In order to inspire future generations of gardeners, each December at their Christmas luncheon, members donate toward the Argie Cooper Library or to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. They have also purchased books on gardening and ecology and donated them to our local school libraries.
“Our club members tended a garden at Never Rest Park, provided and planted flowers at The Fly, the old chamber of commerce building, and we even helped Bedford Manor Nursing Home create a vegetable garden for their residents. Helen Garner, one of our longtime members of 40 years, was on the Beautification Committee for the chamber for 12 years. We plant flowers in planters, whiskey barrels, and around the trees in the square. We’ve also worked alongside Habitat for Humanity to provide trees for new homeowners, and some of our members have provided cuttings from their own gardens,” Chicoine said.
Garner joined the group shortly after the death of her son.
“She felt lost, but through our member, Mary Higgins, she found comfort in her love of flowers, the friendships she made in the club, and the good times she shared with other members. Her favorite flower is red roses, which were often gifted to her by her husband and son. Suzy Stewart, who owned Mary’s Flowers, has been a member since 1995. When Suzy sold the shop, the ladies from the club told her it was time to join. We all share one thing — a love of growing.”
The Shelbyville Garden Club is open to anyone who shares their love of growing flowers, herbs, or vegetables. They welcome those who use traditional planting methods and have dozens of acres, and those who have smaller spaces, such as those using raised beds, corners of balconies, or makeshift greenhouses. Unless members are taking a planned “field trip,” they meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at RiverBend Country Club on the third Wednesday of each month. The only exceptions are November to January, when they do not meet except for their annual Christmas luncheon in December.
Through shared passions and dedicated hands, the Shelbyville Garden Club proves that a community flourishes best when nurtured — like a well-tended garden. GN
