SOUTH ATLANTIC REGION OF GARDEN CLUBS (SAR)
Marty Bowers
2021-2023 Director
Reconnect, Plant, Grow, and Bloom
Welcome to the South Atlantic Region of Garden Clubs Website. SAR is composed of five state garden clubs as part of National Garden Clubs, Inc.: The Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc., The Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc., The Garden Club of South Carolina, Inc., Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc., and West Virginia Garden Clubs, Inc. The Mission of SAR is to provide youth and adult education resources and opportunities for its members to promote and share the love of gardening, floral design, and civic environmental responsibilities. It is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
My theme for this administration: Reconnect, Plant, Grow, and Bloom. We have been through unprecedented times – separated from each other, from families, and from our garden friends. While it looked like we would be able to enjoy those gatherings again, we are experiencing another surge which, hopefully, will be short lived.
Two scholarships are awarded annually to students majoring in horticulture or environmental related fields, thereby, helping to plant seeds for the future. These SAR scholarships are funded by interest earned on bank accounts (almost non-existent at this time), SAR Life Memberships, honorarium and memorial gifts. Sadly, very little of that occurred this past year due to the pandemic and the inability to meet. Consider honoring garden club officers and friends with an SAR Life Membership to help support our scholarships in the future.
SAR also encourages projects with the incentive recognition of awards — a list of these awards is found elsewhere on the website. They are a pat on the back of a job well done.
There are so many things that need our attention and with the year we have just experienced, some have been lacking: youth education, pollinators, invasive plants, environmental concerns, birds, forests, legislation and on and on. With a team of people and the force of 5 states, we can do something.
So let’s reconnect, plant seeds for the future, nurture new growth so that all the garden clubs in the South Atlantic Region will be blooming in the future.