On July 12, 1924, a group of women gathered at the home of Mrs. Louis P. Allyn in Mystic to form a club devoted to the study of the natural environment. A week later, thirty women elected officers, and in August 1925 the organization was formally named The Mystic Garden Club. It remains one of the oldest garden clubs in Connecticut.
From the beginning, the Club combined education with civic responsibility. Members studied trees and soil, exchanged plants and seeds, and opened their gardens for public lectures. In 1930, the Club held its first flower show at the Mystic & Noank Library — launching a tradition of exhibitions that would earn numerous state and national awards.
Civic Commitment Through the Decades
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, members planted trees along Willow Street, Broadway, Noank Road, and Main Street. They established a gardening shelf at the Mystic & Noank Library and supported conservation initiatives that shaped the landscape of Mystic.
In 1946, the Club helped found what is now the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and continues to support its educational mission today. Civic planting remains central to the Club’s identity. From maintaining downtown flower boxes and supporting local house tours to landscaping projects at Williams Beach, the Mystic Depot, Mystic Museum of Art, and numerous schools and community spaces, the Club’s work is visible throughout the region.
Timeline Highlights
1924 – Mystic Garden Club founded
1930 – First flower show held at Mystic & Noank Library
1936 – Major civic tree plantings begin
1946 – Club helps found Pequot Wildlife Sanctuary (now Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center)
1970s – Garden Therapy Program begins
1970s – Annual Greens Sale established
1979–2024 – Over $585,000 donated to community organizations
2000s–Present – Expanded support for school gardens, conservation groups, and food sustainability programs
2024 – Centennial Celebration: 100 Years of Civic Planting and Community Engagement
Education, Conservation & Community Partnerships
Education has always accompanied action. Members have trained as accredited flower show judges, Master Gardeners, and landscape design critics. The Club sponsors horticultural programs, conservation workshops, scholarships, and school partnerships that foster environmental awareness.
The Garden Therapy program, begun in the 1970s, continues to bring horticultural activities to healthcare residents.
Fundraising Traditions
The annual Greens Sale, begun in the 1970s, and the long-standing Spring Plant Sale have become beloved community traditions. Proceeds from these events have allowed the Club to donate more than $585,000 since 1979 to local organizations including:
- Mystic & Noank Library
- Mystic Museum of Art
- Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
- Mystic Seaport Museum
- Avalonia Land Conservancy
- Connecticut College Arboretum
- School and community garden initiatives
In recent years, support has expanded to programs such as Fresh New London, Groton Open Space Association, The Yellow Farmhouse, Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens, and other organizations dedicated to environmental education and food sustainability.
A Century of Stewardship
In 2024, The Mystic Garden Club celebrated its 100th anniversary — marking a century of friendship, horticultural knowledge, conservation leadership, and civic engagement.
From thirty founding members to a vibrant and active membership today, the Club continues its mission:
To stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association, to aid in the protection of native plants, and to encourage civic planting.
Rooted in tradition. Growing toward the future.