Deerpath Garden Club Of Lake Forest History
“I have a garden of my own,
Shining with flow’rs of ev’ry hue;
I lov’d it dearly while alone,
But I shall love it more with you.”
- Thomas Moore
Fifty years ago, the Deerpath Garden Club of Lake Forest was formed by friends in the Lake Forest/ Lake Bluff area to share their love of horticulture, to promote civic beauty and to educate themselves about landscaping, plant life and the art of floral arranging. From those simple beginnings, a vibrant group has blossomed.
Over this period of time, the Deerpath Garden Club, a member of the Garden Clubs of Illinois and the National Garden Clubs, has become a philanthropic force, donating more than $52,000 towards beautification projects in the immediate community, as well as providing significant funds for beautification projects of other worthy entities.
Deerpath Garden Club is, perhaps, most visible in the design and maintenance of its award winning Telegraph Gardens, the club’s “group back-yard”, and current “pet” project. All who visit this garden enjoy its serene charm which is ever in the process of evolution. The idea for the garden was conceived in the early 1990’s when this small club found itself both with an abundance of philanthropic funds, and a community site in sore need of beautification. The entrance to the then newly constructed West Lake Forest Train Station held a promising blank plot of land for the club’s talented member design team in the largest single club undertaking in its history. In partnership with The City of Lake Forest, the garden began as two modest, hand-dug, kidney shaped gardens laden with spring-flowering bulbs, but has evolved into large plots of beautiful annual and perennial plantings which are maintained weekly by the active club membership in teams of two. The club’s efforts were rewarded in 1994 with a Design Critics’ Council Award for outstanding design. In 2006, the club provided funds for a limestone walkway, terrace, and limestone benches which enhance the site’s “English garden” ambience. The gardens were re-dedicated in June, 2007.
Most recently, the Club has added a new philanthropic project, working with Lake Forest youth at CROYA. Deerpath Garden Club members have joined forces with these young adults to create a beautiful landscape around the newly constructed CROYA youth center. In Fall of 2008, the Club, along with CROYA members, participated in “Bulbapalooza”, the planting of 4,000 spring bulbs.
Over the years, Club members’ cultivation of this enchanting garden has invoked a vast array of talent in, among others, publicity, fundraising, accounting, art and civic awareness, and produced a rich harvest, including a mastery of horticulture and design. Yet, the club membership might agree, the dearest fruit of this amazing garden has been the sowing and nurturing of enduring friendships. Truly, our garden blooms as a “garden of friends.”
Click here to see our award-winning garden in bloom and our ongoing CROYA project.
