Who We Are
Our Mission
The Little Garden Club of Memphis, a member of The Garden Club of America, is a non-profit volunteer organization designed to educate and stimulate its members and the community in the development and promotion of horticulture, conservation, flower arranging, and garden design. The organization maintains a strong commitment to supporting and cooperating in community improvements that enhance and further the goals of civic beautification.
Our History
The Little Garden Club (LGC) was founded in 1929. Early LGC members worked on the grounds at the Crippled Adults Hospital and established a roof garden at the Gailor Psychiatric Hospital in the Medical Center. Having joined the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs in 1932, they pioneered in the field of color slide programs, making the programs available to TN Federated clubs throughout the state.
The club joined The Garden Club of America (GCA) in 1949. From the early 1950s through the late 1980s, the club was very involved with Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, most notably providing an Italian Renaissance marble West Entrance, the Seasons Garden, the Azalea Trail and the Sculpture Garden.
In the 1950s, LGC also began a relationship with Memphis Botanic Garden (MBG), which continues today. The club was responsible for the initial planting of cherry trees along Cherry Road, established the Sensory Garden at MBG in 1989, and helped start the Children’s Garden at MBG (My Big Backyard). The club has funded other projects at MBG as needs have arisen, and still provides funding for maintenance of the cherry trees, Sensory Garden and Children’s Garden.
In the interest of the club’s commitment to supporting civic beautification, Little Garden Club has worked on other projects throughout the city, including plantings at Audubon Park, Airways/I-240 interchange, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Wolf River Conservancy, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Neighborhood School, Tennessee Governor’s Mansion, Binghampton School Garden, Church Health Center, and Le Bonheur Green. We currently are working with Carpenter Art Garden in Binghampton.
LGC holds a fundraiser (Inspirations, previously called Happenings) every three years to help support our community projects. Inspirations is a fun-filled day, with a speaker, a retail market, lunch and often a hands-on workshop. All of the past speakers have been highly acclaimed floral designers/lifestyle experts such as Susie Edwards, Paula Pryke, Ron Morgan, Chris Giftos, Hitomi Gilliam, Calder Clark, Putnam & Putnam and Bunny Williams. Our next fundraiser will be in November 2024.
LGC and Memphis Garden Club have co-hosted numerous GCA meetings in Memphis, including the GCA Annual Meeting in 1972, as well as GCA Zone Meetings in 1952, 1979, 1995, 2005, 2015.
To continue the mission of educating the community about horticulture, conservation, flower arranging and garden design, LGC holds flower shows that are open to the public. These flower shows feature floral designs, horticulture specimens and photography, all judged by GCA judges. Our next flower show will be held in the spring of 2025.
2022-2024 Board
President - Emily Kay
First Vice President - Kate Trammell
Treasurer - Linda Mallory
Assistant Treasurer - Anne Dunavant
Recording Secretary - Garnett Hutton
Corresponding Secretary - Mary Muscari
Parliamentarian & Historian - Lisa Wilder
Advisory - Kathy Adams, Katie Eleazer, Anne Keesee, Janet Misner, Lisa Snowden
Awards - Lisa Snowden
Civic Improvement - Kate Connell
Club Administrator - Tempe Thompson
Communications (Newsletter) - Kirk McClintock
Communications (Social Media & GCA Bulletin) - Kim MacQueen
Sensory Garden/My Big Backyard - Julie Hussey, Christy Muller
Conservation - Kim Lowrance, Barbara Williamson
Entertainment - Stacey Hussey, Courtenay McAllister
Floral Design - Mimsie Crump, Michelle Dunavant
Flower Show (2022) - Vance Lewis, Tempe Thompson
Garden History & Design - Lucia Crenshaw, Catherine Sikes
Horticulture - Bradley Fogelman, Elizabeth Williamson
Judging - Gina White
Membership - Tempe Thompson
Photography - Ginger Collier, Kim Gibson
Programs - Jean Johnston, Paige Proctor
Scholarships & Visiting Gardens - Leslie Schutt
Travel - Sue Clark, Ruthie Taylor
Ways & Means - Alison Barton
Ways & Means Inspirations (2024) - Liz Crosby, Stephanie Wilson
Yearbook - Katie Wiener
2022-2024 Board
President - Emily Kay
First Vice President - Kate Trammell
Treasurer - Linda Mallory
Assistant Treasurer - Anne Dunavant
Recording Secretary - Garnett Hutton
Corresponding Secretary - Mary Muscari
Parliamentarian & Historian - Lisa Wilder
Advisory - Kathy Adams, Katie Eleazer, Anne Keesee, Janet Misner, Lisa Snowden
Awards - Lisa Snowden
Civic Improvement - Kate Connell
Club Administrator - Tempe Thompson
Communications (Newsletter) - Kirk McClintock
Communications (Social Media & GCA Bulletin) - Kim MacQueen
Sensory Garden/My Big Backyard - Julie Hussey, Christy Muller
Conservation - Kim Lowrance, Barbara Williamson
Entertainment - EJ Crowley, Stacey Hussey
Floral Design - Mimsie Crump, Michelle Dunavant
Flower Show (2022) - Vance Lewis, Tempe Thompson
Garden History & Design - Lucia Crenshaw, Catherine Sikes
Horticulture - Bradley Fogelman, Elizabeth Williamson
Judging - Gina White
Membership - Tempe Thompson
Photography - Ginger Collier, Kim Gibson
Programs - Jean Johnston, Paige Proctor
Scholarships & Visiting Gardens - Leslie Schutt
Travel - Sue Clark, Ruthie Taylor
Ways & Means - Alison Barton
Ways & Means Inspirations (2024) - Liz Crosby, Stephanie Wilson
Yearbook - Katie Wiener