About Us

 

Our Objective

The Exeter Area Garden Club (EAGC) was founded  in 1972 to “encourage interest in all phases of home gardening, to promote civic beauty and the conservation of natural resources”.  The club offers not only a wide array of gardening-related activities but also a chance for gardeners of all skill levels and interests to share knowledge, questions and  culinary talents! We are a 501(c)(7) organization.

Activities

The Exeter Area Garden Club is an active, exciting group of individuals who share a love of gardening. The club has monthly speakers who present information about all aspects of gardening such as vegetable and flower gardening, lawn care, indoor plants, composting, cooking with herbs, arrangement design and more!

The EAGC meets on the third Thursday of the month, at the Mogera Room of the Stratham Fire Department, 2 Winnicutt Rd., Stratham, NH.  Doors open at 9 am and  refreshments are served (bring your own beverage.) Our brief business meeting begins at 10:00, followed by a program.  Our meetings are always open to residents of the Exeter Area and new members may join at any time during the year.

We offer members seasonal design workshops, trips to local sites of special gardening interest, fun and friendship.  Our club enjoys special events like the Holiday Luncheon, annual plant auction (yes, we dig up our own extra plants and auction them to the club – a great way to improve your garden) and Promise Tree activities.

Civic Projects

The EAGC has many opportunities for community service including maintaining the garden beds at Exeter’s American Independence Museum and the Stratham Veterans’ Memorial garden as well as creating holiday decorations for the Exeter Historical Society. Click to see more about our Civic Beautification efforts.  Each year the club also makes financial contributions to non-profit organizations that promote gardening education and environmental preservation.

In 2011, the EAGC began a well-received Beautification Mini-Grant program. Through this program the club now annually awards grants of up to $200 each to individuals and organizations who use the funds to improve the appearance of public and private spaces in the greater Exeter area.  Recent mini-grants have focused on the development of a local Pollinator Corridor. Our Mini-Grant program has had a positive impact on the beauty of our surrounding communities and in the hearts of those who see nature around them. Click to see more about our Mini-Grant program.

The club also recognizes outstanding gardens in the area that both businesses and residents have created. Click to see the lovely gardens that the Awards committee has found. 

We are pleased to work with the Seacoast School of Technology in Exeter and local high schools by setting aside a scholarship for an outstanding student who will be pursuing a career related to the environment or agriculture/plant science. Click to find out more about our Scholarship.

Membership

Within our club, members join one or more subcommittees that focus on a special gardening interest. Click to see our Committee list for more information.  Some of these committees help keep the club running smoothly, while others might provide educational information at the general meeting or interact with the public.

Every new member is eligible to participate in our Mentor Program. They will be assigned a mentor, who will introduce them to other members at meetings and events and help them become familiar with our committees and activities. Click here to see the details.

The EAGC is not a gardening club of formalities (although on occasion we have been known to don hats and gloves for an outdoor grown-up tea party!)  So if you love to garden and would like to meet others who love it too, join us as we celebrate the joy and occasional heartbreak of this green hobby of the mind, body and soul.

Join us! Click here.

Questions or comments?  Click here to contact us.