About Spade and Trowel Club
Spade and Trowel Club was first organized in 1939 by Mrs. Malcolm Farquhar of the Kennett Garden Club, the senior club of Kennett Square at the time, and sponsored by that club for membership in District 1 of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP) in 1946. GCFP is a member the Central Atlantic Region of The National Gardens Club, Inc.
The club has been very active in various projects in and around Kennett Square. At present, the club maintains a membership of 32 active members and 8 associate members.
The club participates in projects such as landscaping local flower beds, provides flowers and arrangements for community affairs and organizations, competes at local, regional and in house flower shows and has won many individual and club awards throughout its history.
Spade and Trowel Club undertakes projects and makes donations that reflect the sense of the membership. The objective is to involve as many members as possible in a broad array of garden and related interests. Members have worked with the Kennett Square Beautification Committee since its inception. Members designed and still maintain the herb and kitchen garden located at Barns Brinton House in Chadds Ford. Other projects: Holiday Greens Workshop to benefit Heartland Hospice Services, YMCA Montessori School and Head Start children’s programs, and maintaining the Waywood Garden Bed at the North entrance to Kennett Square.
Members were active in the Kennett Consolidated School Vegetable Show for 11 years and assisted with the Unionville Farm Show, now known as the Unionville Community Fair.
The club has been very active in various projects in and around Kennett Square. At present, the club maintains a membership of 32 active members and 8 associate members.
The club participates in projects such as landscaping local flower beds, provides flowers and arrangements for community affairs and organizations, competes at local, regional and in house flower shows and has won many individual and club awards throughout its history.
Spade and Trowel Club undertakes projects and makes donations that reflect the sense of the membership. The objective is to involve as many members as possible in a broad array of garden and related interests. Members have worked with the Kennett Square Beautification Committee since its inception. Members designed and still maintain the herb and kitchen garden located at Barns Brinton House in Chadds Ford. Other projects: Holiday Greens Workshop to benefit Heartland Hospice Services, YMCA Montessori School and Head Start children’s programs, and maintaining the Waywood Garden Bed at the North entrance to Kennett Square.
Members were active in the Kennett Consolidated School Vegetable Show for 11 years and assisted with the Unionville Farm Show, now known as the Unionville Community Fair.
Pictorial Chronicle of the Spade and Trowel Club
Spade and Trowel Club was first organized in 1939 by Mrs. Malcolm Farquhar of the Kennett Garden Club, and sponsored by that club for membership in District 1 of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP) in 1946.
To celebrate the 80th birthday of the club, a chronicle was created to provide a glimpse of the club's rich history.
Spade and Trowel Club was first organized in 1939 by Mrs. Malcolm Farquhar of the Kennett Garden Club, and sponsored by that club for membership in District 1 of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP) in 1946.
To celebrate the 80th birthday of the club, a chronicle was created to provide a glimpse of the club's rich history.
2019-20 Officers
President: Debbie Ferrell
Vice President: Brenda Kramer
Treasurer: Marge Riley
Recording Secretary: Shannon Hevener
Corresponding Secretary: Deb Adelman
President: Debbie Ferrell
Vice President: Brenda Kramer
Treasurer: Marge Riley
Recording Secretary: Shannon Hevener
Corresponding Secretary: Deb Adelman
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month, September through June in private homes or public venues. Coffee and social time begins at 9 a.m. followed by a 9:15 a.m. business meeting and program. Meeting hostesses then serve lunch.
President’s Message
Joyce Milberg, the new GCFP President, has chosen as her theme “ Growing Our Legacy:
Green Spaces, Education, Scholarship and Connections.” I am borrowing a piece of her theme
for our theme this year…Growing and Continuing Our Legacy.
Our club celebrated its 80 th birthday this year. I am amazed by what the women through those
eighty years accomplished. They won ribbons at flower shows, started community garden and
beautification projects. They educated young and old about plants and gardening. They
contributed projects of compassion to the community…Hospice, flowers to Pocopson Home,
Head Start…to name a few.
To make sure our legacy continues growing we need to keep our momentum going strong. We
need to commit and work together to fulfill the community needs we have taken on as a group.
The Barnes Brinton garden, the Waywood garden, Montessori projects and even the Creamery
sale benefit the community and our club. All of our projects draw new vital members to our
membership helping us to grow and thrive. We need new and old members to take on Chair
positions and positions of leadership.
I am looking forward to a fun and busy year. Let us work together to keep Spade and Trowel
strong and relevant for another 80 years!
Debbie Ferrell, President
Joyce Milberg, the new GCFP President, has chosen as her theme “ Growing Our Legacy:
Green Spaces, Education, Scholarship and Connections.” I am borrowing a piece of her theme
for our theme this year…Growing and Continuing Our Legacy.
Our club celebrated its 80 th birthday this year. I am amazed by what the women through those
eighty years accomplished. They won ribbons at flower shows, started community garden and
beautification projects. They educated young and old about plants and gardening. They
contributed projects of compassion to the community…Hospice, flowers to Pocopson Home,
Head Start…to name a few.
To make sure our legacy continues growing we need to keep our momentum going strong. We
need to commit and work together to fulfill the community needs we have taken on as a group.
The Barnes Brinton garden, the Waywood garden, Montessori projects and even the Creamery
sale benefit the community and our club. All of our projects draw new vital members to our
membership helping us to grow and thrive. We need new and old members to take on Chair
positions and positions of leadership.
I am looking forward to a fun and busy year. Let us work together to keep Spade and Trowel
strong and relevant for another 80 years!
Debbie Ferrell, President
The Central Atlantic Region of National Garden Clubs, Inc.
The National Garden Clubs, Inc. NGC is divided into eight regions with Pennsylvania being a part of part of the Central Atlantic Region (CAR). Along with Pennsylvania, CAR is comprised of neighboring states: Delaware, Maryland, National Capital Area, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.
The Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania
The Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP) is a charitable voluntary organization of women, men and youth who share interests in gardening, civic beautification, floral design, and conservation of natural resource, environmental and legislative issues through local clubs.
GCFP is a member the Central Atlantic Region of The National Gardens Club, Inc.
National Garden Club (NGC)
National Garden Clubs, Inc., (NGC) is a not-for-profit educational organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri USA, adjacent to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. GCFP is a state garden club within the National Garden Club.
NGC promotes the love of gardening, floral design, and civic and environmental responsibility and helps coordinate the interests and activities of state and local garden clubs in the U.S. and abroad.
With eight regions, 50 state garden clubs and the National Capital Area, 60 national affiliated organizations within the United States, 330 international affiliated organizations around the globe combined with 5,000 member garden clubs and 175,000 members; NGC is the largest volunteer organization of its type in the world.
The National Garden Clubs, Inc. NGC is divided into eight regions with Pennsylvania being a part of part of the Central Atlantic Region (CAR). Along with Pennsylvania, CAR is comprised of neighboring states: Delaware, Maryland, National Capital Area, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.
The Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania
The Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP) is a charitable voluntary organization of women, men and youth who share interests in gardening, civic beautification, floral design, and conservation of natural resource, environmental and legislative issues through local clubs.
GCFP is a member the Central Atlantic Region of The National Gardens Club, Inc.
National Garden Club (NGC)
National Garden Clubs, Inc., (NGC) is a not-for-profit educational organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri USA, adjacent to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. GCFP is a state garden club within the National Garden Club.
NGC promotes the love of gardening, floral design, and civic and environmental responsibility and helps coordinate the interests and activities of state and local garden clubs in the U.S. and abroad.
With eight regions, 50 state garden clubs and the National Capital Area, 60 national affiliated organizations within the United States, 330 international affiliated organizations around the globe combined with 5,000 member garden clubs and 175,000 members; NGC is the largest volunteer organization of its type in the world.