It all started in the summer of 1989 when three women got together to start a club strictly for the love of gardening and to make their community a better place in which to live. Betty Hedke, Miriam Spears and Marilyn Johnson handed out information at the Contra Costa County Fair that summer and the first meeting was held in October of 1989 with 15 people attending.

The club’s charter was registered on Oct. 22, 1989 and the first slate of officers was installed in Linda Flood’s backyard garden in June of 1990: Ginny Isaacson, president; Marilyn Johnson, vice president; Zoe Raines, recording secretary; Linda Flood, corresponding secretary; and Elizabeth Briggs, treasurer.

That summer, the tradition of participating yearly at the Contra Costa County Fair began with a booth display, and the club’s first newsletter was published. In 1991, the fledgling club took on its first community service project, headed by Laurie Finks Young: replacing the rose garden with 60 new rose varieties at the 100-year-old Antioch City Park.

That began a history of partnering with other service groups and now also includes the Antioch Library atrium; the Eagle WWI Memorial Cactus and Rose Garden at the entrance to the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds; the Amtrak Station; and the Carnegie Library – all in Antioch. The club now participates in planning with the City of Antioch an annual Arbor Day tree planting and ceremony that includes Cub Scout Troop 247, conducts two plant sales yearly with the Friends of the Antioch Library bi-monthly book sales, and holds 10 general meetings a year, featuring informative speakers. Other activities include a garden tour, ice cream social, Christmas party, workshops, bus tours and a variety of fundraisers.

The club is affiliated with California Garden Clubs, Inc. and National Garden Clubs, Inc., Pacific Region. Betty Hedtke, one of its founding members, recently passed away on Sept. 1. Charter members who remain members of the club are Roy Hedtke of Lafayette; Zoe Raines of Paris, Texas; Marti Edeal of Pittsburg; Linda Flood of Antioch; and Laurie Finks Young of Antioch.

Meetings are usually held the first Tuesday of the month except in July and December, and Wednesday, Nov. 4 due to the special election. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the Antioch City Library, 501 W. 18th St. A proclamation will be made honoring this event at the Antioch City Council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10. For further information, call Janice Coggiola at 925-439-4483.