What We Do

We’re all about public gardens, happy bees, satisfied birds, healthy lands, and garden literacy.

You can see that energy and breadth in the many things we do:

Public Gardens: We maintain 13 spots around town, from Crabapple Allee to the newly certified pollinator garden at Wales Park.

Public Talks: Throughout the off-season, when gardening goes dormant and people everywhere hunger for new knowledge about all things gardening, BGC  offers opportunities to learn about everything from battling Japanese beetles to forcing beautiful bulbs. Everyone is welcome.

Open Garden Days: Join us for the most spectacular gardens in the region every Saturday in summer. Wander shaded paths, delight in legacy plantings, learn from newly developed designs. You can even buy a discounted season ticket.

Books: If you’re not gardening at this moment, you should be reading about gardening at this moment. Luckily, BGC has been steadily donating garden, horticulture, and conservation books to the Belfast Free Library and area schools for more than two decades. That’s why Belfast can boast the best local collection of horticultural books for children and adults in the state of Maine.

The Plant Sale: We think it’s the best. It’s definitely one of the most popular, and it helps us fund our many civic projects.  Memorial Day weekend at Steamboat Landing. Be there.

Community Gardening: The club helped establish the community gardens at Wales park, where residents can grow their own vegetables and flowers. Interested? Contact us.

Community Support: Each year the club donates funds to the Troy Howard Middle School Garden Project. In addition, the club makes donations to one or more other local non-profit organizations. This year’s recipients are Aging Well in Waldo County, Habitat for Humanity (Belfast), and Tools for Schools. Your donations help us continue this kind of support. 

New & Special Projects: Okay, so in 2022, we did not sink our cardboard boat. Neither did we win the Annual Cardboard Boat Race. But we did win People’s Choice. We’re always on the lookout for more to do with and for our community. Among other projects: we’ve worked on Belfast’s spring clean-up team, and we’ve contributed skills and support to the lovely Giving Tree, which graces the library during the holidays. Got an idea? Contact us.

Scholarships:

School Garden Scholarships
The Belfast Garden Club funds scholarships for students participating in local school-based summer garden projects. By participating in the projects and working with experienced gardeners, students actively learn all aspects of gardening, including how to market and sell their produce.

Ann Mullen Memorial Scholarships
In honor of Ann Mullen, a beloved past member, BGC makes an annual campership donation to Tanglewood 4-H Camp in Lincolnville, Maine, to support youth in need. The Camp offers overnight camp, day camp, hunter safety camp (in conjunction with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife), wilderness discovery trips, and a multi-week leadership camp for teens.