EQUALITY GARDEN CLUB
About Us
The Equality Garden Club (EGC), formerly the Equality Park Garden Club, was established in 2010 by five devoted gardeners who believed many green-thumb individuals, often from northern climes, desired local knowledge that was not generally available for their South Florida Zone 10 gardens. The beginning focus of EGC was to provide information to individuals in the Wilton Manors, Oakland Park and the city of Fort Lauderdale. While this still constitutes the majority, some or our members have been attracted from a broader area of Broward County.
Over the years, invited professional speakers to our monthly meetings have provided solutions to questions relating to specific plants, landscaping, plant nutrition, pest control, irrigation methods and landscape lighting. Speakers have also discussed how creatures such as honey bees, birds, butterflies and bats can be beneficial in one’s garden as well as our increasingly urbanized environment.
OUR MISSION
The Equality Garden Club's mission is to provide education, resources and networking opportunities for its members and to promote the love of plant-related sciences and activities, general gardening, civic and environmental responsibility.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The Equality Garden Club (EGC) was founded in 2010 as a way to support a proposed public garden on the highly urbanized campus of Equality Park in Wilton Manors. Chuck Nicholls and Chip Jones conceived and designed the plans for the garden. Maeva Malloy was instrumental in the beginning; bringing her experiences from a former garden club in Wilton Manors. At the first meeting tours of the grounds and a slide-show presentation were given to the 25 attendees.
Jesse Durko, a local nurseryman and plant expert was our first guest speaker in April 2010. The garden at Equality Park was our club’s initial community-building project and EGC helped maintain the grounds for several years. Now under the direct care of Equality Park, the garden our club built continues as a focal point of this community center.
When we get together, besides the guest speaker, our meetings provide plant raffles, auctions and the "Bring a Plant-Take-a-Plant" exchange table. Semi-annual group trips or "Rambles" of 30-40 people take members (and guests) for a fun day of plant shopping at professional nurseries normally unavailable to the general public. These rambles often include South Florida private as well as public and botanical gardens. The club also hosts a Volunteer Appreciation picnic and holiday celebration dinner annually.
Originally Equality Garden Club succeeded by the support of the members and the generosity and encouragement of the speakers. At our tenth anniversary in 2020, they continue to be the lifeblood of the club, providing the enthusiasm and knowledge to power the club’s mission to learn and enjoy, to entertain and educate anyone interested in the world of plants, and beautifying one’s environment.
A Tropical Plant Fair
As an expansion of its vision, in 2013 the first Tropical Plant Fair was established to provide an occasion where growers and other vendors could directly interact with the area’s plant enthusiasts. Its initial success has evolved to become our annual Tropical Plant Fair. The 2-day March 2019 A Tropical Plant Fair had over 50 vendors and 3,000 people participating. Thanks to the proceeds from these annual fairs, the Equality Garden Club has been able to fund several grants to other local non-profit organizations that share our desire to provide valuable information and education in our South Florida community.