The Newfields Garden Club was established in 1933 with the purpose of promoting home gardens; aiding in the protection and planting of native trees, wildflowers, and birds; and “to study in all its aspect the fine art of gardening.”   After a hiatus at some point in the mid-1900s, the club was revived around 1980 and has remained a vibrant part of the Newfields Community. Other than a beautifully hand-written copy of the 1933 Constitution of The Newfields Garden Club, specific activities of the early Club are undocumented.

 

Under the leadership of Jeanne LaBranche and Donna Hoge in the 1980s and 1990s, members made holiday wreaths for the town buildings, established the annual plant sale, purchased and planted large pots for seasonal plantings around town, and established the flagpole garden at the Town Hall.

 

Today the garden club provides many of the same services, with the addition of educational opportunities provided by UNH Master Gardeners. The Woodland Garden, Woodland Path, Pollinator Garden, and Children’s Garden at Hilton Corner were all created in the past few years.

 

Over the years, the Newfields Garden Club has continued to fulfill and expand upon the objects of the 1933 Constitution, which is plainly stated in Article II (d),  “To study in all its aspect the fine art of gardening.”