At a Glance

Community Projects

   

Gates Mills Arboretum

Arboretum ​
​In 1935, the Gates Mills Village Council granted the Gates Mills Garden Club use of land along the Chagrin River for a native woodland. Paths were laid, and native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers were planted. Since then, club members have tended the Village Arboretum by planting, pruning, weeding, and labeling.

Summer Bridge Box

​Bridge Boxes ​
The Gates Mills Garden Club adorns the North and South bridges over the Chagrin River with seasonal charm. In late May, member's plant vibrant flowers that bloom brightly all summer long. As winter arrives, the bridges are transformed with evergreen boughs and festive decorations, bringing a touch of holiday magic to the village.

Community Garden

Community Outreach Garden 
Members enjoy access to raised garden beds at the Gates Mills Environmental Education Center, where they can cultivate a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. A significant portion of the harvest is thoughtfully donated to those in need.

Flower Show Winners 2023

Flower Show
The biennial flower show showcases our work as gardeners and is free and open to the public. It features horticultural specimens, floral designs, and educational exhibits. All club members are encouraged to participate, and entries are judged by certified flower show judges from Ohio.

4th of July Float 2019

Fourth of July Parade Float
​The Parade Committee designs and builds the Garden Club’s Independence Day parade float. After the parade theme is announced by the Village Improvement Society in the spring, committee members brainstorm ideas and create a beautiful float in the week preceding the parade.  

Garden Tour

The Garden Tour
The biennial Garden Tour is the club's major fundraiser, supporting horticulture scholarships and club projects. It showcases gardens in Gates Mills, often featuring landmark historic homes. Members secure gardens, manage details, and promote the event. The next tour is in summer 2026.

Post Office Flowers

Library and Post Office Flowers
For over half a century, the Gates Mills Garden Club has provided flowers for the Gates Mills branch of the Cuyahoga County Library, and more recently, the Gates Mills Post Office. Each week, a member delivers a floral design and maintains it throughout the week. Displays often reflect holidays or special celebrations, ensuring a beautiful, timely arrangement.

May Basket

May Baskets ​
​The May baskets, a beloved spring tradition, began with the Grey Squirrel flower shop, once housed in a renovated gas station in the Village. After the shop closed in the mid-1960s, the Gates Mills Garden Club continued the practice of hanging flower baskets from street signs. Each May, members arrange daisy baskets, which the Village Service Department hangs on street signs and municipal doors.

Scholarships
​The Gates Mills Garden Club offers scholarships to graduating seniors from Gilmour Academy, Hawken High School, Mayfield High School (including Excel TECC), and the Gates Mills Environmental Education Center. Recipients pursue further education in horticulture.

Service Department Luncheon 2022

Service Department Luncheon
The Service Department Luncheon is an annual event to thank the staff of the Gates Mills Service Department, Town Hall, Library, and Post Office for their service. The Garden Club collaborates with the Community Club to organize the event.

Garden Club Projects

Monarch Buttery

Monarch Butterfly Garden ​
​In 2015, the Gates Mills Garden Club launched a project to support the Monarch butterfly, including education, community outreach, and creating a certified habitat. The club built a Monarch Way Station butterfly garden at Esquire’s Cottage, featuring Swamp and Common Milkweed for larval stages and over 15 perennial plants that bloom throughout the season, providing ample pollination for butterflies.

Educational Program in the Barn 2022

Monthly Programs
Our monthly programs are designed to inspire interest in gardening, floral design, and the preservation and enhancement of our environment's natural beauty. Field trips to special gardens are also part of the programming. Garden Club of Ohio programs are optional activities.

Stage Hands October 2024

Stage Hands
​In honor of the Gates Mills Garden Club's benefactor, Florence Stage, the club offers monthly hands-on gardening activities at Esquire’s Cottage. These optional classes teach and demonstrate gardening skills, including pruning, seed collection, and monthly garden maintenance.