When you hear the words âgarden club,â what comes to mind? Do you picture a group of soft-spoken, white-haired women â Ã la Agatha Christieâs Miss Marple â who gather for meetings, sip tea out of fine China cups, and grow African violets? That was kind of my mental image for a long time, until I finally met some garden club members. It was then that I discovered that the word âgardenâ isnât just an adjective. Itâs also a verb, and these ladies actively garden, not just in their own gardens, but also in the community. Every garden club Iâve had the privilege to meet with has at least two main reasons for gathering. One, to share with others their love of gardening and to help each other become better growers in the process. Two, to be involved with the community in some way, whether tending gardens or helping judge horticultural contests. Sometimes this extends to restoring historic gardens and grounds. For example, the Philadelphia Unit of the Herb Society of America tends the gardens at the historic Valley Forge Hospital in Historic Yellow Springs.