About Us

The Sandwich Garden Club aims to stimulate friendships, knowledge, and the love of gardening, and to enhance the beauty of Sandwich and Cape Cod.

What We're All About

The club exists exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Our objective is to advance and encourage the art of gardening and horticultural study with a directive of faithful conservation in keeping with the natural resources of Cape Cod.

To that end, the Sandwich Garden Club is a member of Pollinator Pathway of Cape Cod, "...a regional initiative to increase pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife...."

We are local gardeners that share our diverse interests in horticulture. We are not affiliated with state and national garden clubs. Our experience ranges from beginner to Master Gardeners. As a result of our active role in gardening, our members refer to themselves as “The Diggers.”

All club members participate in community work such as the enhancement of local ecosystems, natural habitats, and municipal gardens.

The club also supports our town by offering student scholarships and funding garden-focused programs run by the schools, the library, and community conservation groups.

Meeting Information

We normally meet the first Sunday of the month at 1:30 p.m. at the historic Sand Hill School Community Center (16 Dewey Avenue, Sandwich). Most meetings feature an educational speaker or workshop, a brief business segment, and time for refreshments and socializing. We occasionally take field trips to nurseries or local gardens. We also feature "From My Garden to Yours," where members can share plants, seeds, flowers, or vegetables from their own yards. You are invited to attend a meeting to experience the magic of gardener-friends!

Scroll down to learn about how we're organized, our affiliates, and our history. Or further explore this site to learn about our projects and programs. If you're ready to join, fill out our membership form or go here here to find more information about club membership.

Field trip to

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

Tending the garden at Mill Creek Park

Board of Directors

The Sandwich Garden Club is guided by a board of directors whose members are appointed for a two year period.

Position

Co-President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Roberti Farm Representative

Immediate Past President

Name

Linda Fox

Lisa Santero

Jennifer Butler

June Murphy

Candice Murphy

Jeanne Nichols

board of directos

Affiliates

Committees & Teams

Civic Committee

Our largest committee is the Civic Committee—and for good reason. We value community. While every club member participates in our volunteer initiatives, this committee coordinates five unique focus areas. Led by two co-chairs and five team leaders, our civic teams are detailed below:

The Public Garden Team manages the care of two public gardens originally designed by Sandwich Garden Club members. You can find these beautiful spaces at Mill Creek Park (Route 130/Water Street, across from Old Town Hall) and Oak Crest Cove (34 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, outside the Recreation Department Building).

The Historic Marker Team plants and maintains the lovely little seasonal pocket gardens that enhance six of the town's historic district signs located at --
- 128 Rte 6A (near Jack Conway Realtors)
- Intersection of Rte 6A & Old Main Street
- Rte 6A near Snowy Owl Coffee
- 520 Rte 130 (Sandwich Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center)
- Rte 130 as you enter the village, beyond the Visitor Center (between Shawme and Morse Roads)
- 100 Rte 6A (Town Hall, near the Tupper Road entrance)

The Plant Sale Team coordinates our main yearly fundraiser. This dedicated group manages plant donations, prep logistics, supplies, and volunteer schedules. Every club member must pitch in to make the event a success.

The Scholarship & Giving Team oversees the club's scholarships to Upper Cape Technical High School as well as the garden club's charitable donations to other organizations.

The SandwichFest Team organizes our booth at this annual street festival held along Water Street in historic Sandwich village. The event features free admission, local food and craft vendors, and community information displays.

Civic-focused ad hoc teams are formed as needed to tackle specific community initiatives. Most recently, club member Candice Murphy proposed a new garden at the Center for Active Living. Recognizing the value of her comprehensive proposal, the Sandwich Visitor Services Board awarded the garden club a $5,000 grant to fund the project. As work begins, Candice will assemble a short-term team to bring the project to life.

Past ad hoc initiatives have worked on alleviating drainage issues at both the Sand Hill School Community Center and the Sandwich Public Library, establishing a garden at the Hoxie House, and coordinating our participation in the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival.

Program Committee

The Program Committee seeks out interesting and educational programs, workshops, and field trips for club members and administers all the necessary arrangements.

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee does the much-need work of collects dues and membership forms, maintains membership records, provides name tags, and greets members and guests at meetings.

Communications Team (NEW)

This vital team will initially concentrate its efforts on enhancing internal communications to ensure club members are fully informed of upcoming activities and events. Looking ahead, the committee aims to expand our external reach by building a dynamic social media presence. Specific responsibilities are currently being finalized—stay tuned for more details!

Committees

Histoy

Our History

In the land of sand and wind, eight women answered a classified advertisement to share information about gardening on Cape Cod in 1997. When faced with the challenging conditions from nutrient poor sandy soil to heavy clay soil, these women wanted a group to help each other unravel the mystery of gardening on Cape Cod. They wanted to know how you apply science-based and organic solutions to our garden challenges.

Yvonne Kirshaw and Helen Knollmeyer led this inaugural group with Yvonne elected as the first President at the first meeting in 1998.

In these early days, the members planted and maintained a 17th-century herb garden at the Hoxie House and a memorial garden at the Council on Aging on Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Sandwich. They dedicated a bench to founding member Margaret (Peg) Gridley. They also maintained the garden at the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce Information booth on Route 130.

In 2006 we applied and were accepted as a 503C-7 Social Organization and renamed as The Sandwich Garden Club. Today we have a solid base of members and welcome new and experienced gardeners to our club.