BY ADELE CASANOVA
The Garden Boutique at Reynolda Village is a splendid little gift shop where you can find unique and affordable gifts. But that is only the beginning! It is also the headquarters for the Garden Club Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, a non-profit organization dedicated to the beautification of our community.
Established in 1932, the Garden Club Council represents 22 local garden clubs consisting of hundreds of individual members. Through community grants, awards and scholarships, the Garden Club Council supports the education of local gardeners, as well as conservation and restoration projects. The Garden Boutique serves as a source of funding for the Council with all net profits from gift sales dedicated to its programs.
The Garden Club Council, through its Beautification Fund, awards grants to local organizations such as neighborhoods, schools and other public spaces for needed landscaping projects. The funding is for plant materials, including trees, shrubs, and perennials, and the projects are given a three-year span for completion. Current projects include funding of plant material for the pedestrian passageway downtown between Cherry and Trade streets, and an erosion control project at Sherwood Elementary School on Silas Creek Parkway.
The Garden Council also hosts fun and educational events for the garden enthusiasts. A popular event held every other year is the Garden Tour Experience, when beautiful private gardens are opened up for participants to tour and appreciate. The Tour will be held again in the spring of 2020.
The Council hosts an annual plant sale yearly in the Little Red Barn at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds. Plants are donated by various club members and are available for sale to the public, with the proceeds funding the Council’s projects and programs. Mark your calendar for this year’s sale to be held on April 27th.
And finally, the Garden Club Council, through the Winston-Salem Foundation, awards two scholarships per year providing financial support for local students attending horticultural and landscaping programs at an accredited state school.
These are just some of the ways the Garden Club Council fulfills its mission to “protect, preserve and beautify our environment.” How fortunate our community is to have both the lovely Garden Boutique gift shop and a dedicated non-profit organization like the Garden Club Council working to continually beautify our wonderful city! To learn more about the Council and their programs, please visit them on the web at GardenClubCouncil.org.
You can support all of the Council’s initiatives by simply shopping at the Garden Boutique. This boutique offers many one-of-a-kind, affordable gifts that will surely delight any recipients. The Garden Boutique offers items you won’t see anywhere else in town. Items include stylish and fun entertaining accessories for any occasion, plus seasonal pieces to jazz up your holiday entertaining. The boutique also sells special high-quality gardening tools, interesting garden accessories and a variety of gorgeous indoor and outdoor plant containers. Also available are decorating pieces to enhance both your indoor and outdoor spaces, such as candles, mats, rugs, pillows, and frames. Items are carefully selected to be of timeless quality, while still reflecting current styles. Everything at the Garden Boutique is of great quality at affordable prices – making it a real hidden gem in the Winston-Salem community!
Beautiful plants are also available for sale through the Boutique in the walkway connecting to Reynolda Gardens. Proceeds from these plant sales go directly to support the gardens at Reynolda. “We have a wonderful synergy with Reynolda Gardens,” says Council (Club) President, Kristie Blanco. “You can purchase a lovely plant from the walkway, bring it into the boutique and one of our helpful associates will assist you in choosing just the right accompanying pot for a stunning gift. In this way, you can support both Reynolda Gardens and the Garden Club Council.”
So, if you want to purchase something very pleasing for yourself, or a gift sure to please someone else, visit the Garden Boutique. What better way to support the beautification of your own community! The boutique is continually restocked with new, delightful items, so visit often for all your gifting needs.
The Garden Boutique is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is open Sundays seasonally. Call at 336-722-5640 for more information. The boutique is located at 100 Reynolda Village, the first shop on the right as you enter the Village from Reynolda Road. You can learn more about the Garden Boutique at ReynoldaGardenBoutique.com. You can follow the Garden Club Council and the Garden Boutique on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
