Linden Historic Kitchen Garden | Hospice Christmas Tree | Garden Therapy | Young Gardners | Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage

Linden Historic Kitchen Garden

Calvert Garden Club under the project leadership of Nancy Thompson created the “Kitchen Garden at Linden” in 2004-2005. It was celebrated and dedicated in Spring 2005 providing the public a chance to see the wonderful work the Calvert Garden Club has done to preserve and beautify a part of the Linden Grounds.

The Club continues a monthly rotation of volunteers who work the garden, filling it with herbs, vegetables and beautiful flowers. We have also cleared and cleaned the grounds of Linden, opening up the landscape for additional future improvements. The mansion at Linden has been refurbished and redecorated during the 2006-2007 time period through the efforts of the Linden Society. The mansion houses the Calvert County Historical Society and is home to the Calvert Garden Club library.

Working with other professional groups and landscaping resources, the Garden Club plans to develop an extended site plan for the grounds of Linden that will complement the Kitchen Garden and the refurbished house.

The Calvert Garden Club received the 2006 Historic Preservation Award from the National Garden Clubs of America for the Kitchen Garden at Linden. .

Hospice Christmas Tree Decoration
"Festival of Trees"

The annual “Festival of Trees” marks the true beginning of the Holiday Season in Calvert County! Organized to benefit Calvert Hospice, the Festival features over 50 beautifully decorated trees.

The Calvert Garden Club annually sponsors a tree at the event and committee members determine the theme to decorate the tree. The tree is decorated the Friday after Thanksgiving at Huntingtown High School, Huntingtown, MD for the weekend’s event.  After the festival, the tree resides in the Fellowship Hall of Christ Church. 

"Winter's Tapestry" was the Garden Club's 2006 tree theme. The six and a half foot tree was decorated with icicles, snowflakes, iced branches, cardinals, birds' nests, pinecones, berries and ribbon.

Garden Therapy

Our Garden Therapy activity is held every month throughout the year at the Calvert Nursing Center in Prince Frederick.  It is a commitment that brings much pleasure to the residents of the facility and relies on members of the Garden Club to volunteer resulting in almost every member getting involved from time to time.

We try to “theme” each session according to the month of the year and supply basic materials for the designs.  We provide the materials and flowers for making individual arrangements for the participants and rely on club members to bring what they can – fresh flowers, greens, herbs and silks, as well.

Our largest event is at Christmas time when we help the residents make and decorate miniature boxwood trees.  We usually have as many members helping as we do residents participating.  The finished results are placed in residents’ rooms and various stations in the Center.

Young Gardeners

The Calvert Garden Club sponsors the Young Gardeners Program for fourth graders at The Calverton School, an independent school in Huntingtown, Maryland.   Fourth grade students participate in a variety of activities during the school year.  The program has been made possible by financial support of Calvert Garden Club; leadership of GCG members who meet with students quarterly; the accommodating atmosphere at the Calverton School; and enthusiasm of the students.

2009 –2010 Program
April Attend Flower Mart for annuals and perennials
May Dried flower picture frames for Mothers’ Day
October Stained glass designs
November Create a fresh floral arrangement for Thanksgiving
December Wreath workshop
March Growing from seed

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Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage - Calvert County Tour

The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage is a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to help preserve and restore architecturally and historically significant properties in the State of Maryland.  The tour occurs every three years in Calvert County.  The tour features many of Calvert County’s most historic and beautiful homes.  The Calvert Garden Club and the Chesapeake Garden Club work together to select the tour sites, organize and manage the tours, and assist homeowners in preparing their properties for the tour.  In the past, Calvert County tours raised funds for the restoration of the One Room Schoolhouse on Broome's Island Road.  In 2008, the MHGP tour raised over $14,000 which is being used to create the Sensory Garden at the new Calvert Hospice House, currently under construction.
The next Pilgrimage tour for Calvert County will be in 2011.  We look forward to seeing you all at the featured home sites and enjoying our beautiful area.     

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