By JESSICA BALANZA

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It has been 57 years since the women of the Fern Garden Club started meeting,  sharing and propagating plants.

The club started in 1950, after branching off from the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. While the ladies often tour different gardens, the chose to celebrate their anniversary by touring the garden of a fellow member, Alice Roberts.

The garden club has about 60 members and is based out of Odessa. One of the major fundraisers the club coordinates is the plant sale in October at the Keystone United
Methodist Church, 16301 Race Track Road. 

Jo Leonard, spokeswoman for the club, said money from the plant sale goes to supporting organizations like the USF Botanical Garden, Wildlife Rescue and Rehab, Foster
Angels and Operation Warm Heart, to name a few.

“All the plants are grown or propagated by club members, and each member donates 12 of them for the sale in October,” said Leonard.

Other than the plant sale, the members of the garden club meet the first Thursday of each month, September through June. During these meetings the women meet and discuss featured topics like types of gardens or birdhouses.

“Everyone always tries to bring plants to give away at meetings,” said Leonard.

To many of the women, the club has been a place to make friends and learn more about plants.

“All the friendships and basically all the caring and sharing,” said Pat Clason, a member since 1991, as to what keeps her in the club.

Leonard said many often think, based on the club’s name, that the club is strictly about ferns.

She explained that in reality the club is about overall gardening and nature. And the club’s name is inspired by their first meeting place on Lutz Lake Fern Road.

“We have grown over time and haven’t stood still certainly,” said Dora Kingery, a member since 1963. “All the knowledge has been so helpful.”

To help with the information sharing and learning about all the plants, Leonard said the group has a horticulture chairwoman, Kay Netscher, and they even have master gardeners.

Master gardeners go through a 13-week training program that teaches basic gardening information.

“I joined because I felt the need to learn more,” said Leonard. “You spend a fortune on plants and then they die if you don’t know about them.”

Fern Garden clubs meetings are held the first Thursday of each month, September through June, and begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Keystone Recreation Center, 17928 Gunn Highway. Club dues are $10 a year.

For more information, call Leonard at 996-1250.