social events

Beyond cultivating beautiful gardens, our premier garden club is a vibrant community where friendships blossom. We believe that sharing the joy of gardening makes the experience even more rewarding. Our diverse calendar of activities, from tranquil environmental hikes to creative flower-arranging workshops, and exclusive tours of members' gardens, provides a natural setting for connecting with fellow plant lovers. Through our guided field trips, seasonal events like holiday wreath making, and beloved pot-luck luncheons, you'll find a supportive network to exchange ideas, share successes, and get inspired. Come join us and discover a community that nurtures both your passion for gardening and your desire for connection.

Social Time at our General Meetings

The Andover Garden Club’s General Meetings are held at 10 a.m. in South Church, Andover on the first Tuesday of the month from October through May. Each meeting starts out with coffee, tea and yummy breakfast fare, expertly set out on buffet tables by members of our hospitality committee. This is the time when club members meet, catch up on the latest happenings, and admire the buffet table’s floral arrangement, prepared by our talented club members each month.

Environmental Hikes on Town-Owned Land

Periodically throughout the year, the Civic beautification and horticulture team lead walks on town-owned land. This activity aims to introduce club members to beautiful areas of town with which they may not be familiar and to promote awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship. 

Flower Arranging Workshops

Floral Arranging workshops are held at the Robb Center, each with a different theme. Sometimes members are asked to bring in twigs or branches from their winter gardens, other times members may be asked to bring in fruit from their refrigerators, and oftentimes the workshop organizers bring in specialized flowers from local nurseries. Once constructed, each arrangement is critiqued by club experts who run this wonderful program.

Tours of Members’ Gardens

The Andover Garden Club has many talented members who love to share their glorious gardens with other club members. These splendid gardens are oftentimes included in MA Garden Tour Events throughout the Merrimack Valley. But our personal tours are so much better: no crowds, more intimate, and always ending with a delicious snack.

Guided Field Trips (Directors’ Special)

In 2025, the Directors’ Special was a tour of the gardens at the Clock Barn (the private residence of Maureen & Mike Ruettgers), located at 453 Bedford Rd. in Carlisle, MA. , followed by lunch at Eviva Trattoria in Westford, MA. The Ruettgers have been gardening here 45 years, although the house and drying barn date to 1790.

In 2024, the Directors’ Special was a tour of Bedrock Gardens, located at 19 High Road, Lee, NH, followed by lunch at the Holy Grail Restaurant in Epping NH. ​​Bedrock Gardens is a non-profit public garden that integrates unusual botanical specimens, unique sculptures, and interesting landscape design and features into an inspiring journey. This 30-acre site has recently transitioned from a historic farm and private garden to a public oasis of horticulture, art, and inspiration.  

In 2023, the Directors’ Special was a tour of the grounds at the Encore Boston Harbor Hotel & Casino, located in Everett, MA, followed by a boxed picnic lunch on the hotel grounds. While the hotel is known for their lavishly appointed rooms, extraordinary restaurants thrilling table games, inventive spa treatments, and chic shopping, their exquisite gardens add to the property’s appeal, both inside and out.

Seasonal Activities (eg Winter Holiday Wreath Making)

Using evergreen branches and boughs from our winter gardens, sometimes we make wreaths and sometimes we make swags; and we always bring happiness and joy to our holiday season.

Annual Bread and Soup Party

Always a club favorite, our programming committee selects one monthly meeting where a luncheon of gourmet baked breads and yummy crock-pot soups follow the month’s scheduled program. Our club members are not only experts in the garden but also quite accomplished in the kitchen!

Pot-Luck Luncheon

Our May general meeting tops off the year introducing new members, presenting club new officers, and a pot-luck luncheon.