The Magnolia Garden Club of Beaumont, Texas, was founded on March 2, 1937, with 47 charter members for the purpose of fostering interest in home gardening and flower arranging. Conservation, civic improvement and education in these fields soon expanded the program. The club was invited to membership in the Garden Club of America in 1949.
Projects of the Magnolia Garden Club through the years have brought its purposes to realization. Among these have been the establishment nature trails in the Wild Azalea Canyons of East Texas and the maintenance of the Winifred Turner Bird Sanctuary, north of Beaumont, which was deeded over to the United States government in 1994 to become part of the Big Thicket National Preserve.
In 2000, MGC gave $6,000 to Partnership for Parks to build a Research and Education Center for the Big Thicket. In 2002, MGC’s Partners for Plants Project re-introduced Phlox nivalis, Texas Trailing Phlox and Gaillardia puchella, White Firewheel in the Big Thicket Preserve. In 2003 MGC partnered with Kelly High School Environmental Club to reestablish toe coastal prairie at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Anahuac, Texas. In 2004, the MGC Board approved a $5,000 contribution to help fund the National Parks Conservation Association assessment of the Big Thicket National Preserve, which was completed in July, 2005.
In 2006, MGC received a $25,000 restoration grant to offset the catastrophic damage to green areas in Southeast Texas resulting from hurricanes Rita and Ike. The funds were donated to the Beaumont Botanical gardens to help with the replacement of tropical plants lost in the storms. The newest project of MGC is the formation of Plant Beaumont Green, a fund dedicated to the replenishment of our tree canopy after storm damage. To date, working with the City of Beaumont, MGC has purchased and planted over 200 Natchez Crepe Myrtle trees for local byways.
Over the years, MGC has assisted in numerous landscaping projects created to enhance the natural beauty of the Beaumont area including parks, esplanades, and local museums.
The Magnolia Garden Club has helped to educate Beaumont in the love of gardening, horticulture, conservation and flower arranging by bringing nationally known speakers to its open meetings, by having a GCA Small Flower and Horticulture Show every other year, and by sponsoring fund raisers to benefit our community, both educationally and financially.
