Club History

In the summer of 1949, several members of the Lanneau Heights Community Club (an organization of women in the neighborhoods east of Augusta Road) organized a garden club. A few meetings were held and it was decided to expand membership to interested persons throughout the city. Among those invited to join were several members of the First Presbyterian Church, who were in a Sunday school class taught by Mrs. W. Harrell Wilson, Clarice.

Clarice Wilson was a beautiful lady, a striking redhead with a unique personality that could captivate an audience in seconds. She was a Bible scholar and teacher, an artist and a craftsman. She was a National Council Flower Show Schools instructor, specializing in artistic design and gained national recognition in the garden club world, authoring a book on flower arrangement Art Principles of Flower Arrangement.

"Thus, in 1949 it was suggested that this new garden club be named in her honor. She accepted this honor graciously and invited the group to her home for Christmas. That day in December of 1949 the new garden club officially became known as The Clarice Wilson Garden Club." --Martha Allison, Charter Member (deceased)

Since organization, the Clarice Wilson Garden Club has worked on several worthy gardening projects in the Greenville area in an effort to bring beauty to our community and our fellow citizens. The club has won many awards over the years and is esteemed in the community and within the state and national garden clubs.

Clarice Wilson was one of Greenville's most admired gardeners. Our garden club strives to honor her name, emulate her example and heed her guidance. She once said, "Beauty is a language used to express a thought straight from the heart." The thoughts in our hearts are filled with love of gardening, nature, community and each other.