Winter Haven Garden Club’s Dedication Blooms Outside Library
by REBEKAH PIERCE
If you’re a regular at Richard’s Coffees or have ever found yourself wandering toward the Winter Haven Public Library, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed the scenery. It’s hard to miss: the dramatic explosion of color right outside the entrance didn’t get there by accident, either.
The display is the handiwork of the Garden Club of Winter Haven. Since 1927, the group (with 19 charter members) has been working quietly but proudly to make the city greener, brighter, and much more pleasant to look at.
That’s nearly 100 years of planting, weeding, and designing, and it’s an anniversary that Jenifer Thornhill, the Library Garden General Chairman who is in her third year planning the garden, says they’re excited to celebrate in January 2027.
“From the beginning, the club’s mission has been to promote an interest in gardening and Florida horticulture, support the conservation of natural resources, encourage civic beautification, and foster strong friendships among its members,” Thornhill explains.
The Garden Club became involved with the Winter Haven Public Library more than 20 years ago, following the relocation of the library to its downtown spot in July 2004.
“The move presented an opportunity to extend the club’s mission into a highly visible public space,” Thornhill explains.
The project had an avid champion from the start, with Thornhill crediting Mary Gray, “a beloved Winter Haven High School teacher, Garden Club member, and Library Board member,” as the individual who encouraged the club to take on the project as the grand opening date for the library approached.
Since then, the club has cared for every aspect of the garden, choosing what cultivars will be grown, considering how each plant will influence the space’s design, and partaking in all the regular maintenance, from weeding to watering.
Here in Central Florida, great care needs to be given to which plants are chosen, as it’s a decision that’s reliant on so much more than just basic color schemes. The library garden is particularly tricky because of its exposure.
“The garden receives full sun, making thoughtful plant selection and irrigation particularly important,” Thornhill points out.
The team, then, needs to be strategic, as they can’t just plant delicate ferns and hope for the best. In Winter Haven’s hot summer sun, that would be a recipe for dead plants.
“When designing the garden, we consider seasonal color, plant compatibility, heat tolerance, and how the space is used by the public,” Thornhill says. The result of all this planning and maintenance is a rotating display that keeps the entrance looking fresh year-round.
If you happened to visit the library during the holiday season, you may have had the opportunity to see this planning in action, when the garden was refreshed with a seasonal theme.
“For the holiday season, poinsettias and SunPatiens in classic red and white have performed well, with pink SunPatiens added this year for added depth,” Thornhill notes.
Then, as the seasons shift, so, too, does the strategy.
“In [the] spring, poinsettias are replaced with coleus while SunPatiens remain,” she says. They also add sensory details that you might miss if you’re rushing to return a book. “Fragrant alyssum is added along the mosaic stepping-stone pathway created and installed by club members.”
In the summer, the real expertise of the group comes to life, as the delicate plants need to be replaced by those that are more heat-tolerant.
“During the summer and fall months, SunPatiens are replaced with more drought- and heat-tolerant plants such as marigolds, African daisies, lantana, blanket flower, coreopsis (Florida’s official state wildflower), and verbenas,” Thornhill continues.
Clearly, managing this constant rotation takes serious organization and dedication. The leadership of the library garden rotates every two years through a Library Garden General chairman, Thornhill explains, and then individual club members can sign up each month to help with the ongoing maintenance. This kind of structured approach helps Thornhill and her fellow members make sure the garden never falls into disrepair, as someone is always watching, watering, or weeding.
And while the library is the Garden Club’s crown jewel, it’s not its only contribution to the city’s landscape.
“Beyond the Library garden, the club has supported many public projects over the decades,” Thornhill says.
“These include public school garden initiatives, the original landscaping of the renovated Historic Derry Down building, and maintenance of planter pots along Central Avenue prior to the Library’s downtown move.”
With its centennial right around the corner, the club isn’t slowing down by any means.
“As the club approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027, members are once again giving back through a centennial fundraising effort to give the City of Winter Haven a permanent public sculpture,” Thornhill reveals.
The sculpture, designed by Winter Haven artist William Larence, will commemorate the area’s profound citrus heritage as well as its many lakes, both of which are symbols of Winter Haven’s agricultural past and present. It will be positioned just outside the entrance to the Winter Haven Public Library, right near the garden the Club has tended for decades.
If you love walking past those flowers every morning, the good news is that you don’t need a green thumb to support the effort. The club is actively looking for community backing for its centennial project. You can donate directly to the sculpture fund or simply support the club’s ongoing efforts.