About

Late Bloomers Garden Club was founded in 1990 as a member of The Garden Club of Jacksonville.  In 2003, we were invited to become the 196th member club of The Garden Club of America (GCA).

Club members have taken an active role in the GCA at the national and zone levels, serving in numerous leadership roles. Annually members attend national conferences and meetings.  In 2016, Late Bloomers hosted the 80 delegates and participants in the Zone VIII (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) Meeting and the 2025 GCA Annual Meeting will be held in Ponte Vedra.

Club members have served on the Garden Club of Jacksonville’s Board and presented workshops in floral design, horticulture and photography.  The current President is a former President of the Late Bloomers Garden Club.

GRANTS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTS
Late Bloomers Garden Club contributes to the Jacksonville community through its civic projects, grants and scholarships.

Its first major project was the replacement of the fountain in the Italian Garden at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in 2000. In 2012, Late Bloomers made a grant to Gateway Community Service for “Serenity Park.”  That grant was a finalist for the GCA Founders Fund Award in 2012. Other grantees include the St Johns Riverkeeper; North Florida School of Special Education/Berry Good Farms; Groundwork Jacksonville to establish a Butterfly Garden along the Emerald Trail; Scenic Jacksonville; and Riverfront Parks Now.

Current grants support the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens, Daniel Memorial,Inc., and a named scholarship for students at the University of North Florida

From 2007 to 2023, Late Bloomers Garden Club partnered with Greenscape of Jacksonville, Inc., on the Root Ball, a fundraiser supporting the planting, protection and promotion of trees in Northeast Florida. Greenscape was founded in 1975 by Late Bloomers members Susan Fisher and the late Ann Baker.

In 2025, Late Bloomers will present a new Speaker Series fundraiser.