Elmhurst Garden Club Decorates Elmhurst Public Library for 62nd Consecutive Year

Elmhurst Garden Club Decorates the Elmhurst Public Library for 62nd Consecutive Year

Members of Elmhurst Garden Club met at the Elmhurst Public Library on Dec. 2 to decorate it for the 62nd consecutive year. The Elmhurst Garden Club first began decorating the library in 1952. In the early years (1940’s and 1950’s), the Elmhurst Public Library hosted holiday floral shows conducted by Elmhurst Garden Club. As a result of the shows, fresh floral displays were displayed throughout the library.

In 1916, one of the librarians of Elmhurst Public Library was Katharine Breitenbach. She initiated the organization of Elmhurst Women’s Club. This club was the forerunner of Elmhurst Garden Club, of which she was a member. After the holiday floral shows stopped, it is thought that Breitenbach was instrumental in involving the Elmhurst Garden Club in decorating the Library.

Since those early times, the tradition has carried on. Members enjoy the camaraderie and fun of this activity. The transformation of the library for the holidays is a great outlet for creative expression and civic beautification. Both of those objectives fulfill part of the mission statement for Elmhurst Garden Club.

Elmhurst Garden Club is open to anyone interested in gardening. It has over 100 members. Annual dues are $35. Most meetings are held at Wilder Mansion on the first Monday of the month. Each month a program on some facet of gardening, floral design, ecology and conservation are presented. For more information about Elmhurst Garden Club send inquiries to P.O. Box 383, Elmhurst, IL 60126. You may visit the website of Elmhurst Garden Club at http://xlerators1.esiteasp.com/elmhurst_garden_club/home.nxg