History of the Wildewood Garden Club-1980-2018
“Thirty Eight Years of Creating a Beautiful Community”
The Wildewood Garden Club was organized in 1980 at a time in Northeast Columbia when large scale prestigious development was occurring on 1600 acres of land called Wildewood. Two developers, Heath Manning and Darnell Boyd had a vision for a lovely community of homes nestled in the sandhills of heavily wood forests with tall pines, scrub oaks, and dogwoods. There were spring fed lakes and miles of natural trails. At this time there were 70 homes in Wildewood compared to 1100 homes today. The development boasted The Wildewood Country Club, 2 polo fields, and horse stables. This was a time revitalization in the Capitol City of Columbia when the city’s logo was “the Capitol of Southern Hospitality”.
The next three decades were times of huge population growth from 410,088 to over 800,450 in the metro area with a GNP of $31.97 billion in a diversified economy of today. In 1980, Spring Valley High School was the only High School in the Northeast and Two Notch Road has just been widened into a 4 lane highway. The I-77 corridor, which was just in planning stages was completed in the 1990s.
So in the midst of all this insurgence of growth and vitality, a group of women who were among the first families gathered to form a Garden Club. Their first endeavors were to create an organization with the purpose of “educating its members and to promote gardening for the beautification of Wildewood.” There were 4 standing committees – Hospitality, Progressive Dinner, Yearbook and the May Dinner. These early designers envisioned a club with 75 members who were bonded in a sense of friendship and a love of nature, beauty, and gardening. They quickly learned that the growth of homes and families in Wildewood meant they needed an open membership.
The Wildewood Garden Club has been instrumental in many beautification projects over the years including planting trees, shrubs, and gardens at Spring Valley High School, Joseph Keels and Polo Road Elementary. The Club has appointed a club member(s) to serve as a liaison for community beautification that has collaborated and coordinated the beautification of the many entrances and the dams of Wildewood including adding benches, bluebird boxes and garden tours.
In the continued spirit of community goodwill and friendship from those early days, the Garden Club has hosted a variety of educational and social functions that have special histories of their own. At the 10th year anniversary of the Club, Southern Living Magazine came and photographed and published a full article in the November, 1991 issue on the Garden’s Club annual Progressive Party, In 2005 on the 25th Anniversary of the Garden Club , Traditional Home Magazine, and Lake Magazine published feature articles in December 2006. Many noted gardening experts have provided outstanding programs including Ruth Knopf who was an internationally renowned rosarian who helped save the old roses of the South.
On the 35th anniversary, we recognized the 35 garden club presidents, published a booklet of their reflections. We celebrated this legacy of friendship through a Twinkling and Sparking Dinner, and a Festive Tour of Holiday Homes. Recently, our Holiday event was a farm to table gala and in May a lovely evening at the Seibel’s House.
This history is dedicated to all of those visionary and transformational women who have come before us to create and sustain the Wildewood Garden Club and the beautiful community we call home.History of the Wildewood Garden Club-1980-2018
“Thirty Eight Years of Creating a Beautiful Community”
The Wildewood Garden Club was organized in 1980 at a time in Northeast Columbia when large scale prestigious development was occurring on 1600 acres of land called Wildewood. Two developers, Heath Manning and Darnell Boyd had a vision for a lovely community of homes nestled in the sandhills of heavily wood forests with tall pines, scrub oaks, and dogwoods. There were spring fed lakes and miles of natural trails. At this time there were 70 homes in Wildewood compared to 1100 homes today. The development boasted The Wildewood Country Club, 2 polo fields, and horse stables. This was a time revitalization in the Capitol City of Columbia when the city’s logo was “the Capitol of Southern Hospitality”.
The next three decades were times of huge population growth from 410,088 to over 800,450 in the metro area with a GNP of $31.97 billion in a diversified economy of today. In 1980, Spring Valley High School was the only High School in the Northeast and Two Notch Road has just been widened into a 4 lane highway. The I-77 corridor, which was just in planning stages was completed in the 1990s.
So in the midst of all this insurgence of growth and vitality, a group of women who were among the first families gathered to form a Garden Club. Their first endeavors were to create an organization with the purpose of “educating its members and to promote gardening for the beautification of Wildewood.” There were 4 standing committees – Hospitality, Progressive Dinner, Yearbook and the May Dinner. These early designers envisioned a club with 75 members who were bonded in a sense of friendship and a love of nature, beauty, and gardening. They quickly learned that the growth of homes and families in Wildewood meant they needed an open membership.
The Wildewood Garden Club has been instrumental in many beautification projects over the years including planting trees, shrubs, and gardens at Spring Valley High School, Joseph Keels and Polo Road Elementary. The Club has appointed a club member(s) to serve as a liaison for community beautification that has collaborated and coordinated the beautification of the many entrances and the dams of Wildewood including adding benches, bluebird boxes and garden tours.
In the continued spirit of community goodwill and friendship from those early days, the Garden Club has hosted a variety of educational and social functions that have special histories of their own. At the 10th year anniversary of the Club, Southern Living Magazine came and photographed and published a full article in the November, 1991 issue on the Garden’s Club annual Progressive Party, In 2005 on the 25th Anniversary of the Garden Club , Traditional Home Magazine, and Lake Magazine published feature articles in December 2006. Many noted gardening experts have provided outstanding programs including Ruth Knopf who was an internationally renowned rosarian who helped save the old roses of the South.
On the 35th anniversary, we recognized the 35 garden club presidents, published a booklet of their reflections. We celebrated this legacy of friendship through a Twinkling and Sparking Dinner, and a Festive Tour of Holiday Homes. Recently, our Holiday event was a farm to table gala and in May a lovely evening at the Seibel’s House.
This history is dedicated to all of those visionary and transformational women who have come before us to create and sustain the Wildewood Garden Club and the beautiful community we call home.