ABOUT THE GARDEN CLUB OF KENT

The Garden Club of Kent (Ohio) began as the Men's Garden Club of Kent in 1947. The club was incorporated in the State of Ohio on Jan. 15, 1957, and is approved and recognized as a public charity and a nonprofit organization under the Internal Revenue Service Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(2).  

The Men's Garden Club of Kent admitted its first female member in 1992 and soon thereafter became The Garden Club of Kent. The club's membership welcomes gardeners from all walks of life from Kent and surrounding areas.  

The Garden Club of Kent is known for its beautiful gardens, located on the corner of Seasons Rd. and Ravenna Rd. in Streetsboro. The grounds were donated to the club by John and Bonnie Zuchniak in 2004. The Ode to Joy Center is named for the Joy Family, who provided the funding for the main building on the property.

The site features 132 16-foot by 40-foot individual garden plots, where nearly 200 Garden Club and community members spend their summers digging in the dirt, enjoying the fresh air, socializing with other gardeners and planting, tending and harvesting a wide array of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. The peak of garden season at the gardens is one of the most beautiful sites in Portage County!

If you enjoy gardening and the outdoors and are looking for ways to grow your interest, become a member of The Garden Club of Kent. We're friendly people, we have fun and you're bound to learn more about gardening just by association! As a member, you'll receive a monthly newsletter that keeps you apprised of all the activities of the club (and there are a lot of opportunities for education and fun). 

For more information about joining, send an email to backyardpest@gmail.com. 

Download a membership form here:

Each year, the Garden Club of Kent gives $1,000 college scholarships to students at Kent Roosevelt High School who will pursue a degree related to horticulture or environmental studies. .

The Garden Club of Kent partners with Habitat for Humanity of Portage County by donating plants remaining after our Memorial Day Annual Plant Sale to give to its new homeowners and to sell at ReStore Kent. Learn more at http://www.habitatofportage.org.

Our Youth & Adult Education committee presents gardening-related learning events to educate both club  and community members. 

Our annual Community Beautification Awards recognize great home gardens in Kent and Streetsboro.  

Near the end of August each year, The Garden Club of Kent invites gardeners — both club and community members — to present the best of their growing season by entering their vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs in the Horticulture & Photography Show. Materials for entry are  posted to this website about four weeks before the event. 

Every gardener has something to enter! Each summer, keep an eye on what looks promising in your garden — what looks especially attractive and really representative of its type. If it still looks good the day before the show, then it’s time to prepare it for entry. (Entry advisors will help you.)  

Seven certified show judges view all the  entries and award ribbons for best in category, section and show. The public is then invited to view all the entries and winners and enjoy refreshments in the afternoon. 

The Garden Club of Kent's members enjoy a wide variety of opportunities to socialize with fellow gardeners:

• Members volunteer to prepare for and host two annual plant sales every May: the Mother's Day Hanging Basket Sale and the Memorial Day Weekend Annual Plant Sale. They also work together to maintain our property and buildings on Ravenna Rd.

• Regular events like our monthly member dinner meetings with featured speakers, President's Banquet, June picnic, August Corn Roast & Tomato Festival, Harvest Moon Festival, Snowflakes & Sugarplums Holiday Party and other special events offer gardeners the chance to get to know one another and share good times (and gardening tips).