Welcome to
Bittersweet
Garden Club
Growing Flowers and Friendships Since 1973
Cultivating Beauty, Connection, and a Greener Tomorrow.
Bittersweet Garden Club brings together gardening enthusiasts in and around Jefferson City, Missouri. We delight in every aspect of gardening—from planning and dreaming up new designs to digging in the dirt and bringing those plans to life. Conversations about gardens are a favorite pastime, and we’re always eager to hear about others’ experiences, successes, and lessons learned. Visiting a new garden center is pure joy—you simply can’t leave without a new plant to add to the garden! Whether it’s a fresh cultivar or a beloved classic, there’s always room for more.
Bittersweet Garden Club remains dedicated to cultivating a love of gardening, fostering community connections, and making a positive impact in Jefferson City and beyond.
Community Initiatives
Beyond gardening, we take pride in supporting meaningful community initiatives.
Proceeds from our annual fundraisers help sustain and expand these efforts,
making a positive impact year after year.
Community Beautification
Our club designed, planted, and continues to maintain the garden at the entrance to Memorial Park, creating a welcoming and beautiful space for all visitors.
To celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2023, we planted 50 trees in Memorial Park and committed to planting a tree annually within the Jefferson City Parks system.
Scholarships
Furthering our commitment to nurture the next generation of leaders and innovators, scholarships are awarded to high school students planning to major in horticulture, agriculture, environmental science, ecology, natural resources, or other related fields.
Students from the following counties are eligible to apply: Cole, Callaway, Miller, Moniteau, Osage, and Maries.
Garden Therapy
Our Garden Therapy Workshops bring joy and comfort to seniors in eleven senior living communities in Jefferson City and surrounding communities. These sessions foster physical and mental well-being, promote creativity, and encourage a sense of purpose and connection.
Teacher Grants
These grants provide K-12 teachers with funding and resources to develop and execute creative, hands-on projects that actively engage students in learning about horticulture, agriculture, environmental science, ecology, and natural resources.
Our first grant recipient was awarded to Ellen Romero , Russellville High School Agriculture Instructor, in May, 2024.
Save the Date!
The Bittersweet Garden Tour is Back!
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Mark your calendars! This year, the Bittersweet Garden Tour returns in June, with an earlier date—three weeks ahead of past years. Take advantage of the cooler temperatures as you explore five stunningly landscaped gardens.
Gain inspiration to elevate your own garden while supporting vital community initiatives, including:
- Student Scholarships
- Teacher Grants
- Garden Therapy Programs for Seniors
- Civic Beautification Projects
Visit the “Garden Tour” page for the latest updates and details. We can’t wait to see you there!
Bittersweet Garden Club Yearbook
The Bittersweet Garden Club yearbook is an essential resource that provides a comprehensive listing of the club’s monthly meetings and activities. Each meeting includes a social time and an engaging program, featuring a wide variety of topics such as growing flowers and vegetables, pruning shrubs and trees, attracting birds, bees, and other pollinators to our gardens, conservation efforts, floral arranging, and more.
The yearbook also highlights the club’s monthly activities, which often include multiple events per month. These activities range from local outings to bus trips exploring gardens and attractions across the state and throughout the Midwest.
Additionally, the yearbook features a detailed list of the club’s projects and committees, a historical record of the perennial plant of the year selections from 1999 to the present, and a calendar of events from The Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri.
