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History of the Rochester Garden & Flower Club RG&FC history was begun by Laverne Theel, and was updated by Pat Friederichs in 2006, two of the
many members who have passed away and whose memories and accomplishments we honor. This history was once again updated
in 2019 by Peggy Marchesani. In 2018 the club turned the history records over to the History Center of Olmsted County
for permanent archiving. That archives will be augmented each year with contemporary documentation. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Rochester Garden and Flower Club was organized in March 1929.
Dr. E. H. Rynearson was president, Mrs. Higgins was vice president and J.P. Dibble was secretary-treasurer. Ben Dunn was chairman
of the organization committee. The club’s first official meeting was held on April 9, 1929 in the junior assembly of the Rochester High School.
The first speaker was Leon Snyder of the Shannon Nursery of Charles City, Iowa, who spoke on flowers and gardening. Subsequent meetings were held in the community
room at City Hall. In 1936 the location was changed to the South Hall of the Mayo Civic Auditorium where meetings continued
to be held until 1982. The First Minnesota Savings Bank was used from 1982-1992. From 1992-2002 the meetings were held at
the Southeast Service Cooperative. In 2002 a new state-of-the-art Horticulture Technology facility was completed at Rochester
Community and Technology College (RCTC). In recognition of the common interests and potential for collaboration between
the RCTC Horticulture Department and RG&FC, beginning in 2003 the Club’s meetings have been held at RCTC, in the
Heinz Center, 1926 Collegeview Drive SE. The relationship between the Horticulture Department and RG&FC continues to grow
and compliment both organizations. In 1939 the first plant sale and auction took place as a fund raiser to finance
club projects and has continued every year since. The annual plant sale remains the primary source of funds for various club
activities. From 1965 to 1969 our club held tours of various homes decorated for Christmas in several
themes. Among them were An English Christmas, Religious Christmas, Blue Christmas, Old Fashioned Christmas, Farm, Western,
German, Gold and paper Christmas. After these tours, members enjoyed a pot luck supper at the R.E.A. building. Although these
tours have been discontinued, our club continues the tradition of the Christmas party each year. Photos from this event and
many other club activities are posted on the RG&FC Facebook® page. Holiday Panorama of
the 1st Congressional District (MSHS 1st District) From 1963 to 1977 RG&FC collaborated with the 31 MSHS-affiliated garden clubs across southeastern
Minnesota, from Albert Lea to Winona, to host an event known as the Holiday Panorama. The idea was proposed by Ora (Mrs. Les)
Hedegard of Grand Meadow. Early shows were held in the Austin area. Later shows were held in Rochester at Mayo Civic Auditorium
and eventually in the Heintz Center. The purpose of the Holiday Panorama was to: 1) bring the District’s garden clubs
closer together 2) encourage members to grow and display specimen plants (flowers, fruits and vegetables) 3) promote
artistic flower arranging, and to further craft skills. The event showcased many types of flower arranging, It was a very popular competitive activity
at the time, with certified judges evaluating the merits of each entry and adherence to the rules of flower arranging. There
were many classes of participation, depending on one’s previous experience and skill, and different divisions of competition
based on plant material or intended use. The Holiday Panorama was held each September and open to the public. The event became
large enough to have its own slate of officers, committees and finances. ♦RG&FC is involved in garden
projects across the community. We presently plant and maintain:
♦Each year since 1968, RG&FC has sponsored a flower arranging workshop and flower show at the Olmsted County Fair. ♦The RG&FC provides a horticulture library for our members. ♦RG&FC provides scholarships for RCTC students interested in a career in Horticulture. ♦The club sponsors an annual garden tour open to the public, based at the RCTC
outdoor horticulture classroom - The S.M.AR.T.* Garden - to attract community members to this valuable community gardening
resource. Proceeds from some of our past summer tours were donated to Habitat for Humanity for landscaping, and members did
all the planning and planting. The club has a collection of plants and shrubs to provide for Habitat for Humanity homes. ♦Although most of our activities take place in summer, we are also quite busy
during other times of the year. From 1982 to the present RG&FC has decorated a room at the Historic Mayowood Mansion each
fall as part of a fund-raiser for the History Center of Olmsted County. ♦Some years we have also participated in tree decorating for the Festival of Trees benefit for Hiawatha Homes Foundation. ♦RG&FC monthly meetings provide educational and entertaining programs for
both the members and the public eight months each year. Upcoming programs are publicized in the Rochester Post-Bulletin and
The Northern Gardener magazine. In addition, the club sponsors educational tours for members during the summer to visit gardens
and garden centers and nurseries. ♦Communication:
♦Affiliation
♦What does the RG&FC logo represent? The broken box is to function as a symbol for RG&FC. The logo shows the flow
of knowledge and sharing between the club and the community. The box represents the club as a whole and the space beyond represents
the community. “Leaves” reach out to show sharing of knowledge with the community. “Swoops” come from
inside the box to the outside, and then back in again to show how a club member can go into the community and bring knowledge
back. The text is called “flora” and is black bold to show that the club is strong. There are capital letters
in every word to give the logo character and independence.
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