The Cambridge Plant & Garden Club (CP&GC) is a nonprofit organization with a history that dates back to 1889. Its mission is to increase knowledge of and stimulate interest in horticulture, botany, and design, while supporting conservation and community improvement in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The club is affiliated with The Garden Club of America and The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and dues paid to CP&GC confer membership to both.

The Club welcomes individuals who share a passion for plants, gardening, and environmental stewardship. The Club values community involvement toward its mission, including the time and willingness to actively volunteer with Club committees and projects. A member must be a resident of Cambridge at the time of joining. Currently the members are all women though there are other ways in which one can engage with the Club and its work beyond becoming a member. We do not have an open membership policy; the number of members is limited by our bylaws.

CP&GC engages in a variety of projects, including;

• Native Plant Initiatives: Hosting native plant sales in collaboration with local high school students to promote biodiversity.

• Community Partnerships: Working with organizations like the Roxbury Sunflower Project and Prospect Hill Academy to engage youth in gardening and environmental education. We are currently active partners with DCR, the Charles River Conservancy, the Longfellow House/Washington Headquarters, and the City of Cambridge.

• Historic Garden Restoration: Maintaining and renovating the garden at the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House. We have provided past support of the Cooper-Frost-Austin House and Longfellow House gardens.

• Publications: Producing works like Cambridge Community Gardens Today which documents the city’s community gardens and their histories. Our most recent publication is Discover the Pocket Parks of Cambridge.

We hold monthly meetings – typically on the first Monday at 10 AM, featuring guest speakers and a variety of topics. Most members currently have flexible schedules so meetings are usually held on weekdays during work hours. There are some Zoom/hybrid meetings and the occasional noon and evening meetings. CP&GC is organized into committees and each meets according to its own schedule to design and implement projects related to conservation, horticulture, garden history, and active gardening projects. While we’re exploring ways to better accommodate young professionals, please note that most meetings still take place during standard weekday hours and we do not meet during summer months (July and August).

Yes. The annual membership fee is $250.

CP&GC promotes gardening with native plants by organizing an annual plant sale with students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, distributing native plant seeds at citywide events, and distributing materials like zines to raise awareness about the importance of native species in local ecosystems.

Yes. Our monthly meetings offer speakers on a wide range of topics related to gardening, horticulture and conservation. Our in-house publications are resources for gardening and enjoying open space in Cambridge. All members receive the Bulletin published by the Garden Club of America and have access to a wide variety of information and videos on their website. CP&GC also welcomes collaboration with local schools to provide educational programs on horticulture and conservation.