Gardening on the Cay
Garden for Well-Being
Ongoing Civic Projects​
We work on many exciting projects, sharing the positive impact of gardens on the lives of others. Members have built and continue to maintain a variety of gardens and landscape containers at local schools and public areas, sharing the uplifting effect of a garden's beauty and aiding in the protection of pollinators for a healthy environment.
School Projects - Growing Youth Interest in Gardening
Partnership with Parent Teacher Associations and Principals to add plantings to school entrances and enliven school grounds. Elementary school partnerships began in 2015 with the installation of planters at the schools entrances. GOTC continues to maintain these gardens.
Riverview Elementary: Planters and Carolina Fence Garden View Project Gallery
Certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a School House
Habitat, and as a Carolina Fence Garden
- Installed Spring 2019
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Tega Cay Elementary: Planters and Butterfly Garden View Project Gallery
Recognized as a Monarch Way Station by Monarch Watch.org
- Installed Spring 2017
Tiny Sprouts and Wee Sprouts Garden Clubs
Anne Springs Close Greenway - Adventure Garden View Project and Videos
Working with the staff at Anne Springs Close Greenway ("ASCG"), a 2100 acre nature park in the center of Fort Mill, SC:
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In early 2019, our club members adopted a garden adjacent to the Adventure Center on the Anne Springs Close Greenway; members built new beds and began teaching preschool classes about nature - planting a variety of vegetables with the children. "Tiny Sprouts" as we call them, are taught about growing things, the importance of pollinators, worms, the right type of soil and more. We later moved to the Nature Center, and the children followed; taught how to build bee cafes in containers, helped explore fall plants, and more!
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We have now expanded to two pre-school programs, Tiny Sprouts (4-year-olds turning five) and Wee Sprouts (3-year-olds turning four), as well as maintaining a Par Garden plot with the children. The children are able to plant, help to thin, weed, and then harvest their crops for people who don’t have access to the fresh vegetables. They, of course, will also get to “sample” a few of them.
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Family Promise of York County Homeless Center
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We began a partnership with Family Promise of York County Homeless Center in 2022 -designed and installed a Carolina Fence Garden in a neglected part of the center’s yard. Along with our sunny Carolina Fence garden, we now have a new shade garden at the Family Promise back door!
Habitat for Humanity Porch Warmings​
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GOTC is known for its donation and installation of front porch rocking chairs, container garden and decor for several Habitat for Humanity home builds during the year; providing the "icing on the cake" at home dedication ceremonies. We're very proud to partner with H4H of York County.
Fort Mill Care Center ("FMCC") Entrance Beautification and
One-A-Month Campaign - Food Donations
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GOTC has a long history of maintaining the facility's entrance flower beds, adding holiday decor throughout the year. In addition to maintaining the entrance, food and personal items are donated at every monthly GOTC meeting and delivered to the Fort Mill Care Center, supporting local families in need.
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Our appreciation to member Cindy Kennedy for her time and dedication to doing the "heavy lifting", taking our donations to FMCC!
Blue Star Memorials
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Our club participates in the National Garden Clubs, Inc.’s Blue Star Memorial Program,
paying tribute to our service men and women, by monitoring garden areas at two Blue Star Memorial sites in our local area:
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I-77 Blue Star Memorial
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Blue Star Marker in Lake Wylie at Highways 49 and 557
