GBTS Community Projects (updated 9/4/2025)
GBTS is dedicated to giving back to the community in Sussex County,
Delaware. We continue to look into new opportunities for the Club
to share their knowledge, skills, and love for gardening with members
of all ages in the community. Every member of Gardeners by the Sea
serves on at least one committee.​
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BEACH & BAY COTTAGE TOUR Members serve as hostesses for homes on the
tour, directing foot traffic, and explaining special design elements to visitors.
This event benefits the Friends of the South Coastal Library, which is a non-profit,
all-volunteer fund-raising organization founded in 1988 and dedicated to
providing support for the services and resources of the library, in the beach
areas of Sussex County Delaware. The event takes place each year in July,
and sixteen members participate. No funding is required.
BLUE & GOLD STAR This project is the first National Garden Club side-by-side display in the State of Delaware with both Gold and Blue Star Memorial Markers. The Gold Star plaque in the memorial garden commemorates the fallen and serves as a tribute to Gold Star families, Honor, Hope, and Healing. The Blue Star Memorial in the garden is a living memorial to all those who have served or will serve in the Nation’s armed forces. Maintenance is performed each year in the memorial garden, with weeding and replacement of plants. Flags are placed at these memorials for Veterans’ holidays. Seventeen members assist the chair as needed, and funding is via restricted funds.
BLUE STAR MEMORIAL ON RT 26 The Blue Star Memorial on Route 26 is a tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who have defended the USA. Flags and wreaths are changed according to the dates of Veterans Events. The Town of Bethany Beach Delaware donated the land for placement of the memorial at the intersection of Rt. 26 and Kent Avenue. This project promotes ongoing recognition and gratitude to the members of the Armed Forces for their service to America. Specific days are set aside to remember and honor those in uniform, such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, and September 11th. Members take down all decorations after Thanksgiving, to store and refurbish them over the winter. One member participates, and funding is provided by VFW Post 7234, the VFW Auxiliary and Gardeners By The Sea Garden Club, who are the financial sponsors of the Memorial.
EARTH DAY Gardeners By The Sea partners with the Town of Millville to sponsor an interactive Earth Day program where children can appreciate what our earth provides. Children from around our community participate in various craft tables, planting seeds, and digging worms. Earth Day takes place in the spring, at Millville Community Center at Evans Park, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville, DE 19967. Six members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
GARDEN OF CHEER RAFFLE Gardeners by the Sea funds their community outreach projects via their primary fundraiser, the Garden of Cheer Raffle. The Ways and Means Committee oversees the activity and solicits local businesses for gift cards to include in the raffle. Raffle tickets are sold in the summer and fall, and the drawing of the winning ticket takes place at the monthly December meeting. All club members participate by selling tickets and expenses are covered by the income generated by the raffle
GARDEN THERAPY Members provide encouragement and resources for seniors who are interested in activities that include flowers, plants, or other natural elements. The primary objective of this committee is to put a smile on the faces of people who receive residential care at Ocean Grove Post-Acute Care in Millsboro, DE 19966, and seniors who participate in activities at the CHEER Center in Frankford, DE 19945. We do this by sharing with them the joy of flower arranging and other skills related to gardening. We meet monthly except January (9:30 - 11:00 a.m.) at the scheduled facility on the Wednesday prior to our monthly GBTS meeting. A monthly schedule is published on the GBTS Website, under Announcements. Sixteen members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Members assemble container plants to be presented to new property owners at their home dedications during the fall and spring each year. Members welcome the new homeowners into their neighborhoods in Sussex County Delaware. Thirteen members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
HOSPICE TREE Members team together to design a theme for a holiday tree, and to create handmade decorations and decorative elements such as ornaments and wreaths. The decorated trees and wreaths are displayed at the Delaware Hospice facility in Milford, DE, and create an uplifting environment for staff, families, and patients. The decorations and trees are sold by Delaware Hospice in November each year, to raise funds. Fourteen members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
LORD BALTIMORE GARDENS Members maintain a section of the gardens at Lord Baltimore Elementary School, 120 Atlantic Ave, Ocean View, DE, helping to beautify the school. Work sessions take place in the fall and spring each year. Eleven members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
HISTORIC VILLAGE IN OCEAN VIEW Members work with the Ocean View Historical Society on their gardening needs, maintaining beds and planting flowers as needed for five buildings. GBTS members also make seasonal wreaths as required. This seasonal work enhances the grounds of the Historical Village of Ocean View, located at John West Park in Ocean View, and the Coastal Town Museum at 40 West Ave., Ocean View, DE. Eight members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
SCHOLARSHIP A member works with Delaware Technical Community College in Sussex County, providing financial assistance to a deserving horticulture student who meets the criteria set forth by the club - economic need and a GPA of 3.5 or higher. One member participates, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
TRAIL OF TREATS Members support the Town of Millville Trail of Treats activity at Evans Park by dressing up in costumes and handing out candy treats and garden related tokens. Six members participate, and funding is provided from restricted funds which are set aside to support only Millville activities.
YOUTH PROGRAMS Members develop and present science lessons to children, supported by literature related to the topic, a craft or activity to reinforce the topic and journaling by the students. The goal is to awaken within each student an awareness and appreciation of his/her habitat through exploration, discovery and hands-on experiences that promote caring for and protection of the habitat. Activities take place at Lord Baltimore Elementary School, 120 Atlantic Ave, Ocean View, DE, once a month from October through June. Fourteen members participate, and funding is provided by the club’s fundraising efforts.
