One hundred years ago, a group of women across Morgan Park and Beverly picked up shovels, seeds and a shared sense of responsibility for their neighborhood.
Before Morgan Park was annexed into the city of Chicago, the village park board tended to the triangular parks across the neighborhood. After the annexation, however, there was a loss of funding, leading to the once-beautifully landscaped areas turning into “weed patches.”
Then, the pioneers of the Garden Club of Morgan Park/Beverly Hills stepped up to beautify the area.
The women came together in 1926 and were officially chartered the following year. Initially, they paid dues of a mere 30 cents.
Members were referred to as “Mrs.” or “Ms.,” not by their first names, something that remained customary until 1976. Men were not allowed to participate in the club, and that didn’t change for the next eight decades.
Now, in 2026, the club has grown from a restricted membership of 20 women to 100 members, a fitting number for the centennial anniversary.
Over the decades, its members have championed civic beautification, earning blue ribbons at flower shows across the city and leaving their mark on local landmarks like the Walker Branch Library and the Beverly Arts Center (BAC).
The Garden Club of Morgan Park/Beverly Hills still carries that same spirit of dedication to beautify the community, yet with a modern twist: male members are now invited to share in the work, and meetings take place in public spaces rather than in private homes.
For current members, including P.J. Pistek, the club’s recording secretary, discovering the intricate history of the past century—largely preserved at the Ridge Historical Society—has been nothing short of riveting.
“As people passed on, their families realized the documentation of the Garden Club was important,” Pistek said. “A lot has happened, but a lot stays the same. Very little has changed in that the people in Beverly still love to beautify the community.”
Pistek joined the club in 2022, seeking a sense of shared community within a hobby she had always personally enjoyed. Unlike the dues a century ago, Pistek now pays $25 to be a member.
“I love to garden and grow vegetables in my yard. I find gardening relaxing and nurturing, and I think it’s seen a resurgence since the COVID-19 pandemic, where people are interested in being in their own backyard and enjoying nature,” Pistek said. “I’ve made a lot of connections and friendships with people I wouldn’t have known had I not joined the garden club.”
The members frequently tour each other’s homes across the 19th Ward to see what they’ve done with their personal gardens, which inspires others and gives them new ideas to implement.
“I have a pollinator garden; I ripped up the parkway because I have ashes, which provide too much shade to grow grass,” said Gael Mennecke, who joined in 2016 and has served as the club’s president since 2021. “Ecologically, it’s better to have ripped out the grass and put in hostas; there are tons of hosta varieties out there.”
Abiding by the club’s roots, the gardeners continue to put their efforts toward a shared garden for the extended community to enjoy.
Pistek said that in 1958, the club’s civic project was at the Walker Branch Library; by 2012, the BAC became the focus.
Last year, the club was recognized for its longtime work in the community with the BAC Community Partner Award at the third annual Bold Voices Bold Women benefit.
“We maintain the Native Strip, the courtyard, and the Roy Diblik Garden of Living Art,” Pistek said. “We were able to transform a plot on the side of the building into a prairie garden that, for four seasons of the year, has something growing and blooming.”
In March, members begin their work at the BAC, and, weather permitting, work through October.
Typically, there are at least 10 members actively tending the three areas every second and fourth Wednesday throughout those months.
“I cannot emphasize enough how supportive people are,” Mennecke said, “and to have such dedicated members because most of us are retired; we’re not spring chickens anymore.”
While many members join upon retirement, largely because the club’s meetings are on a weekday morning, some members have called the Garden Club their second home for decades.
Hetty Ghali joined in 1970, marking 56 years; Pat McGrail in 1977, marking 49 years; Carol Zeiler in 1982, marking 44 years; Larry and Nancy Brown in 1983, marking 43 years; and Lori Goss in 1993, marking 33 years.
From field trips to the Morton Arboretum, participation in local garden walks and many guest speakers educating the club members on all there is to know in the world of gardening, the members continue to be engaged in every aspect of gardening.
“It’s something I truly enjoy; it’s my hobby,” Mennecke said. “It skips generations; but my grandfather really loved gardening, and I enjoyed helping him with it.”
To commemorate its centennial legacy, the club has many events lined up throughout 2026 to honor the club’s history, including participating in the Beverly/Morgan Park Memorial Day Parade on May 25; the annual member garden walk in July; a field trip back to the Morton Arboretum; a program featuring a Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences student-led presentation on prairies; an installation of hand-crocheted and knit flowers made by member Eileen Quirk Rowan, which will be on display at local businesses; and the hosting of the club’s annual free community event at the BAC in October.
“I just think it’s great that the Memorial Day Parade and the garden club are both turning 100 this year,” Pistek said. “It really highlights the rich history of Beverly Hills and Morgan Park. We’re always looking for new members, and we welcome everybody of all ages.”
The Garden Club of Morgan Park/Beverly Hills meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 9401 S. Oakley Ave.
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