The Portland Garden Club got its start in 1969 when Genevra Van Dyke was taking care of the plantings at Burman Square and she asked Madeline Franks if she would help her. Madeline told Genevra that what they really needed was to start a Garden Club, and that’s what they did!
The other original members of the club included Elin Doehne, Judy Watson, and Rosemary Neller. As time went on, they added additional downtown plantings and in 1987 the club was officially established as a nonprofit. Genevra Van Dyke became the first President. Fundraisers included Geranium, Mum and Poinsettia sales with the flowers being grown by Rose Acres in Charlotte. The original location of the Geranium Sale was in the parking lot by the Pizza shop across from Margery Briggs’ house, with little shelter from the unpredictable May weather.