Anita Arnold is known for her green thumb.
In the early-to-mid-1980s, the Crawfordsville resident — who grows plants in more than a dozen garden beds at home — was invited by a close friend to a meeting of the Flower Lovers Garden Club where she could socialize with other gardeners.
“I’ve got a T-shirt that says, you’re never too old to dig in the dirt,” said Arnold, the treasurer and longest active member of the club, which will mark its 100th anniversary next month.
Members gathered one afternoon this week on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum to celebrate the milestone by dedicating a bench to the City of Crawfordsville. Another celebration is planned for Athe club’s September meeting.
The club, which currently counts 51 members, maintains flower beds in downtown Crawfordsville, puts on flower shows at the Crawfordsville Farmers Market and hosts a biannual garden walk. It is the oldest garden club in the state, members say.
Originally known as the Dahlia Club, the group was formed in 1921 by a group of women who later spruced up roadside parks, the pre-interstate highway version of rest stops.
“Members would donate flower shrubs in time for the weary traveler to enjoy on their travels,” said Paula Furr, club president.
The club also worked with Shades State Park and the Yountsville’s Mill, Furr said. More recently, members have planted the garden at the Lane Place following the 2019 death of longtime groundskeeper Ruth Johnson.
Historical information about the club will go on display later this month at PNC Bank, the Crawfordsville District Public and the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County.
