The club was formed on March 25, 1987, and originally the name of the organization was Bay Forest Garden Club.  Ann Lyon was the first President, they had 14 members and Weed ‘N Wish Garden Club was their Sponsor.

1987 – First Officers:
Ann Lyon – President
Sonja Main – Vice President
Gloria Boyle – Treasurer
Melanee Tackaberry – Secretary

The Club colors were Teal Blue and Mauve. Five types of flowers were presented to the membership for selection of the Club Flower. They were Yellow Rose, Bluebonnet, Red Hibiscus, Salmon Azalea, and Gardenia. The purpose of the Club is “to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening among amateurs and to encourage civic planting.” The club rating was Green, located in Zone 3, and the day and time of their meeting was the First Wednesday of the month, at 10:00 am. The Club donated to several charities and organizations, The Bridge, the Armand Bayou Nature Reserve, and made several stunning floral arrangements for the Chapel at the Veteran’s Administration.  Also, they planted trees in celebration of Arbor Day and arranged Home Tours, had Plant Sales, and organized other fundraising activities.

Gardeners by the Bay has been dedicated to teaching, learning, and enjoying lives through gardening. Members meet the challenges of successful gardening on the upper Texas Gulf Coast where vegetation flourishes year-round, with a focus on recycling, up-cycling and environmental conservation.

The club has a proud history of philanthropy, including donations of goods and services to local charities. Plants Sales were originally held biennially. Now funds permitting, proceeds from our annual plant sale benefit Exploration Green, Interfaith Caring Ministries, and local community gardens as well as Armand Bayou Nature Center, all donations keeping within our gardening mission.

The club offers high quality programs, active discussion, and participation from members, and concentrates on acquainting new residents with the wonderful uniqueness of gardening all year in the Bay Area. Bus trips to local points of interest to our members are offered several times during the year via Harris County Precinct 2 Seniors Programs.

Meetings were originally held in members’ homes every month. However, the club has gradually grown to where more space is needed. The need for more space is particularly important because of the recent dissolution of the former Clear Lake Garden Club. Gardeners By the Bay welcomed many members from that group.

Currently, meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month, September through May, held in Bouton Hall at the Webster Presbyterian Church, located at 201 NASA Parkway, Webster, Texas 77598.  Social begins at 9:00 am, followed by a business meeting at 9:30 am. The main program begins at 10:00 am. Typical program topics include Native Plants, Horticulture, Plant Propagation, Container Gardening, Growing Vegetables, Organic Gardening, Floral Design, Environmental Preservation, Landscaping, Lawn Care, Xeriscaping, Composting, Water Conservation, Pest and Disease Identification and Control. The club continues to grow and is now considered a “large” club, rated “green” according to Texas Garden Club’s rules.

A growing number of members are certified Texas Master Gardeners, through Master Gardener Programs in both Harris County and Galveston County. We also have a couple Master Naturalists. They are always happy to share their expertise and knowledge with members who have a gardening question or concern.

A monthly newsletter “The Gardening Thymes” is emailed to all members to keep them up to date on club activities and club business. Also, Gardeners by the Bay has an interactive website, https://gbtb.org where current and up to date information can be found, as well as gardening tips, garden tours, workshops, local events and where to find local plant sales.