San Clemente founder Ole Hanson set the tone in 1925 when he proclaimed his vision of building a beautiful city on the picturesque Orange County coastline, a "Spanish village by the sea". That vision was joined a few years later with the 1951 formation of the San Clemente Garden Club, a group dedicated to preserving the town's natural beauty and adding a profusion of flowers and gardens to the red tiled buildings, new homes and quaint streets.



Mrs. Henry T. Read of San Clemente founded the San Clemente Garden Club in July of 1951 with a membership of 15. In September of 1951 the Club joined a national federation of garden clubs holding their meetings in member's homes. The regular meeting site became the San Clemente Community Center after it was completed. By 1957, the club had reached 93 members and today's membership is 150.

The beautification of San Clemente continues as the Garden Club continues to attract members interested in the many aspects of gardening and horticulture, including civic beautification, conservation, garden therapy, junior gardening, flower shows, floral design, home garden tours and workshops. Scholarships are given to worthy horticultural students each year from the Garden Club. The scholarship fund is supported in part by proceeds from annual fundraisers.