Projects

The Des Fleurs Garden Club conducts several on-going community projects. These include Inloes Garden, the Lane Library Book Project, Community Awards, the Oxford Community Arts Center Landscape, and the Children’s Garden.

Des Fleurs members design and maintain the landscape at Inloes Park.
Des Fleurs members design and maintain the landscape at Inloes Park.

INLOES PARK
Since 1979 the Des Fleurs Garden Club has designed and maintained the landscape at Inloes Park. The park, located at the corner of High Street and Locust Avenue, offers a beautiful, relaxing spot for community members to enjoy. It’s also a wonderful ‘drive-by’ garden, presenting a splash of color for the passersby.

LANE LIBRARY BOOK PROJECT
Practically from its inception, Des Fleurs has researched, purchased and donated gardening books for the Oxford branch of the Lane Library. Members of the club are proud to encourage and educate gardeners and support our local library. In recent years, Des Fleurs has donated funds to Lane Library instead of purchasing books so that the library can purchase gardening books using the Library’s discount, thus achieving greater purchasing power.

LANE LIBRARY SEASONAL POTS
Des Fleurs fully funds the seasonal pots each year for Lane Library. Serene Miller plans them 3 times a year and they are located at both entrances of the library.

DONATION TO OXFORD COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER (OCAC) GARDENS
Des Fleurs donated $21,000 to OCAC for a beautiful large garden located behind the art center building. Des Fleurs collaborated with the landscape architect and ShadeMakers to ensure that the best plantings were utilized in the space.

COMMUNITY AWARDS
Creative outdoor space gives a home character and identity. A garden turns a house into a home and adds significant value to the community. Watch for Des Fleurs Garden Club Community Award signs in award winning gardens and articles in the Oxford Press. If you would like to nominate a garden for this award contact info@defleurs.org. Be sure to put “Community Awards” in the subject line.

Members of Des Fleurs established and help maintain the landscape for OCAC.
Members of Des Fleurs established and help maintain the landscape for OCAC.

OCAC LANDSCAPE
Des Fleurs Garden Club joined the Oxford Community Arts Center family in 2005. After a year of planning and fundraising the club was able to facilitate the landscaping along the entire front of the Arts Center. With the expert assistance of local landscape designer, John Devore, garden club members provided ideas, some labor and all of the funding for the project. Club members continue to care for the gardens – providing designs, labor and funds. They also organize work crews of Miami University students to clean and organize the gardens in the spring and fall.

THE CHILDREN’S GARDEN
While continuing to maintain and fund the first phase of the OCAC gardens, the Des Fleurs Garden Club began building a children’s garden in the spring of 2007. With input from club members, Margarette Beckwith of Beckwith-Chapman Associates Landscape Architecture designed the garden.

Funds were provided by a significant grant from the Dewald Family Foundation, grants from the Oxford Community Foundation and other community organizations and the generous contributions from members of the community. The garden provides a hands on gardening experience for children attending the annual Gardeneering Camp and environmental education opportunities for elementary school children. These programs are facilitated by the Oxford Community Arts Center and the Environmental Mobile Unit.

ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
Each year Des Fleurs awards $1,500 to a student at Miami University who has completed one year of undergraduate work and who plans to major in Biology or minor in Botany.