The Tanglewood Garden Club was organized on February 20, 1951 by Birdie Farrington (wife of the Tanglewood developer, William Farrington), Lillian Illig and a group of friends. The stated objectives of the club were to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening among amateurs, to aid in the protection of native trees, plants and birds, to encourage civic planning and to generally improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. Through the years the Club has continued to flourish and develop not only through the founding objectives, but additionally it provides Tanglewood residents an opportunity to meet one another, enjoy interesting speakers, attend various social events and is simply so much more than gardening!
Dues are $55 annually, payable by June 1 in order to be included in the Directory. Dues allow Garden Club members to attend all events.
Events 
Four General meetings, with coordinated programs, are held on selected Tuesdays in October, November, January and March. A half hour social period with refreshments precedes the General Meeting followed by the program.
The Club hosts three major events held in Tanglewood Garden Club members’ homes-the September Fall Coffee, the Holiday Tea, and the Progressive Luncheon (retitled in 2019 to Progressive Bites). Garden Club members serve as hostesses for these events by providing delicious refreshments as well as creative floral designs. Every Garden Club member receives an invitation, in the mail, to these three events (reminder updates are sent via email).
The September Coffee welcomes any Tanglewood resident that is interested in the Garden Club. It is a great way to kick off the Garden Club year.
The Holiday Tea is an afternoon event where Garden Club members celebrate the Holiday season.
In February, Garden Club members visit a neighborhood home for a themed Luncheon.
The end of the year Spring Luncheon is the final event of the Garden Club year. This special day has included a style show, boutique shopping and speakers. There is often a theme that inspires the creativity of the Garden Club members to decorate tables to the delight of guests. Invitations are mailed to all Garden Club members to put together tables of members and/or friends. An additional fee per person is required.
Yearly, two outings are held in the Fall and Spring. Outings have featured a variety of activities from floral arranging, touring Buffalo Bayou, the art of garnishing to touring the Brookwood Community. Each year we are delighted by new and interesting activities in the Houston area. There is usually an additional fee for those attending the outings.
The annual Spring Trip is always a wonderful three to four days of visiting cities in the US, usually with a historical element, great food and of course wonderful gardens and homes to visit. Some of the recent trips have been to Savannah GA, Dallas, New Orleans and this past year the trip was to Charleston, South Carolina. There is usually a limited number of spaces on the trip and it is always in high demand. Additional fees apply to the trip.
Sub- Clubs
Each of our Sub-clubs are directed by a member and open to all TGC members. Details for each Sub-club event are sent out via email or Evite, so you must request to be added to a Sub-club Chair’s list. Chairs and Sub-Clubs change from year to year, so usually you need to request to be added every year!
Publications
The Directory is the members’ reference book and is compiled annually. It is available to all Garden Club members in September. Published addresses, phone numbers and emails are for Garden Club use only.
The meeting and event reminders are sent electronically to those members that have provided their emails. These emails provide additional information on all activities and upcoming monthly events. General meeting and program reminders are sent out electronically a week or two prior to the meeting.