How it all began

The Tampa Federation of Garden Circles recognized the need to have an evening garden club for gardeners who work and/or have families to care for. Their goal was to “encourage more people to educate, promote and preserve our environment.” Under the kind and knowledgeable direction of Kathy Echevarria, 1st Vice President, and Carmen Rodriguez, President of the Federation, the first Moonlight Garden Circle meeting was held in the Fall of 2002. By January of 2003, the club had 17 members and officers were in place. 

Fast forward to today

We meet monthly, either at the Tampa Garden Club or a local garden store to learn how to make our gardens more beautiful. We have plant swaps, field trips and informative "show-and tells" where members and experts share their gardening expertise. We have raised money for various non-profit events and we donate funds to help maintain the Tampa Garden Club. At our meetings, we bring appetizers, desserts and  beverages, and we enjoy each other's company as we listen to the evening's speaker talk about various plant-related topics. Today there are over twenty-five members who call themselves the “Moonlighters.”

Here's a bonsai expert speaking to us at one of our recent meetings.

Here's a bonsai expert speaking to us at one of our recent meetings.

Who we are

The Moonlighters are a great group of people with different backgrounds and fabulous personalities. The camaraderie we feel for each other is one of the benefits of being part of a close-knit group. We don't discuss politics, however, we are all about making the world a greener place to live. We are an unpretentious, come-as-you-are bunch. Join us to find out for yourself what it means to be a Moonlighter.. 

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