East Low Country District
EAST LOW COUNTRY DISTRICT DIRECTOR - JOAN McDONALD
Joan McDonald is the founder of The Gardeners Green. She is a designer, educator, and passionate advocate for cottage living, bringing over two decades of horticultural expertise to the art of floral design. With 25+ years immersed in the world of gardening, she channels her deep understanding of botanical beauty into crafting exquisite floral displays for events, corporate spaces, and celebrations. Drawing from her formal training as a fine artist, Joan utilizes her artistic skills to create beautiful floral installations, transforming natural materials into elevated event spaces.
In addition to being a sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Joan has dedicated herself to fostering community engagement through leadership roles such as Director of the East Low Country District of The Garden Club of South Carolina, President of The Garden Club of Charleston, Volunteer Coordinator for the Horticulture Division of the City of Charleston, and Garden Editor of Charleston Magazine.
Joan embraces the cottage lifestyle wholeheartedly, tending to her lush retreat in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband and—true to her devotion—an abundance of plants.
EAST LOW COUNTRY
ASSISTANT
DISTRICT DIRECTOR ANNETTE ELLARD
Annette Ellard moved to the United States in 1988 and soon realized that many of the gardening skills she had honed in the UK did not really apply in the South.
Growing up in post war rural England, the emphasis was on growing food more than flowers and she spent many hours in the garden with her dad whomade sure there were
veggies on the table year round.
With synthetic fertilizer and pesticides almost unheard of in those days Annette is a firm believer that organic and natural is vital to health and nutrition and
is more than happy to bore you on why she thinks this is so.
As President of St. Paul’s Garden Club she has endeavored to make sure all members understand the resources available to them via their local garden clubs and GCSC and encourages them to get involved and spread the word that a healthy lifestyle begins in the garden.
gcsc CLUB SPONsORED YOUTH CLUBS
Organization(Grade/Student#) Sponsoring Garden Club(
Early College High School (9-11 /17) Riverland Terrace of James Island
Ewtaw Youth Gardeners Ewtaw Garden Club, Ewtawville
East Lowcountry Federated Garden Clubs:
375EL- Alhambra Garden Club, Mt. Pleasant
147EL- Azalea Garden Club, Manning
059EL- Camellia Garden Club of Greater Charleston, North Charleston
663EL- Dorchester County Beekeepers and Gardeners
352EL- Eutaw Garden Club, Eutawville
168EL- Flowertown Garden Club, Summerville
346EL- Magnolia Garden Club, Johns Island
086EL- Manning Garden Club, Manning
380EL- Melrose Garden Club, Charleston
543EL- Palmetto Garden Club of Mt Pleasant
113EL- Pink Dogwood Garden Club, Summerton
418EL- Riverland Terrace Garden Club, Charleston
135EL- South Windermere Garden Club, Charleston
542EL- St. Paul’s Garden Club, Meggett
271EL- St. Stephen Garden Club, St. Stephen
180EL- The Garden Club of Charleston, Charleston
128EL- Town & Village Garden Club, Pinopolis
060EL- Virginia’s Pride Garden Club, Manning
Councils:
C08EL- Council of Garden Clubs of Greater Charleston
C25EL- Manning Council of Garden Clubs
