AAGC and its member clubs have a long history of caring for and caring about Zilker Botanical Garden. AAGC became a nonprofit organization in 1955, when six clubs incorporated as the Austin Area Garden Center with the vision of bringing a building to Zilker Park to serve as the hub for club activities, community education, and volunteer efforts. Today, AAGC functions as the Austin Area Garden Council and is proud of its partnership with the City of Austin/Parks and Recreation Department and the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy as it continues its support for the garden.

With 23 affiliated garden clubs and more than eleven hundred members, AAGC fulfills its mission:

Promoting the education of citizens, including youth, in the art of gardening, for beautification of home and countryside; to do all things incidental or necessary for the accomplishment of said purposes; to conserve native flowers, shrubs, and trees, and to protect wildlife; to promote recreational opportunities through the media of gardening and outdoor life; to support Zilker Botanical Garden; and to solicit funds for said purposes.

AAGC club members “dig in” as volunteers and work with the City and Conservancy to plant, weed, and re-create garden beds. Each club’s monthly meetings feature speakers on a wide range of topics including specific plants, gardening techniques, and the use of plants in arts and crafts projects. Many clubs also offer member-only field trips, study groups, and other service opportunities.