About the Midlands Chapter
Protecting the Midlands, One Native Plant at a Time.
Plant Sale Volunteers
Midlands Board Members at Columbia's Earth Day Climate Action Fair
The Midlands Chapter has grown to more than 250 members, and the reason is simple: people want to be part of something that matters. We are a community of gardeners, naturalists, educators, and neighbors who share a commitment to protecting the plants and ecosystems that make South Carolina worth loving.
There is a place here for every level of experience. Whether you have been studying native plants for decades or just pulled your first piece of English ivy out of your backyard, you belong at our table.
Join us, follow along, or just say hello.
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Join the Midlands ChapterTodd Martin speaks at Hyatt Park. Credit: Lynn Yenkey
Midlands Meetings
Our member meeting is at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of odd months. Our board meets monthly on the 1st Thursday.
Meetings range from lectures from local experts to casual meet-ups in a location featuring native plants to hand-on activities. The public is always welcome. Check the Events Calendar to see what’s happening!
Location: Garden Club Council of Greater Columbia building, 1605 Park Circle, Columbia, SC 29201.
Demonstration Garden at Saluda Riverwalk. Credit: Lynn Yenkey
Midlands Service Projects
Our efforts range from invasives removal, to plant rescue ahead of development, to planting new demonstration gardens. Notable activities include planting native plant gardens at the SC Governor’s Mansion and obtaining a grant from Dominion Energy to demonstrate appropriate plantings under power lines at a demonstration garden at Saluda Riverwalk in Columbia.
Midlands SCNPS Congaree Bluffs. Credit: Lynn Yenkey
Midlands Field Trips
We periodically arrange a field trip to a Midlands location that will teach us all something about the native plants that surround us. Examples include a trip to the Congaree Bluffs and a visit to the unique Sandstone Barrens habitat along a section of the Ft. Jackson Passage of the Palmetto Trail.
Midlands SCNPS at the Riverbanks Zoo. Credit: Lynn Yenkey
Midlands Education and Outreach
Spreading knowledge about native plants is central to everything we do. Midlands Chapter members speak to community groups across the Columbia area, staff information tables at events like the USC Belser Arboretum open house and Riverbanks Zoo’s Earth Day celebration, and answer questions from the public through social media and our newsletter.
We believe education works best when it meets people where they are. That means showing up at neighborhood association meetings, school events, and community festivals with approachable, practical information about why native plants matter and how to get started with them at home.
Our newsletter goes deeper, with plant profiles, gardening tips, and updates on conservation issues affecting the Midlands. It is one of the most consistent ways we stay connected to members and curious newcomers alike.
We also take on special projects where our expertise can make a measurable difference. One ongoing example is our partnership with Dominion Energy, where we developed curated lists of native plants appropriate for planting under power lines, helping utility corridors become habitat instead of dead zones.
Native Tree Sale in Columbia. Credit: Lynn Yenkey
Midlands Plant Sales
The Midlands Chapter’s spring and fall native plant sales have become one of Columbia’s most popular sources for locally grown native plants. Whether you’re starting your first native garden or expanding an established one, our knowledgeable volunteers are on hand to help you choose the right plants for your soil, sun, and space.
The spring and fall sales go beyond plants. Local food trucks, artists, and booksellers make the events a community event worth the trip even if you don’t have a garden yet.
Riverfront Revival Grant Project Presentation. Credit: Catherine Massey
Midlands Grants and Scholarships
The Midlands Chapter invests directly in the people and places working to bring native plants into South Carolina communities.
Grants of up to $2,000 are available to neighborhoods, student groups, schools, churches, and nonprofits with projects that advance the SCNPS mission. Scholarships of up to $200 support individuals pursuing training or education, including the South Carolina Native Plant Certificate, naturalist courses, and conferences.
We encourage applicants to think broadly. A pollinator garden at a Title I school, a native plant installation at a community center, a neighborhood invasives removal project — these are exactly the kinds of ideas we want to fund.