Since its founding July 16, 1916, The Catonsville Garden Club has been involved in community projects and concerned with conservation issues. The war emergency was important to the club from 1917 until 1919 and members learned to grow medicinal herbs for the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the club planted trees and shrubs at the Catonsville High School.  Classes on flower arranging were conducted and students were given instructions in the care and planting of seedlings. A honey-suckle hedge and poplar trees were planted at the elementary school. The planting and maintenance of the grounds of the new health center began and trees and shrubs were planted on Washington Boulevard near Elkridge. Money was raised to buy a large yew tree for the Washington Cathedral Garden.