The purpose of The Garden Club of America is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence, and publications, and to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.
Founded in 1913, The Garden Club of America is a volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization comprised of 199 member clubs and approximately 18,000 club members throughout the country.
First-in-the-Nation Law Passed to Restrict Dangerous Neonicotinoid Pesticides
Pollinators in New York State can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to the efforts of twenty-three Garden Club of America member clubs and hundreds of other environmental advocates, Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law the Birds and Bees Protection Act (S.1856-A/A.7640), a first-in-the-nation law to dramatically restrict the use of dangerous neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics), chemicals typically applied to corn, soybean, and wheat seeds as well as on golf courses and lawns.
Garden Club of Dayton’s Tree Legacy Committee Lives On
The City of Dayton and all who love neighborhood beautification have lost a true friend and leader. Mr. Herbert Burton passed away on Friday, February 16, 2024, at the age of 95. Several years ago, Mr. Burton was instrumental in a neighborhood clean-up and enhancement project in partnership with the Garden Club of Dayton (GCD), the City of Dayton, and CityWide Development. These groups, along with many others in the community, honor Mr. Burton’s steadfast leadership and the transformational impact he had on Dayton’s Pineview community. In recent years, GCD’s Tree Legacy Committee worked with Mr. Burton, the Pineview Neighborhood Association, local partners, and community volunteers to clean up the area around Lakeside Lake in Dayton’s Pineview neighborhood. The Pineview area was developed by a GCD member’s grandfather and in the 1950s it was the only community in Dayton willing to sell homes to Black families. Mr. Burton had purchased his home there after returning from the Korean War. From the beginning, Mr. Burton was very engaged in making his neighborhood a nice place to live.
Garden Club of Englewood Maintains National Historic Landmark
For over 75 years, the Garden Club of Englewood (GCE) has worked in close partnership with the Palisades Interstate Park (PIP) Commission to maintain the park’s gardens. In 1948, with the help of a GCA Founders Fund grant, GCE created a Sphagnum Bog in the Greenbrook Sanctuary, located on top of the famous Palisades. More recently, the club developed an herb garden at The Kearney House, an original 1760s family homestead and tavern that sits on the Hudson’s shoreline within the park.
Centennial Tree Project Continues to Thrive Ten Years Later
In 2013, The Garden Club of America celebrated its centennial in numerous ways to promote horticultural knowledge and sustainability to members and the public. The GCA Horticulture Committee’s Centennial Tree Project aimed to preserve the past while growing the future. This resulted in more than 22,550 trees being planted around the country. Projects often required creativity, extensive research, and restoration of historical sites—a fitting celebration for the GCA’s Centennial year. Fast-forward over ten years and you’ll find that many of these projects continue to make a difference in their communities. Here are two examples from GCA clubs in Texas and Tennessee.
Albemarle Garden Club Sponsors Down by the Bog Children’s Festival
The second annual Down by the Bog Children’s Festival was held at the Booker T. Washington Park in Charlottesville, Virginia this past October. Thanks to a grant from the GCA Common Ground Collaborative program, the Albemarle Garden Club (AGC), along with community partners, sponsored a fun day offering several activities to promote nature play – a critical element for healthy social, physical, and mental development. Kids explored the wetland garden and discovered hidden stone frogs. They learned about the pollinator hotel, created leaf etchings, had a forest story time, played musical instruments, and created floral bouquets with flowers donated by AGC members. In addition to pop-up play stations, the activities were designed not only to be fun, but to specifically boost cognitive and social-emotional development of children in a natural setting. More than three hundred children enjoyed a carnival-like atmosphere where the focus was learning about Nature.
2024 Floral Design Conference For the Love of Flowers
On February 6, For the Love of Flowers, the 2024 GCA Floral Design Conference, showcased innovative floral design professionals and their work. German designer and publisher Klaus Wagener demonstrated bold ikebana-inspired contemporary designs. California innovator and instructor Dundee Butcher introduced Phoam, a natural alternative to traditional floral foam. Designer and urban gardener Dee Hall created a lush arrangement using materials grown near her home in Norfolk, Virginia. Other presentations on botanical arts, flower shows and principles of design rounded out the virtual conference. In between presentations, GCA Floral Design committee members shared their favorite flowers—a delightful way to kick off the month of love.
2024 GCA Photography Conference Reimagine the World
On January 25, the 2024 GCA Photography Conference, Reimagine the World, showed photography enthusiasts how to look through the lens with a new perspective. Three renowned photographers encouraged the audience to immerse themselves in the environment, take time to shoot the image and, most importantly, “play around.” Xuan-Hui Ng shared poetic images of snow-covered Japanese forests. Stephanie Johnson demonstrated how to intentionally blur images to achieve vibrant abstract images. Nevada Wier explained the theory behind her captivating travel photos. A fourth expert photographer, Santiago Lyon, discussed the perils of AI when used to generate a photograph from text. Building on last year’s storytelling theme, all four presenters inspired their viewers to pull out their cameras and make authentic, inspiring art.
The Garden Club of America offers 29 merit-based scholarships and fellowships in 12 areas related to conservation, ecology, horticulture, and pollinator research. In 2023, over $405,000 were awarded to 86 scholars. Follow GCA Scholarships on Instagram for the latest news about pollinators, coastal wetlands, native bird habitats, and much more. Connect to a larger world of horticulture and conservation through Garden Club of America scholars. Browse the scholarship offerings.
Since 1995 the GCA has identified a stellar North American native plant to receive The Montine McDaniel Freeman Medal: GCA Plant of the Year.
Passiflora incarnata commonly known as Passionflower or Maypop, is The Garden Club of America's Plant of the Year.
The 2022-2023 GCA Annual Report is now available. Click here to view the digital version.