Good news from the GCA's member clubs, collaborating organizations, and national efforts is plentiful. Enjoy the full articles below, and follow us on social media to be prompted when new news is posted.
The Garden Club of Honolulu Receives Prestigious AFP Award
March 27, 2024
In 2023, The Garden Club of Honolulu (GCH) was the deserving recipient of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) prestigious President’s Award. Annually, the Aloha Chapter of AFP celebrates philanthropic leaders who offer time, talent, and financial support to their community. Current and former GCH Presidents were honored to accept this award on behalf of their club at the AFP’s 40th anniversary celebration in November. The fundamental spirit of The Garden Club of Honolulu is Mālama āina, meaning “caring for and honoring the land.” Since 1930, the GCH has been doing just that. What began as a small group of passionate garden enthusiasts, now includes 167 members, and embraces a multitude of activities designed to support their mission of restoring and protecting the environment through conservation, civic improvement, and education. The Garden Club of Honolulu joined The Garden Club of America in 1932.
GCA Restoration Initiatives Provide Disaster Relief in Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, and Texas
March 20, 2024
In 2024, The Garden Club of America (GCA) awarded $10,000 grants to four clubs that assisted in restoring areas affected by natural disasters. These included the Little Rock Garden Club (Little Rock, AR), Shreveport Garden Study Club (Shreveport, LA), St. George’s Garden Club (Baltimore, MD), and the Magnolia Garden Club (Beaumont, TX). All four clubs proposed initiatives to restore areas devastated by extreme weather including hurricanes, severe rainstorms, epic freezes, and droughts.
First-in-the-Nation Law Passed to Restrict Dangerous Neonicotinoid Pesticides
March 13, 2024
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
March 06, 2024
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
February 28, 2024
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
February 21, 2024
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
February 14, 2024
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
February 08, 2024
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
January 31, 2024
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.
Garden Club of America / Royal Horticulture Society Interchange Fellowships
January 24, 2024
For over 70 years, the GCA / RHS Interchange Fellowships have provided work and study opportunities for recent college graduates in the horticulture field. Many Interchange Fellows have become leaders in their fields. For example, Nigel Dunnett, 1989 GCA Fellow, is a leading voice on innovative approaches to planting design. Michael Dossman, 1998 RHS Fellow, is Keeper of the Living Collections at The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. The 2022 Fellows recently completed their programs and have accepted positions in the US and the UK.