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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 200 member clubs and approximately 18,000 club members throughout the country.
Fairy Gardens: The World in Miniature
From the GCA Collection at the Archives of American Gardens
Garden trends are forever changing. Many come and go, however there are some that stand the test of time. For example, Penjing, or the art of depicting landscapes in miniature, is an ancient pastime that developed in China and is still practiced today using bonsai plants. Another well known and popular trend that has emerged from the art of Penjing is fairy gardens. Though gardens reflect many things, including style and taste, they can also serve a real function such as creating a special project for children and grandchildren.
A Vital Role in World War I
The GCA in the News
On November 11, 1918, World War I came to an end - 100 years ago this month. The enormity of the tragedy of the war, with millions killed in battle and others dying from disease and starvation, is remembered each year on what is now Veterans Day. During the war, members of The Garden Club of America played a vital role. Forming Farm Units in affiliation with the Women’s Land Army, members planted and preserved crops and seeds in anticipation of serious food shortages.
Grow the 2018 Plant of the Year!
The 2018 GCA Plant of the Year, Pycnanthemum muticum, commonly known as mountain mint, is a pollinator magnet! It is an easy-to-grow ornamental plant with noteworthy blue-green foliage, silvery bracts, aromatic leaves, and pinkish to white flowers that blooms from July through September. Pycnanthemum muticum grows in full sun to partial shade in both drought and wet conditions. It helps with erosion control and is resistant to diseases, insects, deer, rabbits and rodents and happily grows from Maine to Michigan and south to Florida and Texas.
Dunbar Garden, Founders Fund Finalist, Makes Headlines in Arkansas
In the news...
The Garden Club of America’s 2018 Founders Fund Finalist Dunbar Garden, an outdoor education center in Little Rock, was recently featured in The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper. Executive Director of Dunbar Garden, Audrey Long, said the facility will apply funding it received toward building an energy efficient outdoor kitchen classroom. The Little Rock Garden Club, one of 200 member clubs in The Garden Club of America, nominated Dunbar Garden.
Providence Garden Club ReCORKS for Environmental Change
Embracing ReCORK, North America’s largest wine cork recycling program, the Providence Garden Club of Pennsylvania has collected and shipped 9 boxes containing 126 lbs. of corks. The corks have been collected from local restaurants, country clubs, family, and friends. ReCORK manufactures recycled cork into sustainable products free of harmful materials like foams and plastics.
Help Solve A Garden Mystery - The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens
Do you love gardens and the thrill of the hunt? The Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens has images of numerous gardens across the United States that need a bit of sleuthing to be positively identified. Some images belonged to slide lectures that were dismantled over time or simply never were labelled. Regardless of how it happened, they are a mystery!
John Bryan, 2014 Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Medalist
The GCA mourns the passing of John H. Bryan, 1936-2018
The Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Medal is awarded to non-members for exemplary service and creative vision in any field related to The Garden Club of America’s special interests. In 2014, Mr. Bryan joined a distinguished company of award winners including Save the Redwood League, The Trustees of Reservations, Lady Bird Johnson, and the National Park Service.
The Garden Club of America offers 28 merit-based scholarships and fellowships in 12 areas related to conservation, ecology, horticulture, and pollinator research. In 2018, more than $308,400 were awarded to 65 scholars.
Follow GCA Scholarships on Twitter for the latest news about pollinators, coastal wetlands, native bird habitats, and much more. Connect to a larger world of horticulture and conservation through the Garden Club of America scholars. Learn more about the GCA Scholarships.
Annually since 1995, the GCA has identified a stellar North American native plant to receive its Montine McDaniel Freeman Medal for Plant of the Year.
Mountain mint is The Garden Club of America's 2018 Plant of the Year.
Nominate a Plant - recognize a plant that is under-utilized but worthy of preservation, propagation and promotion.
Hancock Park Garden Club was distressed over the breakdown of their century-old neighborhood aesthetics and diminished ecosystems so they decided to take action. Read more about what HPGC is doing and consider what you might do in your community.
Download the GCA's Position Papers on Climate Change Action and Native Plants.
