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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.
2018 Founders Fund Winner Announced
Kenilworth Garden Club, Kenilworth, Illinois, has been named 2018 recipient of The Garden Club of America Founders Fund Award. The $30,000 award was announced April 29 during the 2018 GCA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The funds will be used to install a therapeutic garden at Misericordia Home on Chicago’s north side.
Saluting National Pollinator Week June 18-24 with News from GCA Pollinator Fellows
Eleven years ago, the U.S. Senate designated a week in June to highlight the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations, National Pollinator Week, which has grown into an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles. Through scholarships, the GCA provides funding to study the causes of pollinator decline, leading to potential solutions for conservation and sustainability. Read more to learn about the work of recent GCA pollinator fellows.
From the GCA Collection at the Archives of American Gardens: Armillary Spheres
Like any number of inventions, the origins of the armillary sphere are debated and credited to everyone from an ancient Greek philosopher to a Roman mathematician and a Chinese astronomer. The one commonality: the sphere was created with the faulty supposition that the earth was the center of the universe.
The June 1917 annual business meeting of the GCA marked a turning point in the young and growing organization. The GCA decided to put normal business aside and as described by the first GCA President, Mrs. Elizabeth Price Martin, “The clubs were called into the service of their country. The focus would be farming and the production of food.”
The GCA Objects to Frick Expansion Plans Threatening Russell Page Garden Integrity
The latest design proposals for expansion of the Frick museum appear to threaten the integrity of its historic Russell Page garden. In a letter to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, which considered the expansion plans on May 29, the GCA asked the commission to postpone action until the Frick and its architects carefully weigh and satisfactorily address issues concerning proposed changes to the garden.
Mill Mountain Garden Club Spearheads “Scoop the Poop” Program
Mill Mountain Garden Club, Roanoke, Virginia, has led its community in a regional public education campaign focused on proper disposal of pet waste and the environmental hazards it can pose to waterways. The message is simple: “Scoop the Poop. Grab it. Bag it. Toss it.” Awareness is up, and improper disposal is down. Read more and learn what you can do in your community.
Smithsonian Pollinator Garden Showcased for United Nations World Bee Day
The Smithsonian Institution’s Pollinator Garden, recipient of funds from the GCA marking the millennial year 2000, is being showcased as part of United Nations 20 May World Bee Day, intended to draw global attention to the importance of preserving bees and other pollinators. As part of the international celebration, Smithsonian Gardens has shared digitized files of interpretive panels found in the garden for use by public gardens internationally.
The GCA offers 28 merit-based scholarships and fellowships, awarding more than $330,000 to 86 scholars in 2017.
For example, the GCA Fellowship in Ecological Restoration offers an $8,000 annual grant for graduate study and research at a leading accredited university in the United States. Fields of study of past recipients have ranged from forestry to applied plant sciences to ecology and evolutionary biology.
Read more about the four 2017 recipients.
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.
The Conservation Chairman of the Georgetown Garden Club is asking local businesses and restaurants voluntarily to offer compostable or recyclable options to plastic straws - or ask patrons to forgo the straws altogether.
Download the GCA's Position Paper on Waste Management.
Read more about what GGC is doing, and consider what you might do in your community.
