Bringing the Holiday Spirit to Neighbors in Need
The Four Counties Garden Club

Greens, cones, decorations, and ribbons bring great joy to neighbors going through difficult times. For the past eight years, the Four Counties Garden Club has partnered with Tredyffrin & Easttown Care to kick off the holiday season, making and distributing festive wreaths in the community.

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Help Solve A Garden Mystery- The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens
Unidentified Garden in Unknown Location between 1914 and 1949

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 labelled. Regardless of how it happened, they are a mystery! If this garden looks familiar to you, please READ MORE.

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GCA Club Members Flock to the Fields!
December 14th Starts The National Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count

The Garden Club of America club members are pulling on their boots and grabbing binoculars to be a part of The National Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count which begins December 14th and culminates January 5th, International Bird Day. Setting a record last Christmas, there were 81,000 volunteers who took to the field or watched feeders, as part of the world’s longest-running wildlife census (120 years), collecting invaluable data for research of bird populations and their habitats.

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Catalogue Shopping in 1612
The Oldest Book in the GCA Rare Book Collection

Imagine the hustle and bustle of the 1612 Frankfurt-am-Main Fair where vendors would show and sell their wares. Among these vendors was a Dutch painter and nurseryman named Emanuel Sweert (1552-1612). In order to promote the sale of his tulips and other bulbs, he created his Florilegium Amplissimum et Selectissimum, as a guide to his available stock. The Florilegium, the oldest book in the GCA’s Rare Book Collection, can be viewed at the Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden. The library is open to the general public. 

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GCA Scholars… In The News
Bringing Biodiversity to Cocktail Hour

Three GCA scholars transformed their studies of botanical science into a successful company that produces unique and flavorful craft bitters. They have published a DIY cocktail book, Botany at the Bar: The Art & Science of Making Bitters, which highlights the multicultural history of these aromatic, often medicinal, plant tonics and raise awareness of the importance of plant diversity. READ MORE and listen to the authors on NPR’s Science Friday.

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In Memoriam: Dr. William Seale, Jr.
GCA Medalist, Honorary Member, Author, Historian, Editor, Historic Preservationist

“Author, historian, editor, historic preservationist… all terms that only hint at the scale, scope and impact of Dr. William Seale’s accomplishments.” One of the GCA’s most distinguished and endearing honorary members, William received the 2004 GCA Medal for Historic Preservation. In 2013 he authored The Garden Club of America, 100 Years of a Growing Legacy. William recently passed away at the age of 80.

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Secret Gardens: Private Gardens of Paradise
From The Garden Club of America Collection at the Archives of American Gardens

The secret garden, also known by its Italian name, giardino segreto, has a long history that can be traced back to Roman peristyle houses which featured a garden located within a central courtyard. Secret gardens were also often found within traditional Islamic houses and were considered paradise gardens — an oasis where one could contemplate privately.

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