Announcing a New GCA Scholarship!

A new Garden Club of America Fellowship in Conservation Horticulture has been established, endowed by a generous gift from a GCA club member and her husband. This fellowship will promote plant conservation capacity and coordination among botanic gardens and/or public gardens in the United States through the programs of Botanic Gardens Conservation International - U.S. (BCGI-US). Each year, this new fellowship will award up to $5,000 to an undergraduate to study conservation horticulture

Read more

The GCA’s 2020 Founders Fund Winners Announced

The Garden Club of America’s (GCA) Founders Fund was established in 1934 to provide financial support, through a competitive grant program, to projects proposed by GCA member clubs. The projects are designed to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement. This year the $30,000 winning grant was awarded to Crossnore School & Children's Home, a child welfare organization supporting children and families in crisis in Winston-Salem, NC.

Read more

In Memoriam: Gina Miller Bissell, Twenty-First President of The Garden Club of America

Gina Bissell, president of The Garden Club of America from 1975-1977, passed away on June 3, 2020, in Greenville, Delaware at the age of 99. We mourn the loss of this generous mentor, consummate horticulturist, avid gardener, world traveler, inspirational leader, and dear friend. Current GCA President Debbie Edwards said, “Gina Bissell lived a life of service to others. Her contributions to the GCA were exceptional, and she was loved by all who knew her.”

Read more

Fake It ‘Til You Make It: Faux Bois

The Archives of American Gardens is a wealth of information for researchers and garden enthusiasts looking to understand trends in gardening history. Over 6,500 gardens and landscapes are documented in the archives; they illustrate the work of hundreds of landscape architects and garden designers. One unique gardening trend is faux bois, which has its roots in trompe-l’oeil, the tradition of ‘deceiving the eye.’

Read more

The Garden Club of Jackson … in the News
WJTV News Takes Jackson, Mississippi on the Spring Garden Tour

Ah, the signs of Spring ... singing birds, blooming trees, and community garden tours. But what happens when “stay at home” orders force the cancellation of public events? In Jackson, Mississippi, a local TV anchor brought the gardens to the public. Read about what happened when The Garden Club of Jackson cancelled its biennial Spring Garden Tour.

Read more

Great American Outdoors Act Passes in the Senate
“National Parks are Irreplaceable Treasures”

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) with bipartisan support. It is considered the most important conservation legislation since the Land and Water Conservation Fund was created in 1964. The Garden Club of America believes that our country’s national parks are irreplaceable treasures whose value is incalculable. The GCA was a significant force along the bill’s journey to passage.

Read more

The GCA Celebrates National Pollinator Week, June 22-28

National Pollinator Week 2020 will be celebrated the week of June 22-28. Pollinators are critical to food and ecosystems. The U.S. Senate’s designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” in 2006 marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. The Pollinator Partnership, which was awarded The Garden Club of America’s Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal in 2011 for championing pollinators, manages the initiative.

Read more