Celebrating Our First GCA “Glorious Gardener”
Approaching her 100th birthday, Hope Porter advocates for Planet Earth

Garden Club of America. Garden Create Advocate. These words have guided the lives of some special GCA members for many years. As they approach their 100th birthday, we celebrate these Glorious Gardeners in their efforts to tend Planet Earth. Hope Porter, a member since 1956 of The Garden Club of America and The Warrenton Garden Club is the very epitome of an effective advocate for the conservation of open land in Fauquier County, Virginia. For over 60 years, she has been an “accidental activist” when it comes to the preservation of the glorious countryside, writing two books chronicling the fight to protect open land. At age 98 she shows no sign of letting up.

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Piet Oudolf’s First Visit to his Belle Isle Garden in Detroit
Acclaimed Dutch garden designer overcomes pandemic limitations

In late 2016, GCA Medal of Honor winner Piet Oudolf received a “love letter” from the Garden Club of Michigan asking him to design a new public garden on Detroit’s Belle Isle. In August 2022, the Dutch garden designer saw his two-year old 3.5-acre creation for the first time after international travel restrictions were lifted. Oudolf had never been asked by a garden club to design a garden and, inspired by the energy of Detroit and the unique setting, he accepted the commission.

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GCA Member Lindsay Marshall named a Scenic Hero
Scenic conservation efforts applauded by Scenic America

A physical therapist by training and an environmentalist by passion, Lindsay Marshall has a unique appreciation for how a person’s surroundings impact their overall health and well-being. Through her leadership roles in The Garden Club of America, in her community, and as a member of Scenic America’s national board of directors, Lindsay is a true scenic hero who seeks out opportunities to promote beauty and to foster a heightened focus on thoughtful planning and design.

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2022 Conservation Study Conference focuses on Protecting Island Earth
The Hawaiian Islands provide instructions and hope for managing finite resources

The Conservation Study Conference was held virtually on November 9, 2022. Members of GCA clubs from around the country traveled via zoom to the beautiful islands of Hawaii to learn how ancient Hawaiian sustainable management practices, paired with advanced science and technology, are improving the quality of lives both in Hawaii and abroad.

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The GCA Announces the Montine McDaniel Freeman Medal
Lonicera sempervirens named 2023 Plant of the Year

Lonicera sempervirens, commonly known as Coral Honeysuckle, has been named the 2023 Plant of the Year: Freeman Medal winner by The Garden Club of America. Annually, the GCA identifies a stellar North American native plant to receive the Montine McDaniel Freeman Medal: GCA Plant of the Year.

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Adirondack Garden Club Awards Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Grants
Eight individuals and organizations rewarded for their environmental efforts

The Adirondack Garden Club established the Ellen Lea Paine Memorial Nature Fund to give financial assistance to individuals and not-for-profit organizations that study, protect, and enjoy the natural environment within the Adirondack Park. Eight 2022 grants were awarded to a range of individuals and organizations that exemplified these goals.

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The GCA Collaborates with the World Wildlife Fund to Support Tropical Botany Studies
Projects funded in Amazonia, Costa Rica, Panama, Tanzania, and the Congo Basin

The Garden Club of America, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, promotes the preservation of tropical forests through GCA Fellowships in Tropical Botany. In 2022, five fellowships were awarded for projects in Amazonia, Costa Rica, Panama, Tanzania, and the Congo Basin.

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