The Genius of Place
From The Garden Club of America Collection at the Archives of American Gardens

Many gardens included in The Garden Club of America Collection at the Archives of American Gardens hold a proud distinction: they embody design principles developed by the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903). In addition to establishing a firm that had a hand in the design of more than 6,000 landscapes and gardens for over a century, Olmsted published influential theories about landscape design that transformed how people composed and maintained the outdoor space around them. Olmsted scholars have distilled Olmsted’s ideas down to a list of six design principles. Read more for Principle One.

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Temple Park Gets a Makeover to Restore Biodiversity
The Garden Club of Lookout Mountain

Sometimes, even Mother Nature needs a makeover. And who better to add showy color, to rebuild a sagging foundation, and to accessorize restoration of biodiversity than a hard-working garden club? The Garden Club of Lookout Mountain (GCLM) is putting a new face on Tennessee’s 107-year-old Temple Park, but deciding what to plant was made easier by including one particular tree that, at maturity, supports 537 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars—critical baby food for most songbirds.

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In Memoriam: John Ruthven, GCA Medalist
Naturalist, Author, Lecturer, and Wildlife Artist

John Ruthven (1924-2020), 2015 GCA Eloise Payne Luquer Medal recipient, passed away October 11, 2020. Ruthven, a naturalist, author, lecturer, and wildlife artist, dedicated his life to conserving our natural treasures. Often referred to as the "20th-century Audubon," Ruthven’s eye for realism in his artwork burnished his reputation worldwide. He was known across the globe for his stunning works of art whose painstaking details are matched by their lifelike beauty.

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Little Rock GC Seeks Return of the Northern Bobwhite Quail
Steps Taken to Restore Prairie

What attracts bobwhite quail to a field? In an effort to restore a twelve-acre prairie to attract the Northern Bobwhite Quail, Little Rock Garden Club (LRGC) members discovered, as the songwriter Bob Dylan once wrote, “the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.” Their task was to capture the prized bounty before it was scattered by the Arkansas winds. Partnering with six agencies, the club created a Partners for Plants (P4P) project, The Covey, with grant funds from The Garden Club of America’s P4P habitat restoration program.

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Casey Trees Restores a Healthy Tree Canopy in the Nation’s Capital
Restoring, Enhancing, and Protecting

At the Casey Trees headquarters in Washington D.C., 1,400 new trees have arrived from their farm in Berryville, Virginia, ready to be planted this fall in parks, vacant lots, and school yards throughout all eight wards of the city. Because of Covid-19, the Casey crew will be doing the job without the volunteers who, since its founding in 2002, have normally helped with planting. To date, a total of 37,744 trees have been planted as part of the non-profit’s commitment to restoring, enhancing, and protecting the tree canopy of the nation’s capital. This terrific progress is a credit to Betty Brown Casey ...

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Seed Your Future Launches Expanded Horticulture Career Exploration Tool
The Latest Resource from Seed Your Future

Seed Your Future (SYF) recently announced the launch of its expanded horticulture career exploration tool. Much more than a basic alphabetical list of the more than 140 careers working with plants, the resource first asks site visitors to consider what they are interested in, and then it profiles careers in horticulture that might match their interests. This tool is the latest resource from Seed Your Future, a coalition of more than 200 partners—including horticulture companies, gardening organizations, schools, colleges, universities, public gardens, youth organizations, nonprofit organizations, and individual advocates—united in their mission to promote horticulture and careers working with plants.

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NJ Grant Breathes New Life into Community Garden
Replacing Run-Down Fencing and Installing a New Irrigation System

Thanks to a generous grant from the New Jersey Committee of The Garden Club of America, the Short Hills Garden Club (SHGC) has been able to perform some much needed maintenance to the Millburn-Short Hills Community Garden. The work included replacement of run-down fencing as well as installation of a new irrigation system and was completed in time for the summer growing season.

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