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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.
Birds of a Feather
GCA members are joining the flock for the annual Christmas Bird Count!
The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count begins December 14th and culminates January 5th, International Bird Day. Many Garden Club of America members are joining the flock. Nearly 77,000 individuals will take to the field or watch feeders as part of the world’s longest-running wildlife census (119 years). Get the link to learn more, check out incredible statistics about the count, and learn about the GCA's MOU with the National Audubon Society ... by reading more.
Weed Wrangle® Grows in Thirteen States
Invasive Species Removed Weed by Weed
As humans have migrated around the world so, too, have plants. The result—invasives that choke the planet, threaten plant diversity and present a seemingly insurmountable problem. In her bestselling book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott wrote about her brother, who learned a life lesson while doing a massive homework assignment. Seized by writer’s block, brought on by the sheer size of a writing assignment about birds, he listened to his father’s advice to approach the task bird by bird. Applying the lesson, that many small tasks compound to achieve a larger goal, The Garden Club of Nashville founded Weed Wrangle®. This volunteer movement helps rescue public parks and green spaces from invasive species through hands-on removal, weed by weed. It is part of The Garden Club of America’s Partners for Plants program. Keep reading to learn more about Weed Wrangle®.
This Month in GCA History—December
It was a giving spirit that drew the founders of The Garden Club of America together on May 1, 1913. No longer content working their own gardens and sharing their knowledge among friends, they set their sights on a larger mission - “to aid in the protection of native plants and birds and to encourage civic planting.” Throughout its history, The Garden Club of America members have brought that vision to life. Every December, members volunteer thousands of hours within their communities. Senior centers, schools, hospitals, the Red Cross, and Meals on Wheels, to name a few, benefit from workshops and festive decorations donated by local clubs throughout the holiday season.
GCA Scholars in the News
These scholars are literally seeding the future.
Annually, The Garden Club of America awards over $300,000 in scholarships to outstanding college, graduate and post-graduate scholars who are working in areas related to the GCA’s purpose. Many of these scholars are literally seeding the future with their important work in plant collection, plant care and plant exploration.
Help Solve A Garden Mystery – The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens
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 were labelled. Regardless of how it happened, they are a mystery!
Suburban Philadelphia Public-Private Partnership is For The Birds.
How one GCA club makes a difference.
Since 1979, The Garden Workers garden club in Philadelphia has partnered with Lower Merion Township to help maintain and enhance Sharpe Park and Bird Sanctuary. The 2.7-acre property is located in Haverford, PA and was gifted by The Garden Workers member Catherine Dixon Sharpe in 1963. The park has been designated as one of Audubon’s “Bird Towns,” a working partnership designed to promote a healthy, more sustainable environment for birds and people.
Fairy Gardens: The World in Miniature
From the GCA Collection at the Archives of American Gardens
Garden trends are forever changing. Many come and go, however there are some that stand the test of time. For example, Penjing, or the art of depicting landscapes in miniature, is an ancient pastime that developed in China and is still practiced today using bonsai plants. Another well known and popular trend that has emerged from the art of Penjing is fairy gardens. Though gardens reflect many things, including style and taste, they can also serve a real function such as creating a special project for children and grandchildren.
The Garden Club of America offers 28 merit-based scholarships and fellowships in 12 areas related to conservation, ecology, horticulture, and pollinator research. In 2018, more than $308,400 were awarded to 65 scholars.
Follow GCA Scholarships on Twitter for the latest news about pollinators, coastal wetlands, native bird habitats, and much more. Connect to a larger world of horticulture and conservation through the Garden Club of America scholars. Learn more about the GCA Scholarships.
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.
Hancock Park Garden Club was distressed over the breakdown of their century-old neighborhood aesthetics and diminished ecosystems so they decided to take action. Read more about what HPGC is doing and consider what you might do in your community.
Download the GCA's Position Papers on Climate Change Action and Native Plants.
