Moments in GCA History
“Since our beginnings in 1913, we have forged our path forward built on the foundation put in place by the original 13 garden clubs. And we’ve stayed true to our purpose.”
— Marilyn Donahue, GCA President 2023-2025
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.
1913
The Garden Guild
The idea for The Garden Club of America took shape in the garden of Elizabeth Martin in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, where she and her friend and neighbor’s daughter, Ernestine Goodman, hatched an idea that was to shape history.
1913
Elizabeth Martin, Planting The Seeds
It was Elizabeth Price Martin, a member of the Garden Club of Philadelphia, who raised the idea of uniting as a larger group "to increase our usefulness in the cause of good gardening.” Elizabeth later became the first president of The Garden Club of America.
1917
Farming and Food Production
Facing the threat of food shortages during World War I, Elizabeth Martin headed to Washington, D.C. to represent the GCA at the first meeting of the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense. At her recommendation, the Women’s Land Army was launched.
1920
Enacting Billboard Legislation
The 1920 enactment of a new law had roots in 1914 when an official GCA committee was set up “to inquire into the opportunities for Beautifying Settlements and Highways.” Fast forward nearly 100 years, and the GCA continues to emphasize protection of the natural landscape and to address the visual, safety, and environmental hazards of electronic billboards.
1921
International Flower Show
Until its conclusion in 1970, The Garden Club of America, its clubs, and their members, participated in the International Flower Show in New York City. Today, GCA clubs sponsor flower shows and participate in large shows by other organizations, including the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and the Preservation Society of Newport County.
1925
Committee of Special Publications
In September 1925, the newly formed Committee of Special Publications began work on what would become the two-volume classic, Gardens of Colony and State. Now into the twenty-first century, GCA club members continue the tradition of writing books and articles on gardening, conservation, floral design, and horticulture to captivate readers.
A special ceremony at The White House, 1949. Mrs. Hermann G. Place, Millbrook, 11th President, presented President Truman with a gift from the whole GCA for special plantings in The National Arboretum, Washington.
1927
National Arboretum
On March 4, 1927, President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill which created the United States National Arboretum, with substantial support of The Garden Club of America and its members. Since that time, the Arboretum has continued to be the beneficiary of the GCA’s efforts.
Left: Richard K. Webel. Right: Megumi Aihara
1928
Rome Prize Fellowship
The first GCA scholarship, The Rome Prize Fellowship in Landscape Architecture, was established in 1928, providing a special opportunity for advanced study, travel, and association with other fellows at The American Academy in Rome. The first recipient was the pioneer landscape architect Richard K. Webel. Over ninety years later, the most recent recipient is Megumi Aihara.
1930
The Redwood Grove
Collaborating with Save the Redwoods League, the GCA was the first national organization to purchase and permanently protect a 2,552-acre grove of redwoods in California. Now covering more than 5,100 acres, The Garden Club of America Grove is the third-largest dedicated grove in the entire California state park system.
1939
New York's World's Fair
In 1939, the GCA contributed to the Woodland Garden and Garden of Tomorrow exhibits at the New York World’s Fair. Participation in international exhibitions continues through opportunities with the World Association of Flower Arrangers, the RHS’s Chelsea Flower Show and more.
1943
Camp Plantings & War Relief Committee
During WWII, GCA clubs across the nation planted gardens at military camps and hospitals. Supported by the GCA’s Camp Planting and War Relief Committee, club members raised funds and traveled hundreds of miles to bring seeds and plant materials to sow gardens in barren facilities.
1951
An Educational Tool Stood the Test of Time
The GCA created The World Around You – a conservation packet designed to provide teachers with conservation facts and outlines to share with their students. Its popularity lasted for decades and expanded beyond the school system to organizations such as the Girl Scouts of America, the Peace Corps, the National Park Service, and even abroad.
1957
Founding of Student Conservation Association
Budding conservationist and undergraduate Elizabeth Cushman (Titus Putnam) was concerned about widespread dilapidation facing our public lands. With the support of the National Park Service, the GCA and others, the Student Conservation Association was formed to introduce college students to nature and enlist their aid as volunteers in our national parks, and continues to this day.
1962
The Formation of “Conservation 1962”
The GCA joined forces with the Conservation Foundation, the National Audubon Society, and the Regional Plan Association to institute “Conservation 1962” – an annual contribution of educational lectures to the public of New York.
1970
GCA Position Papers
Since the 1970s, the GCA has formally advocated for laws and policies that helped form the foundation for environmental protection in America. Though the concerns change over the years, the consistent strength of the GCA’s issues-based, non-partisan advocacy continues to make an impact on legislation and policy decisions.
1970
Endangered Flora Stamps
As public ignorance of threatened plants was a growing concern, the GCA joined forces with Dr. Ayensu of the Smithsonian and developed the four USPS Endangered Flora Stamps.
1976
The Nation’s Bicentennial
The White House Conference on Beautification formulated a national historic preservation concept complete with federal funding, which would bear much fruit and would be the thrust of the GCA clubs during the nation’s bicentennial celebration.
1987
Donation to Smithsonian Institution
3,000 glass lantern slides and more than 22,000 35mm slides were given to the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens (AAG) in celebration of the GCA’s 75th anniversary.
1998
The GCA Relocated to its Current Headquarters
The Headquarters Committee, established in 1971, supervised the operations of Headquarters, and a subcommittee was formed to tour relocation sites. In February 1998, the GCA officially relocated to the third floor of 14 East Sixtieth Street in New York City, across from the American office of the American Academy in Rome.
2001
The Formation of Casey Trees
Organized in collaboration with the GCA, Casey Trees was established to restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy of the nation's capital. With their partners and thousands of local volunteers, they plant 6000+ trees every year with a goal of 40% tree canopy by 2032.
2013
Celebrating the Centennial
To celebrate the GCA’s Centennial, the East 69th Street Entrance to Central Park project was chosen as the winner of the GCA’s 2013 Founders Fund. The GCA’s gift to the Central Park Conservancy restored the two-acre site to the original vision of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The project resulted in new plants, upgraded pathways, drainage, new benches, and opening up the woodland edge entrance.
2017
The GCA’s Rare Book Collection at the New York Botanical Garden
The Garden Club of America’s Rare Book Collection was rehomed under the care of the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Through the generous donations of members over the years, the GCA amassed the collection, which was previously housed in a small rare book closet at Headquarters.