NATIONAL MEDALISTSHighest Honors for Distinguished Achievements
Get to know the recipients of the GCA's national medals, the highest honors bestowed upon individuals for distinguished achievements in areas related to its purpose.
Annually, the GCA honors up to ten individuals or organizations with our highest honor – a national medal. These individuals and organizations have left a profound and lasting impact on the issues that are most important to The Garden Club of America. From floral design to garden restoration, from rose culture to conservation education, these awards are as varied and prestigious as their recipients.
Medalist Directory
Bren Smith
Amy Angell Collier Montague Medal
For changing how we sustainably farm and feed people and impacting how we...
Save the Sound
Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal
For its work to protect natural resources surrounding the Long Island Sound...
Dede Petri
Distinguished Service Medal
For her tireless service on behalf of plants and the spaces created to...
David A. Rubin
Elvira Broome Doolan Medal
For his holistic and innovative approach to urban design and development.
Rick Darke
Florens DeBevoise Medal
For his outstanding work as a horticulture expert, garden storyteller, and...
Tom Campion
Frances K. Hutchinson Medal
For his environmental activism and internationally lauded work to protect...
Warrie Price
Historic Preservation Medal
For her monumental work restoring and revitalizing New York’s Battery...
Gilbert Butler
Margaret Douglas Medal
For opening hundreds of thousands of acres to the public and educating...
Sir Peter Crane
Medal of Honor
For his substantial contributions to horticulture, botany, and biology.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Amy Angell Collier Montague Medal
For its outstanding community programming showcasing the power of music and...
Robert J. (Bob) Berkebile
Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal
For his outstanding conservation advocacy and helping to form the US Green...
Louie Schwartzberg
Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Medal
For his world-renowned work that changes the way we see nature.
Jack Nicklaus
Frances K. Hutchinson Medal
For his pioneering conservation practices in golf course design and for...
Staci Catron
Historic Preservation Medal
For her significant contributions as a garden preservationist and scholar.
Carlton Ward
J. Sherwood Chalmers Medal
For his inspiring images which effectively advocate for the protection of...