Arabella Dane

2020 Achievement Medal

With appreciation for her long-standing dedication, leadership, selfless mentoring, and wise and forward-thinking vision for the GCA and the world of garden clubs.

Proposed by: a member of Chestnut Hill Garden Club, Zone I

Arabella Dane is a 30+ year member of the North Shore Garden Club of Massachusetts and the Beacon Hill Garden Club, and she excels in horticulture, floral design, and photography. Mrs. Dane generously shares her passions, talents, and knowledge with club members from across the country, inspiring them with her creativity and kindness. She was instrumental in establishing the GCA Photography Committee, making photography an important component of flower shows. Importantly, she launched the reference resource Plantipedia.com, a comprehensive guide that lists photos and the botanical and common names of over 100,000 plants and over 800 species of butterflies, an indispensable tool for gardeners and academics. Her vision and talents truly make her a “Renaissance Woman.”

The Achievement Medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement and in tribute to creative vision and ability in the interpretation and furtherance of the aims of The Garden Club of America.

The original iteration of the Achievement Medal was named for Emily D. Renwick, president of The Short Hills Garden Club, Zone IV, and GCA founder. It was designed by Henrietta Schroeder Stout, but discontinued after 1931. The present award was given by Julia Isham Taylor (Mrs. Henry Osborn Taylor), Middletown Garden Club, Zone II, designed by Paul Manship in 1932, and first awarded the same year. In 1963 the award was endowed by a member of the Garden Club of Somerset Hills.

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