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
Richard Hartlage
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
For garden designs that invite engagement with horticulture and integrate...
Darrel Morrison
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
For his ecological restoration, sustainable design work and teaching.
Leland Bryan Miyano
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Presented to Leland Bryan Miyano, whose knowledge of botany and his...
John Trexler
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Presented to John W. Trexler, who in only fifteen years, designed,...
Anne Holt Clark
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
For her extensive and diverse garden reflecting her evolving interests as a...
The Garden Club of Allegheny County
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
In recognition of its many talented members who had the vision to bring...
Mrs. John W. S. Platt
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Her garden, incorporating unusual plant material into a design of harmony,...
Mrs. Harriet Rodes Bakewell
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Each of her landscape projects is unique, but all set a high standard for...
Mr. Richard L. Turner
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Turner. In recognition of outstanding...
Nancy Turner
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Turner. In recognition of outstanding...
Diane Kostial McGuire
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Restorer of ancient gardens, designer of new ones, her scholarly work and...
Hubert Bond Owens
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Founder and Dean of the University of Georgia School of Environmental...
Anne Bruce Haldeman
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Talented landscape architect; faithful adherence to absolute purity of...
Elvira Doolan
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
In recognition of her outstanding achievement in garden design and for the...
Edith Harrison Henderson
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
Articulate, persuasive and persistent exponent of the art of landscape...
Richard K.Webel
Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal
For his distinguished career in landscape architecture, as creator of...