THE GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA

December 12, 2019

Bringing the Holiday Spirit to Neighbors in Need

Greens, cones, decorations, and ribbons bring great joy to neighbors going through difficult times. For the past eight years, the Four Counties Garden Club has partnered with Tredyffrin & Easttown Care to kick off the holiday season, making and distributing festive wreaths in the community.

December 10, 2019

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 labelled. Regardless of how it happened, they are a mystery! If this garden looks familiar to you, please READ MORE.

December 05, 2019

GCA Club Members Flock to the Fields!

The Garden Club of America club members are pulling on their boots and grabbing binoculars to be a part of The National Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count which begins December 14th and culminates January 5th, International Bird Day. Setting a record last Christmas, there were 81,000 volunteers who took to the field or watched feeders, as part of the world’s longest-running wildlife census (120 years), collecting invaluable data for research of bird populations and their habitats.

December 04, 2019

Catalogue Shopping in 1612

Imagine the hustle and bustle of the 1612 Frankfurt-am-Main Fair where vendors would show and sell their wares. Among these vendors was a Dutch painter and nurseryman named Emanuel Sweert (1552-1612). In order to promote the sale of his tulips and other bulbs, he created his Florilegium Amplissimum et Selectissimum, as a guide to his available stock. The Florilegium, the oldest book in the GCA’s Rare Book Collection, can be viewed at the Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden. The library is open to the general public.

November 26, 2019

GCA Scholars… In The News

Three GCA scholars transformed their studies of botanical science into a successful company that produces unique and flavorful craft bitters. They have published a DIY cocktail book, Botany at the Bar: The Art & Science of Making Bitters, which highlights the multicultural history of these aromatic, often medicinal, plant tonics and raise awareness of the importance of plant diversity. READ MORE and listen to the authors on NPR’s Science Friday.

November 22, 2019

In Memoriam: Dr. William Seale, Jr.

“Author, historian, editor, historic preservationist… all terms that only hint at the scale, scope and impact of Dr. William Seale’s accomplishments.” One of the GCA’s most distinguished and endearing honorary members, William received the 2004 GCA Medal for Historic Preservation. In 2013 he authored The Garden Club of America, 100 Years of a Growing Legacy. William recently passed away at the age of 80.

November 19, 2019

Secret Gardens: Private Gardens of Paradise

The secret garden, also known by its Italian name, giardino segreto, has a long history that can be traced back to Roman peristyle houses which featured a garden located within a central courtyard. Secret gardens were also often found within traditional Islamic houses and were considered paradise gardens — an oasis where one could contemplate privately.

November 13, 2019

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 labeled. Regardless of how it happened, they are a mystery! If this garden looks familiar to you, please READ MORE.

November 07, 2019

GCA Scholar Dr. Quave Researches Botanical Solution

Approximately 85% of the human population suffers from acne at some point in their lives, negatively impacting self-esteem, self-confidence, and social life. Now a plant extract may finally be the solution to the problem. Ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra Quave, recipient of the GCA’s Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany in 2007, has concluded research on a native southeastern United States shrub that has shown great potential as a natural way to treat common acne.

November 05, 2019

Meant to Bee: Bee City Designation has Big Impact

The members of the Magnolia Garden Club took action when they learned about an opportunity for their city of Beaumont, Texas, to become a Bee City. The idea was proposed to the City Council, approved in October 2018, and Beaumont was designated the third Bee City in Texas. The mission of Bee City USA® galvanizes communities to sustain pollinators by providing them with a healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants and free to nearly free of pesticides. Statistics on pollinators are impressive; they are responsible for 1 in 3 bites we eat and the reproduction of almost 90% of the world's flowering plant species. To date, there are 98 Bee Cities and counting.