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Good news from the GCA's member clubs, collaborating organizations, and national efforts is plentiful. Enjoy the full articles below, and follow us on social media to be prompted when new news is posted.

   

 

November 29, 2023

Peachtree Garden Club Opens the Doors to its 2023 Christmas Home Tour

In 2008, members of Peachtree Garden Club (PGC) in Atlanta, Georgia, revived a beloved club tradition—an early December tour of local homes adorned with greenery and floral design to celebrate the Christmas season. To produce the annual Christmas Home Tour, PGC club members enjoy the camaraderie of collaborating with multiple generations to design and create decorations that complement each homeowner’s own holiday ornaments. Atlantans flock to the festive and uniquely decorated houses.

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November 27, 2023

The GCA Announces Scholarship Collaboration with National Tropical Botanical Garden

The Garden Club of America is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on two GCA scholarships related to tropical botany. "National Tropical Botanical Garden is delighted to collaborate with The Garden Club of America in awarding scholarships in tropical botany,” said Janet Mayfield, director and CEO of NTBG. “This collaboration signifies a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of botanists and conservationists dedicated to preserving our irreplaceable tropical ecosystems. Together, we aim to empower and support scholars who will drive innovation and stewardship in tropical botany for a sustainable future.”

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November 22, 2023

Inaugural Garden History & Design Conference Celebrates Visionary Garden Design

The inaugural Garden History & Design Conference was held virtually on November 16, 2023. Presentations featured visionary gardeners who shared their love of gardening and the planet. Presenters toured attendees through a wide variety of gardens to show how gardens past and present address the challenges of their times. The conference was dedicated to Eleanor Weller Reade, a longtime GCA member who worked tirelessly to collect over 3000 glass lantern slides of historic gardens. These slides had once been used in GCA club presentations but had been dispersed around the country. Reade spearheaded a campaign to restore the collection and these slides became the foundation for The Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian’s Archive of American Gardens (AAG).

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November 17, 2023

In Memoriam: Katherine Turner Mears

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November 15, 2023

2023 Conservation Study Conference Celebrates and Explores Georgia’s Golden Coast

The 2023 Conservation Study Conference was held on beautiful Jekyll Island, GA from November 7-10. GCA club members from around the country gathered to learn about the hundred miles of shoreline­­-– including a third of all the remaining salt marshes in the Eastern United States–that make up Georgia’s Golden Coast. Through presentations and excursions, attendees delved into understanding the conservation efforts taking place in the area and how they can translate these programs for their own communities.

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November 08, 2023

GCA in the City Event Attracts a Sold-Out Crowd in NYC

GCA in the City – a new and exciting opportunity for participation in The Garden Club of America–officially debuted in NYC on October 24th with a sold-out event celebrating the magic of mushrooms! Speaker John Michelotti, mycologist and founder of Catskill Fungi, shared the fascinating connection between fungi and the important role they play in the health of the ecosystem while also sharing some delicious possibilities for dinner. Michelotti’s knowledge and humor inspired the audience to learn more about the natural world of fungi.

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November 01, 2023

2023 Shirley Meneice Horticulture Conference Highlights Historic Gardens of Hawaii

After watching reports of the devastating fires on Maui this past August, it was hopeful to explore rebirth and regeneration in this year’s virtual Shirley Meneice Horticulture Conference—Historic Gardens of Hawaii—held October 18, 2023. The one day virtual conference featured tours of public botanical gardens, a private nature reserve, and an arboretum affiliated with the University of Hawaii. A demonstration of traditional lei-making and the presentation of this year’s Freeman Medal for the Plant of the Year rounded out the event.

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October 25, 2023

The GCA Announces the 2024 Montine McDaniel Freeman Medal

The Montine McDaniel Freeman Horticulture Medal is awarded annually to acknowledge the cultivation and use of native plants: trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, and perennials that are little known but are deemed worthy to be preserved, propagated, promoted, and planted. This year, the Passiflora incarnata, has been named the 2024 Plant of the Year: Freeman Medal winner by The Garden Club of America.

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October 18, 2023

GCA and Music Industry Volunteers Make Beautiful Weed Wrangle Music Together

On September 20, 2023, Weed Wrangle ©, a Partners for Plants initiative created by The Garden Club of Nashville in 2014, collaborated with Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) to launch a simultaneous, nationwide civic gardening event with hundreds of volunteers. GCA participants came from clubs in Los Angeles, Austin, Nashville, Atlanta, and New York … including the GCA staff! At every location park staff educated volunteers about the importance of planting with natives and the need to identify and remove non-native invasive plants. The weather was perfect, and everyone had fun!

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October 11, 2023

The Garden Club of Cincinnati’s Urban Orchard Spurs Garden Development

In 2009, The Garden Club of Cincinnati (GCC), planted the Urban Orchard in anticipation of The Garden Club of America’s centennial in 2013. Over a decade has passed and the project is still thriving. Of the 15 dwarf fruit trees which were initially planted, 13 are still alive and producing fruit. Neighbors continue to harvest the fruit – mainly from the apple trees, but some cherries and some plums – and to maintain the orchard by mowing the lawn beneath the trees.

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