Greetings!
February has arrived. Many of us are tired of the cold weather, tired of the brown grass, tired of the bare trees. But this is the time of anticipation. The bulbs we planted in the fall are beginning to poke through the soil. The branches are beginning to swell. The days are getting longer. Really. And we are waiting eagerly for spring.
At the Garden Club of Virginia, we are busy preparing. Daffodil Day is fast approaching, plans are being finalized for our 2020 Historic Garden Week, and our Centennial Celebration is almost here. It is hard to be patient with so many exciting events ahead!
Make your plans to join us this spring as we continue to salute our 100th year!
Warm regards,
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Tricia Sauer
Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton
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Friday, February 14, KVH 10:30 am
HGW State Committee
Friday, February 21, KVH 10:30 am
Strategic Planning Committee
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The gift of the gardener is that she holds promise in her hands and faith in her heart.
~
Theresa Mary Grass
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2020-2022 Slate of Officers
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The GCV Nominating Committee presented the following slate of Officers and Directors at Large, to serve from May 2020 to May 2022, to the Board of Directors at its January meeting. The slate was unanimously approved.
- President Missy Buckingham, The Boxwood Garden Club
- First Vice President Debbie Lewis, The Garden Study Club
- Second Vice President Kris Carbone, The Garden Club of Danville
- Recording Secretary Julie Grover, The Blue Ridge Garden Club
- Corresponding Secretary Wendy Walker, The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore
- Treasurer Tricia McDaniel, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club
- Director at Large District 1 Bootsie Rogers, Three Chopt Garden Club
- Director at Large District 3 Lois Spencer, The Garden Club of the Northern Neck
- Director at Large District 4 Forrest Moore, The Mill Mountain Garden Club
These names will be presented to voting members for approval at the 2020 Annual Meeting.
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2020 Virginia State Parks Centennial Grants
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The Garden Club of Virginia is pleased to announce 2020 Centennial grants to Virginia State Parks projects and programs listed below.
Total 2020 funding is $100,000.
Bear Creek:
Erosion control and improvements for access and safety.
The Boxwood Garden Club, Three Chopt Garden Club and The Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton
Belle Isle:
Amphitheater and landscaping updates.
The Garden Club of the Northern Neck
Chippokes:
Classroom renovations
Douthat:
Native plant landscaping
Hungry Mother:
Discovery Center display area
James River:
Native pant landscaping.
Rivanna Garden Club
Kiptopeke:
Visitor Center educational space.
The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore
Natural Bridge:
Base Camp and Dark Sky equipment.
The Blue Ridge Garden Club
Natural Tunnel:
Visitor Center interpretive theme displays
New River Trail:
Foster Falls Depot Museum exhibits
Pocahontas:
CCC cabin stabilization project
Sailors Creek Historic Battlefield:
Pollinator garden
Seven Bends:
Natural play area and outdoor classroom
Widewater:
Native plant landscaping and beautification.
The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club
York River:
Pollinator meadow.
The Hampton Roads Garden Club, The Huntington Garden Club and The Williamsburg Garden Club
Youth Conservation Corps:
Purchase supplies.
Six parks to receive funds in 2020 are first time applicants.
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Bartlett’s Workdays have begun!
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Bartlett Tree Experts has joined with Garden Club of Virginia to help us celebrate our Centennial. In addition to giving GCV a very generous monetary gift, Bartlett has offered 10 workdays at our restoration properties. These workdays include assessing the property’s needs, pruning, and providing a tree and shrub care plan going forward.
Kenmore
was the site of our first workday. Pruning and clean up was accomplished, and all agreed it was very successful.
The next workday was on January 17 at
Smith’s Fort Plantation
in Surry. Local Bartlett arborists met with representatives from surrounding clubs and liaisons of the GCV Restoration Committee. The large black walnut tree at the entrance as well as the tulip poplar allée were cleaned of their dead branches and pruned.
Fincastle Presbyterian Church
was visited next by Bartlett’s crew on January 29. A white pine tree which was in danger of falling and damaging the tombstones was removed, trees were cleared of debris, and the boxwood was trimmed to allow for clearance on the side of the church.
Often, tree and shrub care is put off by our properties because of more pressing needs. GCV is so grateful that Bartlett is supporting our properties in such a meaningful way.
As a bonus to all of us, Bartlett Tree Experts has offered a 30-minute program on tree care to our member clubs. Please contact Widget Williams,
widgetwilliams@gmail.com
or Jean Gilpin,
jergilpin@gmail.com
if your club is interested in scheduling for the upcoming year.
Sincere thanks goes to Rob Allen, Assistant Division Manager, Bartlett Tree Experts, for initiating this program.
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January 2020 Restoration News
featuring
Belle Grove Plantation
Archaeology’s Role in Restoration by Will Rieley
Featured Gardener, Sean Proietti of Maymont
more...
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Members of the Garden Club of Virginia gathered in Richmond on January 28 to speak to their representatives about GCV’s environmental message: clean air, clean water, clean soil. Our thanks go to the members of the Conservation Committee for their work to keep us all informed.
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Historic Garden Week News
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In case you missed the initial release of timed tickets to Bunny Mellon's garden at Oak Spring in Upperville back in November, the rest of the tickets will be on sale on the Historic Garden Week website's ticketing page
https://www.vagardenweek.org/main/tickets
on
February 20 at 10:00 am
to coincide with the shipping of the 2020 Guidebook.
There are only 400 tickets left and we do expect them to sell out quickly. This special Oak Spring tour is on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 for specific times for $100 pp. Limit 2 tickets per person. Available online only.
If you can't attend or miss getting a ticket, you can still enjoy this "bucket list garden" vicariously. Look for an upcoming article in Martha Stewart Living featuring photos by Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club's own Missy Janes!
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Common Wealth Award
provides funds to support community projects of conservation, beautification, horticulture, preservation and/or education. The two word name Common Wealth was chosen to describe the "wealth" that is "common" to all Virginians. Nominations may be submitted by GCV members or member clubs. The deadline is
March 1
.
The nominations form and more information may be found online.
Learn more...
The Horticulture Award of Merit
was established in 1960 to acknowledge individual members of the Garden Club of Virginia who have achieved significant accomplishments in horticulture, both personally and in the community at large. Please look within your clubs and find that special horticulturist who deserves this recognition. The deadline for applications is
March 1
.
Learn more...
For further information, contact Wendy Walker, GCV Horticulture Chairman, at
wwalker@twblock.com
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The de Lacy Gray Conservation Medal
was established by the Dolley Madison Garden Club as a memorial to de Lacy Thompson Gray. The award recognizes outstanding effort of a GCV member or a GCV member club in furthering the knowledge of our natural resources as well as encouraging their wise use. Nominations may be submitted by GCV members or member clubs only. The deadline is
March 1
.
Learn more...
The Bessie Bocock Carter Award
provides funding to member club conservation or environmental protection projects that will serve as a catalyst for community action within the commonwealth. Each member clubs will vote on the two nominees presented below by April 30 and the winner will be announced at the GCV Annual Meeting in May.
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Daffodil Day 2020 at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond is right around the corner. March 30-31 and spring are fast approaching. We are looking forward to another successful show, but it takes a village to insure that success. I encourage you to go to the Daffodil Day website, check out the volunteer opportunities, and decide which one suits your interests and talents. Sign up today and join a village of ladies enjoying each other’s company, Lewis Ginter, and, most of all, the sight of buckets of springtime – the glorious daffodils!
Adele Smith, Daffodil Day 2020 Chairman
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Special thanks to all who ordered our Centennial daffodil, ‘Green Arrow’. Because of your efforts, Garden Club of Virginia placed 3rd in dollars raised in
Brent and Becky’s Bloomin’ Buck
s program. In addition, GCV had the most participants! As a thank you for our efforts, Brent Heath will offer a seminar to GCV members. The time and place of his presentation is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, keep Bloomin’ Bucks and GCV in mind when you order your fall bulbs!
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Mill Mountain Garden Club
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Mill Mountain Garden Club members and their friends gather for a Get Outside activity, an evening stroll through Illuminights at Explore Park in Roanoke.
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The Petersburg Garden Club
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The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club
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Dolley Madison
Liz Carter
Gail Parrish
Gloucester
Robin Ramsey
Lynchburg
Mary Driskill
Caroline Fuller
Mary Catherine Garrison
Hoa Peery
Britney Thomson
Williamsburg
Katherine Rowe
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Founders Day Events Registration
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Centennial Flower Design Exhibit
Each club is invited to exhibit an arrangement at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture during Garden Club of Virginia festivities.
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