Registration for Horticulture and Artistic Design as well as ticket sales for the 2022 Symposium at the Science Museum in Richmond will open on July 20. Registration for the Photography Division is ongoing and available on the website. Preview the Artistic Design schedule.

Lilies in Bloom 2022, hosted by The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club, took place June 14 at the Fredericksburg Academy. The show was in honor of Former GCV President (1992-1994) Helen Murphy, who was known for her extraordinary lilies. In attendance were Helen’s sister and Former GCV President (1984-86) Katty Mears, Helen's daughter Ann Brumley and her sister Price Clark. A special thank you to planners and co-chairmen Kitty Lee Wafle, Janet Gibson, Kelly Johnson and Becca Mahan. Pictured is The Boxwood Garden Club's Blue Ribbon-winning entry. View more photos of the show and the complete list of award winners.

To enter, just follow the instructions on the Schedule page. Pre-registration is not required for horticulture classes except classes 15-18 (container-grown). To pre-register, email francarden@me.com. Registration does not require an address, simply a name and club.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives through the Xerces Society which help communities act locally and help globally by providing a roadmap for creating pollinator friendly, pesticide free spaces. Using the framework provided by Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA and citing examples of cities and municipalities around Virginia that have already become Bee Cities, GCV extends an invitation to GCV club presidents to work to make their area in Virginia a Bee City, too. It is a great way to protect pollinators while also bringing a community together for positive change. 

Summer is hot, buggy and made for lazy days and lemonade, but a little work now will pay off with great blooms and backyard beauty later. For quick tips, refer to the “The Garden Maintenance Manual of the GCV” written by Rieley and Associates, 2016. It is available for purchase in the GCV Shop.

The Patrick Henry Rose Society will host an American Rose Society sanctioned Rose Show, Sept. 17, 2022, at the Piedmont Arts Center, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville. Members of the public and GCV members are invited to show roses, photographs of roses or enter a design class. For a copy of the schedule and more information, contact Joyce Moorman moorjoy@verizon.net 540-874-9351.

Registration is open for the 2nd Virtual International Lily Show and Symposium, sponsored by the North American Lily Society (NALS). Deadlines for registering for Artistic Design is July 15 and for Horticulture, July 15. Details and registration forms.

The Common Wealth Award was established in 1979 to provide an annual grant to promote projects in the interest of conservation, beautification, horticulture, preservation and education. The two word name Common Wealth was chosen to describe the "wealth" that is "common" to all Virginians.

The following are the 2022 Common Wealth Award Nominees. Clubs will vote by Sept. 30 and the recipient will be announced at the Board of Governors meeting in October.  Read the Descriptions.

The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore:

Beautification & Conservation of

the Eastern Shore Coalition Against

Domestic Violence Campus

HOME Pocket Park

The Garden Club of Norfolk:

GCN’s Tribute to Frederick Law

Olmsted—Greenways Along

Norfolk’s Elizabeth River Trail

Three Chopt Garden Club:

Horticulture Therapy for Pediatric

Patients at Virginia Treatment

Center for Children (VTCC)

The recent Journal is brimming with great articles including "Presidential Perspectives: Q&As with Missy Buckingham and Debbie Lewis.”

Watch your mailbox in September for an exciting Journal edition. A new GCV mission statement will be revealed that paves the path forward in GCV’s second century. In addition, GCV Symposium superstars get showcased, and we'll share the dynamic work of GCV clubs and committees—all in our upcoming issue. Stay tuned!

Check out the fun and useful items for sale in our shop!