Greetings!
What is this fall looking like for our members? The GCV calendar for September illustrates an increase in committee and club membership meetings and events all taking a varied approach about getting together. Some are meeting in person in small groups, others by teleconferencing. Many clubs are coming to Richmond to see the GCV exhibition and have lunch at the Kent-Valentine House. As I have been traveling a bit this summer to meet with club presidents, the value of networking and communicating with one another has been reinforced. Outdoor, backyard, park or garden get-togethers for clubs are on the rise. What is working for one club may very well work for another. The upcoming District Board of Governors Meetings and Leadership Luncheons will provide an opportunity to share information and ideas.
Let’s use this monthly newsletter to highlight the creative ways members and clubs are adjusting from the way things have always been to what works today. Adjustments are destined to be made … even with the most well-thought out plans. Let us know how you are reinventing ways to share your love of gardening, flower arranging, conservation, photography and more.
Have you noticed that the sky looks bluer and there are more rainbows?
Are you adding native plants in your gardens?
What else are you doing to attract the birds, butterflies and bees?
What are you doing in your community to expand the Refuse to Use initiative?
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Missy Buckingham
GCV President, 2020-2022
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101st Board of Governors Meeting Reinvented |
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The GCV Board of Governors meeting that was scheduled to be hosted by the Garden Club of Warren County this October has necessarily been reinvented due to ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are so grateful for that club’s early preparation and planning however, the GCV Board of Directors will now host a series of small meetings in our six districts around the state to provide for social distancing in outdoor venues. The former presidents, club presidents, standing and special committee chairmen and Board members will attend the meeting and leadership luncheon in their district. President Missy Buckingham will direct the GCV business, reports, discussion and exchange of ideas. The 2020-2022 GCV Organizational Directory and Handbook will be distributed to the attendees at their district meetings.
2020 Board of Governors Meeting Schedule
October 16, District 2
Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, Lynchburg
October 21, District 3
Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, Gloucester
October 22, District 1
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond
October 26, District 4
Hamlet Vineyards, Basset
November 2, District 6
The Hermitage Museum & Gardens, Norfolk
November 5, District 5
Riverside on the Potomac, Leesburg
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Virginia Museum of History & Culture Banner Lecture
Live Stream: September 16, 2020, 12 noon
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As a change from the previously publicized in-person event, Restoring America’s Most Significant Gardens: Stratford Hall, Poplar Forest and the Garden Club of Virginia will be streamed live by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on their website. Plan to view from the comfort of your home on Facebook or YouTube.
Matt Peterschmidt, Director of Landscapes and Security at Stratford Hall, Eric Proebsting, Director of Archaeology and Landscapes at Poplar Forest, and Betsy Worthington, Restoration Committee Chairman, will present the unexpected connection between these two GCV Restoration properties. View on the VMHC website.
Stratford Hall Photo Courtesy of Roger Foley
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Historic Garden Week Guidebook Recognized |
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We are pleased to announce that the 2020 Historic Garden Week Guidebook has been selected for inclusion in the General Collections of the Library of Congress and was assigned ISBN Number 2019401864.
What a noteworthy recognition of the excellence of this signature publication, and an honor for the Garden Club of Virginia to receive during its Centennial year. Thanks to the HGW committee for this successful submission.
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Plan a Club Visit to GCV Exhibition |
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The reviews are in and it is a hit!
A Landscape Saved: The Garden Club of Virginia at 100 remains open until November 1 at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond.
Plan a club visit to see the exhibition and lunch afterwards at the nearby Kent-Valentine House. Safety and health guidelines will be observed in both locations.
Contact Kris Carbone, Centennial Steering Committee Chairman, for group visit information at kcarbone@gamewood.net.
For individual visits, advanced purchase of individual timed-entry tickets is required and must be obtained on the VMHC website at virginiahistory.org.
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Tribute From the Garden Club of America |
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Both honoring and recognizing our Centennial Anniversary, the GCV has received this beautifully worded commemorative certificate from the Garden Club of America. It reads:
In appreciation of a century of promoting gardening and civic planting, aiding in the restoration and preservation of historic gardens, and encouraging conservation of natural resources.
We are proud to receive such praise from this national organization.
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Check the Shop page of the GCV website for Centennial Merchandise, including the Centennial Exhibition Catalog, scarf, ties and Waterford keepsake.
These items and the Tervis Tumbler are also available for purchase at the Kent-Valentine House and make great gifts for the upcoming holidays!
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You just took a great image.
Congratulations! Now, what to do with it? Use it for a club photography exhibit or newsletter? A virtual show? Print it for a physical show? Use it in Historic Garden Week, Membership News or The Journal publications? All good possibilities and all doable. But if you get stuck on how to send your images and what format to use, you are not alone. Size does matter! So does image quality. And they are not always easy to resolve.
Image size refers to width X height of the image and is measured in pixels (px), inches or centimeters. It determines how large a photo can be printed.
File size is measured in kilobytes (kb) or megabytes (mb) and refers to the amount of space the image takes to store on a hard drive or to email.
Image quality is called resolution and is measured in how many pixels are in one linear inch (dots per inch or dpi). Typically, cell phones use a resolution of 72dpi which is fine for most digital use, but not high enough for print. For printed use, resolution should be between 200-300dpi. While the higher the better, not all photos lend themselves to increased resolution and may result in fuzzy or grainy pictures. Increasing resolution also decreases the maximum print size of the photo (important for physical shows) while increasing the file size for storage and email. Some email programs limit file size transmissions.
What is important to remember is:
- Always use Actual Size to email photos. They may look huge on your screen, but anything less could result in non-use of a photo for printed material.
- Check the size of your image to ensure it is between 1 and 5 mb. Most cellphone photos are within those parameters. On an iPhone or iPad, the only way to determine the size of an image is to attach it to an email. The size will appear on the left under the “from” line. On a Mac, determine the size by using the I (Info) button when you open the image in iPhotos, the “get info” option in Finder, or Preview. On a PC, use File Explorer/ Quick View.
- Use Preview or File Export on Macs or the Image Resize option in Windows to resize photos if necessary.
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Awards - Upcoming Deadlines |
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Common Wealth Award - Deadline September 30
The annual Common Wealth Award provides a grant/grants to fund exceptional community projects of member clubs in the areas of conservation, beautification, horticulture, preservation or education. The two-word name, Common Wealth, signifies the “wealth” that is “common” to all Virginians. Each club president is to hold a club vote and then submit their club’s winning vote for one of the four finalists (postmarked or emailed before September 30) to Carol Carter, Common Wealth Award Chairman, 852 Redlands Farm, Charlottesville, VA 22902 or at rcarter112@aol.com.
Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award - Deadline November 1, 2020
If your club is working on a conservation project that will serve as a catalyst for community action, consider applying for the Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award.
The Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award is a monetary award for natural resource conservation or environmental protection within the Commonwealth. The recipient will be announced at the GCV Annual Meeting in May.
Massie Medal for Distinguished Achievement
The Massie Medal, the oldest and most prestigious award of the Garden Club of Virginia, is unable to be presented in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Annual Meeting and the different format of the Board of Governors Meeting. Therefore, the 2020 award will be announced and presented at the Annual Meeting in May of 2021.
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Brunswick
Jennifer Allman
Louise Ogburn
Robbie Washburn
Northern Neck
Mary Carter Dabney
Pam Narney
Celeste Johnson
Vicki Shaw
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The Hunting Creek Garden Club and the Garden Club of Alexandria joined forces to provide a “flower flash” at the Alexandria Police Department Headquarters Aug. 5 to culminate a month-long effort to share the beauty of nature with the community.
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We want to hear from you! What is going on in your clubs and communities? What fun and creative ways are you finding to stay connected during this time of social distancing? Please share with us by contacting Molly Ill at mollyill.vb@gmail.com.
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Mark Your Calendar (All dates are subject to change.)
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Now through November 1, 2020
A Landscape Saved: The Garden Club of Virginia at 100, Virginia Museum of History & Culture
September 8 Historic Garden Week Committee Meeting, Teleconference
September 14 Artistic Design Committee Meeting, Kent-Valentine House
September 14-18 Historic Garden Week Region Meetings, Teleconference
September 16 Restoring America’s Most Significant Gardens: Stratford Hall, Poplar Forest and the Garden Club of Virginia, Live streamed at virginiahistory.org
September 17 Basic Composition with a Focus on Cellphone Photography, Kent-Valentine House. Postponed to October 28
September 21 Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, Teleconference
September 24 Kent-Valentine House Committee Meeting, Kent-Valentine House
September 29 Restoration Committee Meeting, Teleconference
October 5 Development Committee,
Kent-Valentine House
October 6 Finance Committee Meeting,
Kent-Valentine House
October 13 Board of Directors Meeting
October 15 Deadline for ordering Lily Collection
October 16 District 2 Board of Governors and Leadership Luncheon, Lynchburg
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October 19 Daffodil Committee and Artistic Design Committee Meetings, Kent-Valentine House
October 21 District 3 Board of Governors Meeting and Leadership Luncheon, Gloucester
October 22 District 1 Board of Governors Meeting and Leadership Luncheon, Richmond
October 22 Basic Photo Editing Workshop, Kent-Valentine House
October 26 District 4 Board of Governors Meeting and Leadership Luncheon, Bassett
October 27 Conservation Forum, Online
October 28 Basic Composition with a Focus on Cellphone Photography, Kent-Valentine House
November 1 Nomination Deadline for Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award
November 2 District 6 Board of Governors Meeting and Leadership Luncheon, Norfolk
November 5 District 5 Board of Governors Meeting and Leadership Luncheon, Leesburg
November 5 Basic Composition with a Focus on Cellphone Photography, Kent-Valentine House
November 9 Horticulture Committee Meeting - Kent-Valentine House
November 12 Basic Photo Editing Workshop, Kent-Valentine House
November 12 Historic Garden Week Marketing Meeting
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