Greetings!
As we look ahead to springtime in Virginia, GCV’s signature event, Historic Garden Week, is poised to offer statewide tours with an emphasis on gardens and outdoor spaces. After months of working together with member clubs and tour chairs, carefully considered Covid-19 safety precautions are in place for volunteers and visitors. Click here to read the updated Frequently Asked Questions for a better understanding of what HGW 2021 will look like.
Member clubs are to be commended for their innovative and creative ideas to provide “Tours with a Twist” in 2021. Once again, the resilience of our organization is evident as unanticipated challenges are confronted. Social media has been buzzing since online ticketing began - filled with optimistic anticipation for the opportunity to visit more of Virginia’s gardens and landscapes than ever before.
I would like to emphasize that no GCV member will be asked to put themselves in a situation that they find uncomfortable while interacting with visitors or performing any tasks during Historic Garden Week.
Many thanks for the energetic and dedicated support of all members for a successful Historic Garden Week in 2021.
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Missy Buckingham
GCV President, 2020-2022
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In addition to our regular signage provided by the GCV in support of Historic Garden Week, a new sign addressing COVID-19 safety protocols has been created to ensure a consistent message throughout the state. |
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GCV Offers Virtual Workshops |
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Judging, Botanical Arts and Photography Virtual Workshops |
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The first GCV Zoom webinar programs premiere in February.
The class/workshop size will be limited by the Zoom platform to a maximum of 100 participants. Registration is first-come-first-served. Contact the GCV office or the identified presenters with any questions.
- February 8 - Judging A Virtual Flower Show
- February 11 - Hands-on Botanical Arts Workshop with Peyton Wells
- February 18 - Photographing Exhibits for a Virtual Flower Show with Edie Hessberg
- February 22 - Basic Composition Workshop with Edie Hessberg
- February 25 - Basic Editing Workshop with Edie Hessberg
- March 2 - Basic Composition Workshop with Edie Hessberg
- March 5 - Basic Editing Workshop with Edie Hessberg
This platform/approach will be offered on a test basis in February and March. Final taping/usage parameters, fee structures and/or wait list protocols are yet to be established; however, the committees did not want to delay sharing these interesting programs. As GCV's virtual course is mapped forward, we ask for your patience and feedback. In the meantime - Sign up and enjoy!
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Daffodil Day is going virtual!
Spring Forward 2021 offers two categories for judged entries: Artistic Design and Photography. The GCV Daffodil Committee is creating an educational horticulture exhibit that will premiere along with the show online on April 1.
Mark Your Calendar
Daffodil Day registration opens: February 1-March 7
Deadline for image submission for Artistic Design & Photography: March 15
Judging: March 18-20
Show opens April 1
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2021-2023 Slate of Directors at Large
The GCV Nominating Committee presented the following slate of Directors at Large, to serve from May 2021 to May 2023, to the Board of Directors at its January meeting. The slate was unanimously approved.
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Director at Large District 2 Virginia Gillock, The Augusta Garden Club
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Director at Large District 5 Jennifer Kelley, The Garden Club of Alexandria
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Director at Large District 6 Carrie Goodman, The Princess Anne Garden Club
These names will be presented to voting members for approval at the 2021 Annual Meeting.
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Newsletter
The Restoration Committee publishes a biannual newsletter every January and June. The newsletter’s primary purpose is to share pertinent information between GCV’s 40 historic properties with a targeted audience of property site managers, head gardeners and boards.
The newsletter’s content includes a featured property, a featured head-gardener, a featured plant, maintenance and research related issues, pest control and prevention and much more. In addition, avenues for new gardening and maintenance techniques are explored.
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Liam O’Connor Visits the Kent-Valentine House
Renowned British architect, Liam O’Connor, designer of the British Normandy Memorial, came to Richmond on January 13, 2021, to see the Kent-Valentine House and to meet GCV President Missy Buckingham, as well as to visit other GCV restored historic landscape sites in Virginia. Judy Perry, former Restoration committee member and GCV historian was Liam’s “tour guide” throughout the Commonwealth.
As part of our Centennial celebration, the GCV made a donation to the landscape plantings at the British Normandy Memorial that is now built outside the village of Ver-sur-Mer overlooking Gold Beach in recognition of the over 20,000 servicemen and women who lost their lives on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy. The GCV connection to Ver-sur-Mer began during World War II when the Famine Relief Committee of the GCV provided wartime necessities and raised funds to replace 10 stained glass windows in their 12th-century church of St. Martin that had suffered from bombardment.
Judy reported that Liam was particularly interested in the series of framed descriptions of GCV landscape restorations on the walls of the eastern stairwell at the Kent-Valentine House. Following time spent in Richmond, visits included safe distanced personal tours of Poplar Forest and Monticello and a stop at the Bedford D-Day WWII memorial.
As testament to Liam’s dedication to this project, the British Normandy Memorial was completed in October 2020, just 18 months since construction began and during the pandemic. Plans for the official opening remain uncertain but updates may be found at normandymemorialtrust.org.
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Tables donated by the Valentine Family
This classical pier table and two side tables have been donated to the Garden Club of Virginia by Frances Valentine Massey (The James River Garden Club), Granville Gray Valentine III and Thomas B. Valentine. The Valentine family lived in the Kent-Valentine House from 1905 to 1970 and have generously donated numerous pieces of furniture and art work to the KVH. The pier table has been on loan to The Valentine Museum in Richmond since 1970 and has been displayed at the Robert E. Lee House in Alexandria before being given to the GCV this year.
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Take some time this year to help our native pollinators by participating in a study to observe whether they prefer true native plants or “nativars.” Your observations could lead to better information on how best to support our native species. Sign up with Budburst or US Native Bee Monitoring Network and you could make a difference!
Favorite Catalogs and Websites
It may be too cold to garden, but it is a fine time to leaf or scroll through plant catalogs. Some companies still mail print catalogs and many nurseries list their stock online. You can find new plant introductions, tried and true varieties, and rare and unusual species. Garden and nursery stores are reporting a big increase in mail orders, so be sure to place your order early to insure fulfillment. Support your local plant nurseries, but have a little fun with something shipped from afar.
If you order online, keep an eye out for the shipping confirmation which will let you know when to expect your order. Be sure to open the box of plants as soon as it arrives. Water, put in a cool, shaded place and let the plants acclimate. If there are any quality issues, notify the vendor immediately. Plant people are good folks and will usually make it right. One more great resource is www.davesgarden.com for all matters gardening. Have fun playing in the dirt!
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Virtual Exhibition: Celebrating Winter Trees
Is winter over? Not yet, but the GCV Winter Tree Exhibition deadline is getting close. Images will be accepted until February 15. Remember, no people or animals, just bare or mostly bare trees. Captioning your image with a clever name, personality trait or thought that comes to mind for your tree is optional but can be great fun! Send your photos Actual Size to photos.gcv@gmail.com, Subject: Winter Trees – your name and your club’s name. Put any name you have given your image in the body of the email.
Photography Tips and Traps
QUESTION: What are the most underestimated and often forgotten tools in your camera bag?
ANSWER: Hint, they aren’t in your bag at all.
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Conservation and Beautification |
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Conservation Advocacy
The 2021 General Assembly Session is being held virtually this year. The GCV Legislative Subcommittee may not be “walking the halls” but is as busy as ever. On January 18, over 40 club conservation chairs and presidents were treated to a zoom presentation “An Insider’s Guide to Talking with Your Legislator” by the Conservation committee. If you were not able to attend, there is still time to get involved. Even though the Session is scheduled to end February 11, consider advocating for the GCV Supported Bills Resolution and Amendments that complement the GCV Board approved 2021 Legislative Statement. Click here to find them and the latest GCV Virtual Advocacy tips. With these three documents, located at the top of the page, you can be a great GCV Conservation Advocate. Everything is right at your fingertips. To read a summary of a bill: simply click on a hyperlink, hold down the CTL key, at the same time click or press ENTER. Be sure to look up the status of these bills here. It’s always appreciated and appropriate to thank our Legislators for continuing to keep the Virginia’s environmental issues in the forefront.
Environmental and Conservation Fellowship
The Garden Club of Virginia Environmental and Conservation Fellowship was established in 2014 to support research conservation and environmental studies that will directly impact the Commonwealth of Virginia. Notifications were sent to all of Virginia’s accredited four-year colleges and universities in late January. Deadline for submission is March 26, 2021 and the application is available to be filled out online for the first time. Go to gcvirginia.org, click on Fellowship (or Conservation), then read about past Fellows, current guidelines and find the 2021 application. The 2021 Fellow will be announced on April 15, 2021.
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Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award Finalists
This award provides funding to member club conservation or environmental protection projects that will serve as a catalyst for community action within the commonwealth.
Member clubs will vote on the three nominees listed below and submit their choice by March 31. The winner will be announced at the GCV Annual Meeting in May.
Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award 2021 Finalists
Albemarle Garden Club: “Stream Restoration Education at McIntire Botanical Garden”
Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club: “Roundabout Meadows”
The Lynchburg Garden Club & Hillside Garden Club: “Roadside Biodiversity Native Perennial Beds”
March 1 Award Deadlines
The Horticulture Award of Merit, established in 1960, recognizes individual members of the Garden Club of Virginia who have achieved significant accomplishments in horticulture, both personally and in the community. Please look within your clubs and find that special horticulturist who deserves this recognition. The deadline for applications is March 1. The nominations form and more information can be found here. For questions, contact Heidi James, Horticulture chairman at heidifjames@gmail.com.
The de Lacy Gray Conservation Medal was established in 1965 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. For questions, contact Jane Edwards, Conservation Awards chairman at je-lgn@earthlink.net.
The Common Wealth Award, established at the Annual Meeting in 1979, 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. For questions, contact Carol Carter, Common Wealth Award chairman at rcarter112@aol.com.
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Development
"From Tiny Acorns Come Mighty Oaks"
Support the GCV Annual Fund
Many thanks to the GCV Board of Directors for 100% participation in the 2021 Annual Fund.
Make your tax-deductible gift at our secure website
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On December 30 the Garden Club of Gloucester participated in a collaborative community project with Brent and Becky’s and the Gloucester Daffodil Club to plant over 60,000 daffodil bulbs in three locations in the median of Route 17 in Gloucester County. Due to an order cancellation Brent and Becky’s were left with these bulbs and so graciously donated them to the county. The clubs split the cost of labor which included Jay Hutchens, of Brent and Becky’s and another gentleman and an amazing implement that is attached to a tractor that enabled them to plant all of the bulbs in one day.
The cultivars that were planted included Rijnveld’s Early Sensation, February Gold, Golden Harvest, Quail, and Standard Value. With varying blooms times this will create a river of yellow to beautify Gloucester’s main highway for several weeks this spring.
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American Daffodil Society Honors
GCV Member
Dr. Janet Hickman, member of the Hillside Garden Club, received the 2020 Mid-Atlantic Leadership and Service Award. Janet was recognized for exemplifying enthusiastic leadership, service and dedication to The American Daffodil Society.
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GCV and club merchandise is available on the Shop page of the GCV website.
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The Blue Ridge Garden Club
Paige Barcus Slade
The Hunting Creek Garden Club
Amy Balsters
The Nansemond River Garden Club
Elise Kennett
The Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton
Caroline Marvel
Megan Matthews
Fran McDermott
Maria Reed
Arpie Starke
Sarah Van Der Hyde
Jennifer Wilkins
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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 Membership News chairman Molly Ill at mollyill.vb@gmail.com.
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Mark Your Calendar (All dates are subject to change.)
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February 8 - Judging A Virtual Flower Show
February 11 - Hands-on Botanical Arts Workshop with Peyton Wells
February 15 - Deadline to enter Virtual Photography Exhibition: Celebrating Winter Trees
February 17 HGW State Committee Meeting
February 18 - Photographing Exhibits for a Virtual Flower Show with Edie Hessberg
February 22 - Basic Composition Workshop with Edie Hessberg
February 25 - Basic Editing Workshop with Edie Hessberg
March 1 - Nomination deadline for de Lacy Gray Conservation Medal, Common Wealth Award and Horticulture Award of Merit
March 2 - Basic Composition Workshop with Edie Hessberg
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March 5 - Basic Editing Workshop with Edie Hessberg
March 7 - Daffodil Day Registration Closes
March 8 - Horticulture Committee Meeting
March 8-12 HGW Region Meetings
March 15 - Deadline for image submission for Artistic Design & Photography
March 16 - Artistic Design Challenge Class
March 18-20 - Daffodil Day Judging
March 19 - Photography Committee Meeting
March 22 - Strategic Planning Committee Meeting
March 24 - Conservation and Beautification Committee Meeting
March 31 - Deadline to submit club vote for Bessie Bocock Carter Award
April 1 - Daffodil Day (Virtual) Reveal
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