Almost as lovely as a garden in vibrant spring splendor is one blanketed with freshly fallen snow!

Our January weather in much of Virginia provided the long-anticipated landscape of quiet beauty. Did you capture a photo of winter berries or wildlife evoking the solitude of the season for our Winter Photography Challenge?

We can embrace the chill of the season yet look forward to all that GCV offers in the months ahead. Spring  bulbs are sprouting all around getting us ready for Dancing with Daffodils, and the 2024 Historic Garden Week in Virginia Guidebook is on its way!

Thank you to those who attended Legislative Day to speak with your representatives on issues promoting the conservation and beautification of our commonwealth, with a special thanks to our Legislative Subcommittee for keeping us informed.

Please join me in congratulating the proposed 2024-2026 slate of Officers and Directors who will lead GCV on our path forward for the next two years.

As always, I thank you for the many gifts of time and talent that you provide the Garden Club of Virginia.

My best,

President, Kris Carbone, The Garden Club of Danville

First Vice President, Jennifer Kelley, The Garden Club of Alexandria

Second Vice President, Laura Francis, The Hunting Creek Garden Club

Treasurer, Kelly Johnson, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club

Recording Secretary, Fran Carden, Albemarle Garden Club

Corresponding Secretary, Mary Byrd Denham, The Lynchburg Garden Club

District 1, Kit Sullivan, The Boxwood Garden Club

District 3, Rennie McDaniel, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club

District 4, Martha Anderson, Mill Mountain Garden Club

Dust off those dancing shoes, we’re going to waltz at Wesleyan, do-si-do with artistic design, polka with photography and do the hula with horticulture. We are “Dancing with Daffodils” on March 27, 2024, at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach. Information and registration. Want to join the fun? We need GCV member volunteers! Click for details and to sign up.

The February native plant is a deciduous shrub: winterberry holly, Ilex verticillata. It is native to the eastern U.S. and known for its dark green leaves and bright red berries that persist through winter into spring. It blooms with green and white flowers during summer months.

Reaching 3 to 15 feet in height, this plant is slow-growing with a rounded, upright growth habit. Winterberry prefers full sunlight and tolerates poorly drained acidic soil but does not tolerate extreme dryness. Unfortunately it is toxic to both people and animals. Some hollies are self-pollinating, however, winterberry should be planted in pairs (male and female). You will find gender information on the nursery tag, and there are many varieties from which to choose.

Virginia General Assembly

The GCV's Legislative Subcommittee has been reviewing bills that best represent conservation issues central to GCV's mission, including clean water, clean air, climate change, native plants and state parks. A list of these GCV supported and opposed bills is attached. Clicking on each bill title will take you directly to the bill for more information. 

You can email or call the offices of your representatives to express support, If you are unsure who your representatives are, you can find that information here.

Click here to view the “How to Talk to Your Legislator” video, and here to read the GCV Positions on 2024 Legislative Issues.

The first 75 years of the GCV's history are published in two books titled Follow the Green Arrow I and II. The third volume, representing 1995-2020, is in the form of a website created by former GCV President Nina Mustard.

Several clubs have submitted their histories, which Nina has captured beautifully on the website. Is your club's history included? If not, please contact Nina for information on how to submit your club's history.

Mark your calendars for the February installment of Cultivating Conversations. Two of GCV's own member experts will talk about Entering Horticulture in a club or GCV flower show. Fran Carden, Albemarle Garden Club, will give us some “know-how” on preparing and entering general horticulture, discussing where to find detailed handouts on helpful equipment, tools, and techniques to make this process easier. American Daffodil Society President and Hillside Garden Club member Janet Hickman, will demystify the process of entering daffodils in a flower show. Tune in for this wealth of information just in time for Daffodil Day! Register here.

For a list of all upcoming session dates, and past session recordings and reference material, please visit the Cultivating Conversations webpage.

Thanks to the generosity of members and donors, the Garden Club of Virginia reached 50 percent of the Annual Fund’s goal at mid-year for the current fiscal year. “Our members' continued commitment to the GCV and its mission is truly inspiring,” said Development Committee Chairman Kelly Johnson.

The Annual Fund is the engine that makes GCV’s work possible, and donations of any amount are an investment in preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the commonwealth.

In the first half of the fiscal year, GCV also welcomed 50 members as first-time donors.

“Members are the lifeblood of our organization, and with their continued dedication, I am confident that we will reach our goal by the end of June,” added Johnson. “Together, we continue to create a lasting legacy of conservation and beauty throughout Virginia, and I am grateful for the support of our members,” she said.

Reminder: Online ticketing for HGW 2024 goes live on VAGardenWeek.org on Feb. 20. Guidebooks will also begin to ship on that date.

And please don’t forget, state passes – which normally sell for $300 – are now $200 through an exclusive, joint promotion with Flower magazine. Purchase yours now!

It’s time to think about growing flowers for spectacular HGW arrangements. Start your seeds inside or plant in time to reap the beauty of what you sowed. Read the suggested plant materials list and flower arranging tips.

As winter descends upon the land, we offer two intriguing categories for our next seasonal online photography challenge.

Class I: Winter Berries

A close up or a macro color photo of berries in winter. If possible, capture weather such as rain, ice or snow on some of the berries to impart the look of winter.

Class II: Winter Wildlife

Capture wildlife (animals or birds) in a winter setting of bare landscapes or branches. This color portrait should evoke the solitude of winter. Remember only wildlife and no pets, please.

Entries will be accepted beginning Feb. 1. Please send photos that are at least 1 mb to Georgiana Watt at georgianawatt@hotmail.com, one per email. Photos MUST be renamed as follows: Class 1 (or 2), First Initial, Last Name, District #, e.g.: Class1 GWatt D5. Please also include this information in the subject line of your email. Entries will be closed Feb. 18.

Remember that too much cropping of cell phone photos may result in an image that is too small to submit.

Have fun and get out and capture those gorgeous winter moments!

We hope that many of you will join us via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. for the Basic Editing Workshop. This class is free of charge and is perfect for new and intermediate cell phone users who wish to take their creations to the next level with some simple but powerful edits. Basic Editing is a follow-on course to the recent Basic Composition workshop but attendance in the composition workshop is not required for the editing workshop. Register here.

The Lightroom Classic Workshops, promised in February, will be postponed due to some changes Adobe has recently made in Lightroom which affect course content.

Awards

Show your GCV spirit while you run errands, gather for Historic Garden Week or prepare your blooms for Daffodil Day. The vest ($80) is versatile, flattering and layers well. The hats and visors ($25) are great for when you’re on the go. Available online on our Shop Page and at the Kent-Valentine House.

Did You Know

Crocuses flower every year at Monticello in the late winter and early spring. Crocus biflorus is a tiny Crocus species whose corms divide and spread abundantly throughout the lawns and flower beds. Their origin is uncertain but may at least date to the Garden Club of Virginia restoration in the 1940s or earlier.

Source: https://www.monticello.org/house-gardens/in-bloom-at-monticello/crocus-biflorus/

The Garden Club of Norfolk Lifestyle Lecture Series is held every year to raise funds for community projects and is open to the public. Next year’s event will be held Feb. 20, 2024, at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, Norfolk. The featured speaker, Sandra Sigman, will discuss her new book French Blooms: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Paris and Beyond. Tickets are $60. The event includes refreshments, a raffle, and vendor shopping area.

The Garden Club of the Northern Neck invites you to leap into the garden on leap year day with garden podcaster and enthusiast Leslie Harris, a member of the Albemarle Garden Club.

For more information, please contact Vicki Levering at vickilevering@gmail.com.

Special Guest Speaker: Leslie Harris of Into the Garden with Leslie

Winchester-Clarke Garden Club and the Virginia Cooperative Extension present the award-winning movie, Hometown Habitat, Stories of Bringing Nature Home, on March 10, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the Stimpson Auditorium, Halpin-Harrison Hall, Shenandoah University, Winchester, Va. This event is open to the public and a donation of $10 is suggested. A panel discussion will follow the movie with local environmental leaders.  

Does your club have an upcoming event you'd like to share with other GCV members? Email Membership News Chairman Edie Hessberg with details.

The largest daffodil show in the world is held once every eight years in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Thousands of daffodils will be on display, accompanied by daffodil floral designs, photography exhibits, a boutique, and all things daffodil.

Show hours:

Thursday, April 10, 2:00- 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 11, 9 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Location:

Hyatt Regency Dulles-Luray Ballroom

2300 Dulles Corner Blvd

Herndon, VA 20171