GCA Iselin Fellow Uses Techniques from Around the World to Care for US Landscapes
Japanese horticultural practices preserve at-risk legacy cherry trees at US National Arboretum
Sid Hancock, Chair, Scholarships

Hans Friedl, 2023 Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellow in Public Horticulture, says GCA’s scholarship allowed him “to continue field research in expanding the way we care for trees and each other here in the United States.” The recent graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in landscape architecture worked with Japanese master gardener Kurato Fujimoto to conserve at-risk legacy cherry trees at the US National Arboretum by implementing Japanese horticultural practices.

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GCA Awards 12 Star Educators the 2024 Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award
Recipients foster appreciation in youth for the beauty and fragility of our planet
Lisa Ott, Vice Chair, Civic Improvement & Grants Committee

The Garden Club of America is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award for Early Environmental Education (Hull Award). Established in 1992, the Hull Award recognizes individuals who, through working with children under 16 years of age in horticulture and the environment, inspire an appreciation for the beauty and fragility of our planet. Recipients were nominated by GCA Clubs across the country and each recipient was truly outstanding in her/his field. From fostering a love for the outdoors to empowering communities by growing their own food to encouraging the next generation of environmental stewards, these educators are making a real difference in our world. In honor of Miss Hull (1900-1996), an active member of the Ridgefield Garden Club and an early proponent of environmental education, a $1,000 prize is awarded to each recipient.

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Glorious Gardener: Martha Perry Snyder
Kathy Conger, GCA Communications Committee and Dodie Bump, Stonington Garden Club

Glorious is the word – not only for Martha Snyder but also for her lovely garden in Stonington, CT. A member (twice!) of the Stonington Garden Club (SGC), Martha is 97 years young and a local treasure. Martha first became a member of SGC in 1955 when she and her husband Bob moved to Stonington from Bethlehem, PA. SGC membership was much smaller than it is today, and meetings were held monthly in members’ homes. It was an enjoyable way to get to know people in a new area. As it turns out, the Snyders only lived in Stonington for about four years before moving to Bronxville and then to Rye, NY, where Martha was a member of the Little Garden Club of Rye. But in 1980, Martha and Bob made the permanent move back to Stonington.

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Banner Year for GCA Scholarships
One hundred scholars awarded a record $459,000
Sid Hancock, Scholarship Chair

The Garden Club of America has awarded a record $459,000 for the 2024-2025 year to recognize the academic endeavors of 100 scholars—a banner year for the GCA’s Scholarship Committee. Undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate studies in areas including field botany and conservation horticulture will allow students to pursue their unique passions. This year, scholars’ field studies include coral reefs, industrial waterways, and the impact of US Army housing on the American landscape.

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The Garden Club of America’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Hartford, CT
576 leaders go Beyond the Green
Kathryn Pritchett, Communications Vice-Chair

The Garden Club of America’s 2024 Annual Meeting was held in Hartford, Connecticut April 26-28. 576 leaders gathered to share ideas, enjoy informative workshops, listen to inspirational speakers, tour local gardens, and enjoy a multi-faceted flower show that illustrated the conference title Beyond the Green.

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The GCA’s 2024 Founders Fund Winners Announced
$60,000 awarded to three organizations
Torrie Larson, Communications Committee

The Garden Club of America’s (GCA) Founders Fund was established in 1934 to provide financial support, through a competitive grant program, to projects proposed by GCA member clubs. The projects are designed to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement. This year the $40,000 winning grant was awarded to Replanting Indigenous and Historic Northeastern Species to create an Edible Plant Learning Center at the Jay Estate in Rye, New York.

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GCA in the City, GCA’s Young Professionals Program, Debuts in DC
Inaugural event welcomes speakers from The Potomac Conservancy
Nancy Ladd, GCA in the City Committee

On an early spring evening, GCA in the City welcomed Hedrick Belin and Alexis Dickerson from The Potomac Conservancy to speak to a crowded room of young Washingtonians at the historic Cosmos Club. In a fun and fact-filled exchange, the duo briefed an engaged audience on the rewards and challenges of protecting their hometown river. One of the rewards? Mature dolphins now swim in the river – accompanied by pods of newborns destined to return in the following years!

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