THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

Journal
VOL LV, NO. 2, JUNE 2010
 The Garden Club of Virginia exists to celebrate
the beauty of the land, to conserve the gifts of
nature and to challenge future generations to
build on this heritage.

F ROM T HE E DITOR
I admit to having had an obsession with pirate maps as a child. I was convinced

that there was buried treasure, marked and waiting for me to find it. Let the

Journal be your map for the treasure of the GCV. You will learn about fertilizing

roses, see award winning flower arrangements, glean insight into the Restoration

Committee’s work and the Lily Committee’s silver goblet rescue. All Common

Wealth award finalists have inspiring projects. Uncover what makes our

organization precious. Dig into this issue of the Journal that recognizes many

of the GCV members whose talents have enriched our organization.

Read about them and their successes, treasures indeed.

Journal Editorial Board

2009-2010
Editor and Chairman: Jeanette Cadwallender, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club

ExOfficio Members
The GCV President , Kimbrough Nash, The Warrenton Garden Club
The GCV Corresponding Secretary, Nina Mustard, The Williamsburg Garden Club
The GCV Photographer, Casey Rice, Harborfront Garden Club
Journal Business Chairman, Fleet Davis, The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore
Journal Advertising Chairman, Katya Spicuzza, Albemarle Garden Club

Members
Mason Beazley, The James River Garden Club, The Garden Club of the Northern Neck
Betty Delk, The Nansemond River Garden Club
Julie Grover, The Blue Ridge Garden Club, The James River Garden Club
Mary Ann Johnson, Roanoke Valley Garden Club
Jeanette McKittrick, Three Chopt Garden Club
Sarah Pierson, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club
Laurie Starke, The Warrenton Garden Club

WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA


The Garden Club of Virginia
Journal
The Garden Club of Virginia Journal
(USPS 574-520, ISSN 0431-0233) is
published four times a year for members
by the GCV, 12 East Franklin St.,
Richmond, VA 23219. Periodical
postage paid in Richmond, VA. Single
issue price, $5.00.
Copy and ad deadlines are:
January 15 for the March issue
April 15 for the June issue
July 15 for the September issue
October 15 for the December issue
Email copy to the Editor and advertising
to the Ad Chairman
President of the Garden Club of Virginia:
Kimbrough Nash
Journal Editor:
Jeanette Cadwallender
P.O. Box 7696
Fredericksburg, VA 22404
Phone: (540) 373-7210
Email: journal@gcvirginia.org
Journal Advertising Chairman:
Katya Spicuzza
1049 Autumn Hill Court
Crozet, VA 22932
Email: ksspicuzza@yahoo.com
Journal Business Chairman:
Fleet Davis
skipandfleet@verizon.net
Vol. LV, No. 2
Printed on recycled paper by
Carter Printing Company
Richmond, VA
JUNE 2010
ON THE COVER...
The Journal honors the Petersburg Garden
Club, host of the 68th Garden Club of
Virginia Lily Show. The Petersburg Garden
Club has brought our attention to the
watercolors by Bessie Niemeyer Marshall
showing the varied flora of Lee Park,
Petersburg in the 1930s. The Turk’s-cap lily
is a reproduction of one of her works.
Design work by Studio Ammons.
IN THIS ISSUE...
Massie Medal Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
de Lacy Gray Memorial Medal . . . . . . . . . . 3
New Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Bessie Bocock Carter Award . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Ker Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Obituary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Inter Club Artistic Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Honorary Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2010 Horticulture Award of Merit . . . . . . 10
Lily Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Flower Arranging School . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
68th Annual Lily Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
76th Annual Daffodil Show . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Daffodil Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Rose Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Club Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
GCV Journal 2010 Workshop . . . . . . . . . 22
Ex Libris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Common Wealth Award Nominations . . . 24
Fine Arts & Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Symposium 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Poet’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
OTHER REFERENCES...
Kent-Valentine House
Phone: (804) 643-4137 Fax: (804) 644-7778
Email: director@gcvirginia.org
Historic Garden Week Office
Phone: (804) 644-7776 Fax: (804) 644-7778
Email: gdnweek@verizon.net
www.VAGardenWeek.org
POSTMASTER send address changes to:
Executive Director
12 East Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23219
WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 1
 The Massie Medal
for Distinguished Achievement
By Mary Bruce H. Glaize
Massie Medal for Distinguished Achievement Chairman
The Little Garden Club of Winchester

ina Walker Wood was awarded

M the 2010 Massie Medal for

Distinguished Achievement at the
Garden Club of Virginia Annual Meeting held at
the Jefferson Hotel. She has served her garden
club, her community and the Garden Club of
Virginia with loyalty, diligence and creativity.
A native of Lynchburg and a graduate of Sweet
Briar College, Mina has been a member of the
Lynchburg Garden Club since 1968. As president
of her club from 1982-84, she started the Mina Walker Wood
Lynchburg Garden Club Endowment Fund, a model and catalyst for other club
endowments. She has been successful in furthering environmental and conservation
issues that the club has undertaken. She was an active participant in raising money
and awareness to beautify the Lynchburg Expressway entrances. Many other
organizations have benefited from her interests including Lynchburg Historical
Foundation, the Southern Memorial Association and the Point of Honor Board of
Managers.
Mina’s skill and talent as a landscape designer are evident at Cabell Street Park in
Lynchburg. She worked on the Miller-Claytor House front garden, designed to
complement the one in the rear created by Charles Gillette.
The GCV has benefited from her tremendous energy and gifts of diplomacy and
vision. She has held most board positions and major positions on committees of the
GCV. She organized and expanded the library at the Kent-Valentine house, served on
the Journal committee and as Restoration Chairman. As president from 2000-02,
Mina traveled extensively with her presentation, Landscape Architects of the Garden
Club of Virginia including a speech delivered to the Southern Garden History Society.
Most recently she was instrumental in launching the successful new Symposia in
response to the Strategic Plan. Her vision, helpful nature and generous disposition
brought a concept into reality.
The GCV has given its most prestigious award to Mina for her effective and
unselfish dedication.

2 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 The 2009 de Lacy Gray
Memorial Medal for Conservation
By Julie Grover, GCV Director-at-Large
The Blue Ridge Garden Club

he mother-daughter team of Mary Stuart Gilliam and Catharine Gilliam,

T members of the Blue Ridge Garden Club, was awarded the de Lacy Gray
Memorial Medal for Conservation at the Garden Club of Virginia’s Annual
Meeting in Richmond.
The Gilliam family is synonymous with
conservation in Rockbridge County. When Col. Bates
McCluer “Mac” Gilliam, Mary Stuart’s husband, died
recently, the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council
paid tribute to him as an early member and past
president. Mary Stuart has worked behind the scenes
to promote the conservation and wise development
of the natural resources of her beloved Rockbridge
County. Son Jay currently serves as the chair of Mary Stuart and Catharine Gilliam
with Cabell West and Anne Doyle
the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation
District board of directors. Catharine, with two GCV colleagues, received a 2008
award from the Virginia Conservation Network for her volunteer excellence in
preserving Virginia’s environmental citizen boards. As the Virginia Senior Program
Manager of the National Parks Conservation Association, Catharine worked tirelessly
for the commonwealth as a conservation advocate on such issues as threats from
adjacent development, conservation planning, air quality, community partnerships
and planning, climate change, mercury pollution and energy policy. She has taken
on such giants as Wal-mart and has appeared on or been quoted in CNN, NPR,
The Washington Post, as well as local newspapers and radio stations.
In February 2009 the Boy Scouts of America announced their plans to move the
National Scout Jamboree, with its more than 240,000 scouts, to Goshen in
Rockbridge County. At risk was Goshen Pass, a Virginia State Natural Area Preserve
treasured for its scenic beauty, rare plants and wildlife, recreational adventures and
history. The Gilliams helped activate the Friends of the Maury River, a grassroots
group opposed to the Boy Scout proposal. At a called meeting of the Blue Ridge
Garden Club, Mary Stuart outlined past threats to Goshen Pass, the history of the
involvement of our club, and the immediate need for our club to adopt a resolution to
oppose the National Jamboree proposal. The Garden Club of Virginia, with its long
history of preserving Goshen Pass, adopted its own resolution and wrote the governor,
asking for adequate analysis of the environmental impact.
“Save Goshen Pass” – the battle cry and Web site were largely the brainchild of the
Gilliams. In a mere five months, the Gilliams helped to galvanize citizens of
Rockbridge County and the Commonwealth of Virginia to stop the proposed scout
jamboree in Goshen. Catharine’s conservation expertise and network and her legal
skills as an attorney were invaluable. Mary Stuart was behind her daughter every step
of the way, attending community meetings and designing T-shirts. Thanks to the
Gilliams’ leadership, the Garden Club of Virginia has protected Goshen Pass yet again.

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 3

 THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

Officers
2010 - 2012

President: Kimbrough Nash

The Warrenton Garden Club

First Vice President: Ann Gordon Evans

The Huntington Garden Club

Second Vice President: Meg Clement

Three Chopt Garden Club

Treasurer: Anne Baldwin

The Garden Club of Alexandria

Recording Secretary: Jeanette Cadwallender

The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club

Corresponding Secretary: Nina Mustard

The Williamsburg Garden Club

 Directors-at-large

2009-2011 2010-2012
Charlotte S. Benjamin Missy Buckingham
The Garden Club of Fairfax The Boxwood Garden Club
Julie G. Grover Donna Lawhon
The Blue Ridge Garden Club The Garden Study Club
and The James River Garden Club
Dianne Spence
Louise F. Tayloe The Williamsburg Garden Club
Rivanna Garden Club

4 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 The First Winner of the Bessie Bocock
Carter Conservation Award
By Anne Doyle, GCV Conservation Chairman
The Garden Club of Norfolk

he four Richmond Garden Club of Virginia clubs have received the Bessie

T Bocock Carter Conservation Award for their project to restore the urban
forest in Richmond.
Jack Carter presented the award at the Annual Meeting. As a new recruit to the James
River Garden Club in the 1950s, Bessie took shovel in hand to plant trees along the
old Richmond-to-Petersburg Turnpike, now Interstate 95. Bessie would be pleased
with the winner of the first award in her name.
Richmond’s tree canopy has seriously eroded in recent years, resulting in 500 empty
tree wells downtown. Trees are enormously beneficial environmental filters of both air
and water. One large shade tree is capable of capturing over 100 gallons of water
during a storm event, thereby reducing run-off into the James River and downstream
to the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, studies have shown that areas offering tree canopy
attract more pedestrians and capital investment.
BBCCA winners Boxwood, James River, Three Chopt and Tuckahoe Garden Clubs
have collaborated and made a detailed plan to work in concert with the City of
Richmond’s Department of Planning and Development Review. Within the next two
years, the four GCV clubs will restore a very visible pedestrian gateway to downtown
Richmond. Their project will serve as a model for community action to restore urban
forests. In addition, the project has the potential to be used statewide as a prototype,
drawing in such organizations as Friends of Urban Forestry, state universities and the
Urban Forestry Commission to make sustainable improvements to Virginia’s cities.
What a fitting tribute to Bessie!

Presidents of the four Richmond GCV clubs

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 5

 Ker Place
By Judy Perry, GCV Restoration Committee
The Elizabeth River Garden Club

er Place, in Onancock on the Eastern Shore, was built from 1799-1803 for

K John Shepherd Ker and his wife Agnes Corbin Ker. A prosperous merchant-
farmer, he located his home near the river. This elegant Federal house required
an impressive gate and fence to greet visitors in grand style. But perhaps the greater
purpose was to prevent animals, both domestic and wild, from wandering onto the
grounds. The fence was thus an important practical element in the landscape.
With this in mind, William D. Rieley, landscape architect for the Garden Club
of Virginia, researched photos and descriptions in books and records of other Eastern
Shore properties. Mr. Rieley also combed the area for fences remaining from that
period. While there is no record of the specific fence that John Ker built, his research
led Rieley to design a fence that reflects the aesthetic form of the Federal period, the
regional distinctiveness of the Eastern Shore, as well as specific Adam-style details from
the house at Ker Place.
This 2010 interpretation replicates the high-low picket design, where sections of
lower pickets are close together to keep small animals out. Samples of this style may be
seen at nearby Kendall Grove and Eyre Hall. The horizontal members are sloped and
also beaded, a sophisticated design typical of the period. The slope is attractive as well
as functional, in that it keeps rainwater from collecting at the join, thus eliminating
a potential area of deterioration. Two substantial posts are topped with urn shapes
copied from a frieze found in the house interior. This fence with its double-swing gate
spans the entire front of the property and frames the view of the house to complement
its stateliness.
The fence that continues down each side of the property is different but also
characteristic of the period. It is a five-board fence with 1” x 6” boards placed
horizontally. The lower first and second boards are closer together; the third and
fourth continue with a wider gap. There is a running cap on top of the fifth board.
It is simple but, again, practical in that the lower boards keep small animals out.
Coats of white paint highlight the fence and gate and preserve their beauty.
The Garden Club of Virginia can be proud that this fence and gate project
enhances another historic restoration in Virginia. A visit to Ker Place will take you
back in time.

6 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Mary Frances Buchanan Flowers
1918-2010
By Jane Cowles
The Boxwood Garden Club

he Garden Club of Virginia has lost a close friend and

T visionary leader—Mary Frances Flowers, who died

March 16, 2010, in Richmond at the age of 91.
In 1957, at age 38, Mary Frances joined the Boxwood Garden Club and within
six years became its president. She became president of the Garden Club of Virginia
in 1970. During her presidency, Mary Frances led a reorganization, in which the GCV
amended its constitution and bylaws, obtained tax-exempt status, purchased and began
restoring the historic Kent-Valentine House as its headquarters, and established two
endowments to support the yearly operating budget of the house and fund special projects.
According to Lee Cochran, who followed Mary Frances as president, Mary
Frances “led (or pushed), when necessary, the GCV through two of its most productive
years. Almost single-handedly she engineered the purchase and restoration of the Kent-
Valentine House.” The Historic Garden Week office emerged from the basement of
the Jefferson Hotel. GCV records came out from under the president’s bed. Dues and
gifts became tax deductible. Membership grew.
The purchase and restoration of the K-VH was a tremendous act of faith in the
future of the GCV. With success not assured, Mary Frances remained committed
beyond her GVC presidency. She became the first chairman of the K-VH. She hired
personnel, welcomed guests, conducted tours and catered seated luncheons. She spent
so much time at the K-VH that her young grandson thought she lived there. Under
her leadership the GCV paid the loan in full in six years.
In 1974 Mary Frances received the Massie Medal for serving as “the guiding
spirit of the Kent-Valentine House.” Mary Frances was named Honorary President
of the GCV in 1987.
Mary Frances “believed deeply in what she was doing,” according the Rev. Ben
Sparks. “She made you want to be a part of whatever her agenda was. She was a doer, an
organizer, and faithful to the task. She never put herself forward. When she took
leadership, it was for the common good, for the community to strengthen and inspire”.
With Logan Johns, Mary Frances instructed an estimated 5,000 citizens about
the value of conserving and beautifying the James River. For this work the GCV
awarded them the de Lacy Gray Medal in 1970. As Restoration Chairman (1978-
1980), Mary Frances arranged for Rudy Favretti, a nationally renowned landscape
architect, to oversee the GVC’s restoration of historic gardens throughout Virginia.
Mary Frances was active at Second Presbyterian Church, Sheltering Arms
Hospital, the Junior League, the Woman’s Club, the Association for the Preservation
of Virginia Antiquities, Historic Richmond Foundation, National Society of Colonial
Dames of America and she was a founding trustee of Westminster-Canterbury
Richmond.
Mary Frances accomplished all of this while caring for her husband, George
Horace Flowers, Jr. who died in 1969, three sons George III, Bill and John and a
daughter the late Mary Flowers Cadwallader.
“She did it all,” recalled Lee Cochran. “It could have been her theme song.”

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 7

 Inter Club Artistic Award
The winner of the Garden Club of Virginia Inter Club
Artistic Award goes to the Roanoke Valley Garden Club.
This award is given to the club earning the most points
for ribbons in the Inter Club competition in the
three GCV flower shows, Lily, Rose and Daffodil.

Katherine Knopf accepts the

Inter Club artistic award
from Cabell West and Betty Michelson

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8 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 New Honorary Members
By Elizabeth (Boo) Compton,
Chairman GCV Admissions Committee
Gabriella Garden Club
t the Annual Meeting, three new

A Honorary Members were announced

to the Garden Club of Virginia
membership. They are Peter Hatch, Director
of Gardens and Grounds at Monticello,
Dean Norton, Director of Horticulture at
Mount Vernon and Charles G. McDaniel of
the Hilldrup Companies. Each of these men
has made significant contributions to the Peter Hatch, Dean Norton
mission of our club for which we are grateful. and Charles G. McDaniel

 
President Cabell West gave the first
President’s Award to Catherine Whitham
at the 2010 GCV Annual meeting for her

 
tireless work on the Development committee.

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JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 9

 2010 Horticulture Award of Merit
By Mary Eades, GCV Horticulture Chairman,
Rivanna Garden Club

he Horticulture Award of Merit was established in 1960 for individual

T members of The Garden Club of Virginia who have achieved significant

accomplishments in horticulture, both personally and in the community
at-large. The awards are presented at the Annual Meeting.
We are pleased to present this year’s winners.
Mabel S. Baldwin, Three Chopt Garden Club
Mabel’s garden in the west end of Richmond is a testament to her horticultural
expertise. She designed and landscaped her property incorporating perennials, shrubs,
trees and a variety of bulbs on a shady, steeply pitched lot. She has served on the GCV
Horticulture Committee as well as multiple terms as Horticulture Chairman for Three
Chopt Garden Club where she shares her knowledge in clever and enthusiastic ways.
She always encourages “green practices.” Mabel has volunteered more than 1400 hours
with Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden since 1986 and has been active as a Garden
Guide since 1993, a job which requires intensive, ongoing training. She was
Chairman of the Bloemendaal Council, the governing body of the volunteer corps,
from 1992-94. For sixteen years she has been involved with the committee for the
Gillette Forum on Landscape Design, serving as Chairman from 2004-2007.

Donna Eure, The Virginia Beach Garden Club

Donna has a true horticulture specimen garden containing hundreds of varieties of
plants, which she graciously shares with her club members and the community. She
makes her own compost and shares her knowledge by mentoring novice gardeners.
Her garden has been open for Horticulture Field Day, as well as for the GCV Annual
Meeting garden tours in 2009. Donna has taught plant grooming and propagation
workshops for her club and for the Garden Club of Norfolk. Formerly the club
Horticulture Chairman, Donna is currently co-chair of the Tidewater Garden
Symposium, a group she has participated in for 12 years.

Mary Lawrence Harrell, Nansemond River Garden Club

Mary Lawrence, a member of NRGC for more than 30 years, and currently the club’s
Horticulture Chairman, enthusiastically plants and nurtures roses for the GCV test
collection. She served as a teacher for her club’s Ecology Camp last June, imparting
her knowledge and love of plants to the 3rd and 4th graders who attended. Mary
Lawrence was the “go-to” person during the design and selection of materials for the
club’s Common Wealth Award winning project, the Heritage Garden in Cedar Hill
Cemetery, for which she promoted the use of drought resistant and native plants.

10 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Frances Jones, Williamsburg Garden Club
Frances’ expertise is roses, and she is a devoted caretaker of the 75 rose bushes in her
garden. She has led programs and workshops focusing on the horticulture and
exhibition of roses. Frances is a GCV Rose Committee member and has served as the
Rose Chairman for Williamsburg Garden Club for seven years. She consistently wins
awards when exhibiting specimens and places much importance on using organic
fertilizer and plant foods. Frances wrote a Journal article, “Going Green” about the
horticulture of roses and promotes the use of organic fertilizer and plant food in the
workshops she leads.

Margaret Milam, The Garden Club of Danville

Margaret, a Master Gardener, strives to be an expert on all that she grows, including
shade loving plants in a city garden and a variety of trees, flowers, vegetables and
blooming shrubs on her farm. She is a member of the Guilford Horticulture Society
and past chairman of Adopt-a-Spot. She shares her love of horticulture by teaching
children from a local church how to plant a vegetable garden and then encouraging
them to share the produce with the community. Margaret educates herself on the
subject of Uranium Mining in Pittsylvania County. She has written numerous letters
on the subject to her congressman, and visited the offices in Richmond during
Legislative Day to discuss her concerns.

Susan Perrin, The Garden Club of Gloucester

Sue’s seven acre garden, which has appeared in Garden Gate magazine, includes
unusual cultivars of low maintenance, native flowering shrubs and a vast collection
of daffodils. It will be open for the 2010 Historic Garden Week tour. Currently her
club’s Horticulture Chairman, Sue has trained local Master Gardeners in landscaping,
and has been a guest blogger for the GCV Horticulture blog. She is currently serving
as co-chair of the GCV Conservation Committee and has lobbied for GCV-backed
issues, as well as for her personal conservation beliefs. Sue, along with local landscapers
and horticulturists, has helped to found a local horticulture club that is open to the
public. Regular speakers and field trips are an ongoing part of this group. Sue recently
accepted a three year position on the GCV Fellowship Committee, a part of the
Restoration Committee.

Grace Rice, Augusta Garden Club

By growing, exhibiting and photographing roses, Grace has educated the public.
Her garden has been open for community events as well as HGW. She began with a
bare backyard and designed an exquisite garden featuring roses. She composts, and is
innovative and creative in her plant choices and planting techniques and is careful to

continued on page 12 ...

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 11

 continued from page 11 ...
research the best plants for the best location. She has worked to increase the general
understanding of, and interest in growing roses throughout Staunton and Augusta
counties, for the public as well as garden club members. Currently a member of the
GCV Horticulture Committee, Grace has served as Rose Chairman of the Augusta
Garden Club for over a decade.

Gay Savage, Harborfront Garden Club

Gay is dedicated and passionate about horticulture and enjoys growing unusual plants
that are native or adaptable to the Virginia coastal climate. Her key interests are
natives, perennials and daffodils. She presently serves on the GCV Conservation and
Beautification Committee, and has held a number of committee positions at the
Norfolk Botanical Garden and in her own club. She has served her community by
volunteering many hours on the Master Gardener hotline at Norfolk’s Fred Heutte
Center as well as at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens greenhouse. Gay served as her
club’s Horticulture Chairman and Harborfront’s members say that she is their reliable
source for Latin names and the correct spelling of plant names. Along with her many
years of experience in gardening and volunteering, she brings tremendous energy to
her fellow club members.

Carol Yetzer, Spotswood Garden Club

Carol, Horticulture chairman for her club, is also Chairman of the Beautification
Committee and a member of Greener Harrisonburg, a local gardening group. Carol
enjoys being a mentor to new garden club members and neighbors and readily shares
plants. She has been a leader of City Landscape Renewal projects, such as ‘visual
impact’ gardens. Carol encourages leaf composting and shares her knowledge of proper
planting and pruning of trees. She enjoys working with and training others in good
gardening practices and attends lectures and garden tours to expand her knowledge.

Luncheons meetings cocktail parties

graduation parties wedding receptions
Ease and elegance in entertaining at the Kent-Valentine House.
For availability contact (804) 643-4137or director@gcvirginia.org
GCV members and friends receive a 25% discount.
K E N T- VA L E N T I N E H O U S E

12 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Lily Notes
By Mary Nelson Thompson, GCV Lily Chairman
The Franklin Garden Club

ew awards have been announced for the Lily Show. Six sterling silver award

N goblets from Garden Club of Virginia Lily Shows in the 1950s and 1960
were spotted by an alert antiques dealer at an estate sale. The GCV Lily
Committee voted to purchase and engrave the goblets, keeping the provenance
engraving on one side and the new award information on the other side.
The following new awards were established based on the contributions of the
honorees to the annual GCV Lily Show:
The David Diller Award for the Best Martagon Lily (First Gentleman, Emeritus,
of the GCV Lily Committee, noted lily grower, classifier and NALS judge)
The Vicki Bowen Award for the Best Trumpet Lily (Noted lily grower, hybridizer,
NALS judge and a constant helper with classification at the GCV Shows)
The Sara Ann Lindsey Award for the Best Oriental Lily (GCV Lily Chairman,
1976-1984, NALS board member and judge and active member of the Hunting Creek
Garden Club for over 50 years)
The James A. McKenney Award for the Best Longiflorum/Asiatic Hybrid Lily,
(NALS judge and longtime member of the classification committee)
The Eugenia Diller Award for the Best Oriental/Trumpet Hybrid Lily, (Chairman
Emeritus of the GCV Lily Committee and NALS judge)
The GCV Lily Committee
Interdivisional Hybrid Lily Award for the
Best Longiflorum/Oriental Hybrid Lily
These awards will be presented at
the 68th Annual GCV Lily Show to be
hosted by the Petersburg Garden Club,
June 16-17, at Union Train Station,
Petersburg, Virginia. Horticultural
exhibitors, floral designers, GCV
members and guests will be treated to
a fantastic display, hospitality and an
educational experience. There will be
many beautifully restored historical sites,
enticing shops and great restaurants, all
within walking distance of the show.
A special feature will be a tour of the
newly restored 1794 McIlwaine House
on Wednesday, June 16th.
The theme of the show is old
movies featuring trains. All aboard
please to join us in Old Towne
Petersburg for a spectacular event.

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 13

 Flower Arranging School
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
Check-in from 9:00 a.m. Lecture begins at 10:00 a.m.
$45.00 includes lunch
Purchase your ticket through the GCV Web site,
or by contacting the registrar, Caroline Parrish,
Thornton River Farm, P.O. Box 1, Viewtown, Va, 20106.
540-937-5160, cwcparrish@mac.com.
The Flower Shows Committee is delighted to announce Ron Morgan as the
speaker. One of the most sought after and well recognized floral designers in the
country, Ron transforms the ordinary into the exquisite with his imaginative use
of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and unusual items, Ron currently lives in Alameda,
California. He has lived in London and Sydney, Australia where he designed
windows for Harrods and David Jones. He has opened retail floral and antique
shops, held many flower arranging classes and lectures around the world.
Ron has published four books: The Center of Attention, In the Company of
Flowers, A Celebration of Clematis and A Glass Act, (how to arrange using only glass
containers.) For our lecture he will focus on some of the elements of design: color,
texture and space.
Seating is limited. Act quickly if you would like to attend.
There will be a judges’ exam beginning at 8:30 a.m.

14 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

68TH
ANNUAL Lily Show
‘All Aboard’
Sponsored by the Petersburg Garden Club
Assisted by the North American Lily Society
Union Train Station
103 River Street, Old Towne
Petersburg, VA
Entries accepted: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Open to the public: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 2:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 17, 2010 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

A RT I S T I C C L A S S E S
Petersburg’s importance in the Civil War was greatly due to the railroads.
The Lily Show is being held in Petersburg’s Union Train Station.
The Artistic classes are named for old movies featuring trains.

Inter Club Class

Class 51 A “Bridge on the River Kwai”
World War II railroad bridge to Burma – Mass Line
Class 51 B “Murder On the Orient Express”
Homicide on a luxury train – French Rococo
Class 51 C “High Noon”
The noon train brings a bad man for a big showdown –
Western Line Design
Class 51 D “Brief Encounter”
Two commuters, married to others, meet in train station
and fall in love – Free Style

All Artistic designs will be judged according to the Garden Club of Virginia
Flower Shows Handbook, Revised www.gcvirginia.org

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 15

 The 76th Annual
“The James Runs
Sponsored by the

2010 Artistic Winners

Class 238 Inter Club Artistic Classes
A. Italian Renaissance C. Creative Mass
Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula Chatham Garden Club

Class 239
Best arrangement by an Individual
Caroline Parrish D. Traditional Line
B. Late Colonial Garden Club of Warrenton Roanoke Valley Garden
Lynchburg Garden Club Club
Quad Blue

For a complete list and photos of Daffodil Show Winners,

Grateful appreciation extended to Mary Wynn and Charles McDaniel

16 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

Daffodil Show
Through It” NUMBER OF HORTICULTURE EXHIBITORS: 111
NUMBER OF ARTISTIC ENTRIES: 71
Hillside Garden Club NUMBER OF HORTICULTURE STEMS: 1,861

2010 Horticulture Winners

Gold Ribbon-‘Magic Lantern’ Intermediate Ribbon

Katherine Beale, ‘Sunset Sonata’
Harborfront Garden Club Glenna Graves
Spotswood Garden Club

Test Collection Miniature Gold Ribbon White Ribbon-‘American Classic’

Garden Club of Gloucester ‘Spring Serenade’ Dianne Spence,
Karen Cogar, Williamsburg
Hunting Creek Garden Club Garden Club

go to www.gcvirginia.org and access Daffodil Show.

and Hilldrup Transfer & Storage for support of the GCV Flower Shows

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 17

 Daffodil Notes
By Lucy Rhame, GCV Daffodil Chairman
The Hunting Creek Garden Club

ynchburg certainly turned up the heat on April 6 and 7 for the Garden Club

L of Virginia Daffodil Show this year, quite literally. Hillside Garden Club,
under the chairmanship of Melanie Christian and Becky O’Brian, hosted a
lovely show at Sweet Briar College. One hundred and eleven exhibitors came from
throughout the state to participate. In spite of the 90-degree temperatures, 1,861
stems were entered in the horticulture classes, including 862 horticultural exhibits, of
which 16 were club collections exhibits. Overcoming stiff competition, the Garden
Club of Gloucester was awarded the Daffodil Chairman’s Cup for the best test
collection. But that is not the only silver that traveled back to Tidewater. Ceci Brown
of Gloucester was busy winning numerous awards, in addition to the Garden Club of
Virginia Cup for the most blue ribbons, 19, in the show. Dianne Spence of the
Williamsburg Garden Club won the Helen Louise Broyhill trophy for the best vase of
three standard daffodils, ‘American Classic.’ The best standard bloom in the show,
‘Magic Lantern,’ was entered by Katherine Beale of Harborfront Garden Club, who
also won the Member Club’s Cup.
Karen Cogar Abramson of Hunting Creek Garden Club in Alexandria was
awarded the Gale and Lockwood Frizzell Award in addition to the Anne Duvall Miller
Massie Perpetual Trophy, which was offered for the first time this year to the GCV
member with the best collection of five historic daffodils. Karen also won the best
miniature daffodil in the show for her entry of ‘Spring Serenade.’ She celebrated with
fellow club members Vicky Alexander, who won the Patricia Mann Crenshaw Award
for ‘Misty Glen,’ and Lea Shuba, who exhibited the best Triandrus single stem. The
Garden Club of Fairfax rounded out the Northern Virginia showing with Tricia Goins
winning the Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Cup and Charlotte
Benjamin entering the best bloom in the small growers’ classes.
How did Catherine Gillespie manage to win the Edith Hardison Walker Award
and Suzie Bresee win the Jennette H. Rustin Trophy when they were both busy
helping others in the workroom all evening? And Glenna Graves of the Spotswood
Garden Club, also a busy member of the GCV Daffodil Committee, won the
ribbon for the best intermediate bloom with ‘Sunset Sonata.’
The Hillside Garden Club members outdid themselves.
Of course none of it would have been possible without the
generosity of Hilldrup Transfer & Storage, which transports all the
properties to and from each of our flower shows. Putting on a
flower show is a tremendous job and thanks go to everyone who
worked hard to make it a wonderful experience.

18 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Rose Notes
By Pat Taylor, GCV Rose Chairman
The Boxwood Garden Club

fter a long, snowy winter, roses are finally blooming. Roses

A are heavy feeders and they need three components of nutrients

in order to thrive: organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer and water
to regain what was lost in the winter freeze.
It is helpful to incorporate organic fertilizers, such as fish meal, alfalfa meal,
blood meal and bone meal, into your rose beds. Organic matter breaks down slowly
in the soil and benefits the roses for several months. These ingredients can be
conveniently applied by purchasing products such as Mills Magic Rose Mix, Fertrell
or Espoma, which contain a mixture of organic matter.
Inorganic fertilizer is also important because it gives the plant an immediate
boost that lasts for several months. An ideal product is a 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 that
contains trace elements (manganese, boron, copper, etc.) in addition to the basic
components of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The most immediate source of
nutrients can be delivered through Miracle Grow 15-30-15 or Peter’s 20-20-20 added
to a gallon of water. Always follow label directions carefully. Your roses would love a
tablespoon of fish emulsion added to this water-soluble fertilizer.
By broadcasting Osmocote or another slow release fertilizer onto the soil, you can
rest assured your roses will be fed even if you are unable to do so. Feeding only slow
release fertilizer will not grow show-quality roses, but it is certainly better than no
feeding at all.
Perhaps the most critical element in rose care is water. Water provides the delivery
system that transports nutrients from the soil to the plant’s tissue. Always water your
roses the day before you fertilize and spray and then repeat watering the day after.
Failure to water both times can result in burned leaves.
The rose garden should be top-dressed with several inches of organic mulch.
Not only does mulch help to conserve water and prevent weeds, but as it breaks down
it also enriches the soil on a continual basis.
Please bring your roses to the 72nd Garden Club of Virginia Rose Show on
October 6, 2010, in Norfolk. Harborfront Garden Club has planned a lovely rose
show to showcase your exquisite blooms and arrangements.

 The Garden Club of Virginia appreciates responsible advertising

and reserves the right to accept or reject submitted advertisements.

Inclusion in the Journal is not and is not to be construed as an endorsement
by the Garden Club of the advertised goods or services.

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 19

 BIZARRE BAZAAR
THE
®
Club Notes
presents... The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore
Sunshine Artist 200 Best Shows
‘96,‘97,‘99,‘00,‘01 -
oing green has become a

Top 25 Shows ‘02 - ‘09!
Southeastern Tourism Society Top 20 Event
Women’s Day 5 Best Shows in the Nation
The 35th
CHRISTMAS
COLLECTION
2010
VCU’s Massey Cancer Center “Shopping Spree!”
Wednesday, December 1st, 5:00 to 9:30
Thursday, December 2nd, 10 to 7
Friday, December 3rd, 10 to 7
Saturday, December 4th, 10 to 7
Sunday, December 5th, 10 to 5
RICHMOND RACEWAY COMPLEX
600 E. Laburnum Ave. - Richmond, VA
The
19th
Spring
Market
2011
Friday, April 1st, 10 to 7
Saturday, April 2nd, 10 to 7
Sunday, April 3rd, 10 to 5
For more information, write:
The Bizarre Bazaar®
P.O. Box 8330
Richmond, VA 23226
For tickets and information call:
(804) 673-6280
www.thebizarrebazaar.com
G
household term for how we
use our natural resources. The
green movement has fostered a move by
manufacturers to develop energy-saving
products that reduce maintenance and
make it easier to live in our homes.
A mandate from members of the
Garden Club of the Eastern Shore, the
Harborfront Garden Club of Norfolk
and other garden club members from
our district was simple: Tell us how we
can go green. What follows is a synopsis
of a talk presented by Duff Kliewer, of
Cox, Kliewer & Company, P.C.,
January 19, 2010 at the Aqua
Restaurant at the Bay Creek Marina in
Cape Charles.
We can improve the energy
efficiency of our houses starting with
the exterior. One of the advances comes
in the form of concrete composite
siding, available in a variety of configu-
rations. Roofing has also enjoyed real
advances, especially in the form of
recycled rubber slates. A secret weapon
beneath the shingles themselves is an
underlayment that extends the life of
wood roof sheathing, especially at the
eave edges and around chimneys, where
leakage usually begins.
Geothermal systems allow the mass
of the earth to be used for home heating
and air conditioning. These systems use
25 to 50 percent less electricity because
they eliminate the condenser and reduce
energy consumption and emissions 40
to 70 percent. In-floor heating systems,

20 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 whether based upon liquid-filled tubes or electric tape buried beneath the floor, save
significant energy by operating on the principle of radiant heat.
Fluorescent lamps are offered in color-corrected versions that approximate
sunlight. Their efficiency is approximately ten times that of incandescent lamps.
Low-voltage lamps, such as halogen, offer savings too. A real breakthrough is in LED
(Light Emitting Diode) lighting, first used commercially in traffic, automotive and
appliance lighting. Now developed for home and business applications, it is available
in a wide variety of forms. Integrated wireless switching and dimming can now be
controlled within the home or remotely via telephone, laptop computer or iPod.
This enables lighting levels, heating and air conditioning settings, window shading
and other electronic systems to be set to desired levels whether you are there or not.
Major paint manufacturers have been working for some years to reduce the
volatile organic compounds in their products, and several now offer VOC-free
products. VOCs produce gases that damage the ozone layer in the atmosphere.
New paints do not contain theses gases.
Flooring advances now allow us to select elegant, durable and environmentally-
friendly surfaces. Engineered hardwood flooring is offered in species and board widths
previously available only at very high prices and with protective finishes that no
field-finished floor can offer. De-lustered nylon carpeting is another option.
Duff ’s talk was full of practical tips for homeowners and those contemplating
new construction. Please contact us for more specific product information.
By Tata Kellam with Duff Kleiwer

Needlepoint Shoes
www.bypaige.com
Shop Online Anytime
Phone:713-773-1156
New Catalog Available

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 21

 GCV Journal 2010 Workshop
Aileen Laing, GCV Journal Chairman
The Warrenton Garden Club
Q. Why should a gardener make a good reporter?
A. She’s good at getting dirt on people.
Anna Billingsley, Director of Publications and Design at University of Mary
Washington, opened her presentation at the March 8 Journal workshop with these
lines. Her talk, held at Belmont near Fredericksburg, was entitled, “Cultivating
Writers: Tips on How to Prune and Arrange Your Words with Style.”
“Whether you write about chrysanthemums, compost or creek beds, the same
guidelines apply,” and she gave us twelve useful rules to make our articles both accurate
and appealing.
1) Write about that which you know
Familiarity with the topic will bring enthusiasm to your writing.
2) Surprise readers
Articles on flower shows are expected; the one recently on “Arranging Men” is not.
An unusual, slightly quirky topic will pique readers’ curiosity.
3) Write in the third person
4) Keep it short
As Thomas Jefferson said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words
when one will do.”
5) Remember that gardeners are grammarians, too!
6) Deadhead flowery language
7) Provide useful information
Glenna Graves’ article in the December Journal (p. 18) is an example of
providing useful information in “an easily digestible manner.”
8) Be lively
“Concise doesn’t mean boring.” Using the active rather than passive voice lends vibrancy
to your writing.
9) Accept that there will be challenges
Gardens are famously fluid, and often uncertain, creations. Be prepared to have your
statements contradicted by events; you may write that February is the best time to plant
and then your area is hit by late storms, or a plant that never grows or blooms for you is a
blazing success for others.
10) Meet deadlines
11) Be prepared to be edited
View this as a form of pruning designed to make the plant (your article) stronger.
12) Pat yourself on the back when you see your words in print
Writing, like gardening, is hard work. Be proud of your accomplishment.
Mrs. Billingsley continued with encouragement to write and to keep on writing.
She is an advocate for keeping a journal in which a writer’s ideas can germinate and be
kept fresh as they mature. Good writers are also avid readers, constantly introducing
themselves to new ideas that often fertilize the kernel of an original thought.
A lively discussion followed the talk and everyone left enthused to write for
themselves and for the Journal.
(Editor’s note: The Journal workshop is held every other year for all GCV members interested in writing
for the quarterly publication. Journal representatives from each club are urged to come.)

22 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Ex Libris
Paxton’s Magazine of Botany
By Anne Cross, GCV Library Committee
The Ashland Garden Club

itting on a top shelf in the Kent-Valentine library are 14 volumes of Paxton’s

S Magazine of Botany. They are dull-looking books bound in institutional

bindings, but the reader who opens one is in for a rare treat. Each volume is
filled with beautiful hand-colored plates of plants and woodcuts of garden plans,
structures and tools. The volumes also include a calendar of work to be done in the
garden each month and information about insects and their control.
The Magazine of Botany was published by Sir Joseph Paxton from 1834 to 1849.
Paxton, born in 1803, became a garden boy at Battlesden at age 17. In 1823 he went
to work at the Horticultural Society’s Chiswick Gardens where he met the Duke of
Devonshire. The duke offered him the position of head gardener at Chatsworth and
in 1832 made him the manager of his estates. Paxton designed the gardens at
Chatsworth and, between 1836 and 1840, built a conservatory there called the Great
Stove, at the time the largest glass building in the world. In 1844 he constructed the
Emperor Fountain, then the tallest fountain in Europe. In 1849 he built a small glass
building to protect the ‘Victoria Regia’ water lily where the lily flowered for the first
time under cultivation.
The design of the lily house was the basis for the design of the Crystal Palace in
Hyde Park. Paxton entered the competition for the design of the building to house the
“Great Exhibition of the Works of All Nations” in 1851. He sketched his design on a
piece of blotting paper and won the competition. The Crystal Palace was completed
in six months. Consisting of iron rods and walls of clear glass it occupied about 18
acres. Disassembled in 1854 when the exhibition ended and rebuilt in Upper
Norwood, the Crystal Palace continued to be used for shows, exhibitions, sports events
and concerts. In 1936 it was severely damaged by fire and in 1941 it was demolished
because it served as a landmark for German bombers.
In 1854 Paxton was elected to Parliament and remained a member until his death
in 1865. He maintained his close friendship with the Duke of Devonshire to whom
the first volume of The Magazine of Botany is dedicated.
The Kent-Valentine copies of The Magazine of Botany were given by Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Muir Mercer.

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 23

 Common Wealth Award Nominations
By Linda L. Consolvo, Common Wealth Award Chairman
The Nansemond River Garden Club
Congratulations to the 2010 finalists for the Common Wealth Award:
Chatham Garden Club, the Garden Club of Gloucester, Harborfront Garden Club
and the Hunting Creek Garden Club. The club presidents will vote their clubs’
preferences for this prestigious award at the Board of Governors’ Meeting in October.
Chatham Railway Depot Entrance Landscape
Submitted by Chatham Garden Club
In 2001, the arduous task of saving the 1918 Southern Railway Depot in
Chatham was begun, and for the past nine years Pittsylvania Historical Society has
proceeded with restoration of this historic icon located on the main North/South rail
line of Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Renovations to the interior of the depot are expected to be completed in July
2010 and will provide multi-faceted historical, education, and community benefits.
In answer to our search for a worthwhile project that will impact our entire area,
Chatham Garden Club has committed to fund the initial grading and site preparation
for the implementation of a professional landscape entrance design. Further, because
we feel confident that once renovations are complete, opportunities to add plant
material will present themselves, CGC is researching rare horticultural specimens
unique to the period that the train station was a bustling, thriving part of Virginia life.
In light of reduced school funding, this incredible resource is expected to host local
school trips, which has inspired CGC to explore the additional of a teaching garden.
The coveted Common Wealth Award would allow us to aid in the completion
of this beautiful entrance design and further our contribution to horticulture,
preservation, and education.
Community Woodland Walk
Submitted by the Garden Club of Gloucester
The Common Wealth Award will enable us to complete our plans for woodland
walking trails at the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society. These trails would include
benches, tables, birdhouses, shaded areas and a variety of native plantings with
education signage. This project will provide shelter and sanctuary for not only a vast
array of wildlife, but also for the approximately 10,000 yearly community members
who visit, volunteer and adopt at the shelter.
The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society is the only animal shelter serving the
751 square mile area of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex counties. This facility
opened in 2009 with virtually no government funding. Hundreds of community
members were instrumental in the planning, funding and building of the new shelter.
Under the leadership of the Garden Club of Gloucester, community volunteers
joined members in the initial landscaping of the shelter. The club raised more than
$8000 over 3 years for this initial work. Together we planted more than 100 mostly
native trees, shrubs and thousands of bulbs. The Community Woodland Walk
continues our landscaping work at the shelter and would offer a natural retreat to
the larger community. We are committed to this project for our community and
respectfully seek your support.

24 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Butterfly and Sensory Garden at St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children
Submitted by Harborfront Garden Club
St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children in Norfolk has a garden designed to
enrich the lives of children residing in this unique facility – Virginia’s only pediatric
long-term residential care facility exclusively for children, newborn to 21, with severe
mental and physical disabilities. This state-of-the-art facility for 92 residents, one of
a few nationwide designed exclusively for providing care in a home-like residential
environment, opened in 2005.
Two large courtyards with floor-to-ceiling windows enable over 6,000 residents,
family, visitors and staff to interact with nature or enjoy gardens from inside. In 2008,
Harborfront Garden Club began working with staff and Girl Scout Troop 5067 on
a new Butterfly and Sensory Garden in the courtyard near the main entrance. We
planted plants from our own gardens, donated plants and $500 in plants we won in a
national website contest. We funded the installation of a fishpond – especially popular
with the children. Now more plants are needed as well as irrigation, paved walkways
to accommodate the wheelchair-bound children and low-voltage lighting to view the
garden at night.
The physical and emotional demands on the children, families and dedicated
staff are significant. Full access to the garden will allow children to experience nature’s
wonders while providing respite for all who visit, work and reside at this outstanding
facility serving all of Virginia.
Outdoor Classroom Teaching Shelter for Huntley Meadows Park
Submitted by the Hunting Creek Garden Club
Huntley Meadows Park - a 1,500 acre protected natural area in Alexandria,
Virginia - is currently working on an Outdoor Classroom project. This project is based
on a self-guided trail around the park’s visitor center that would run through several
stations that include the following:
Native plantings of species from the Chesapeake Bay watershed that attract songbirds
and pollinating insects, and are tolerant of shade, drought, flooding and deer browse
Amphibian ponds
Bird feeding stations
Nesting boxes for bees, birds and bats
Wildlife brush shelters
Teaching shelter
Primary goals of the project:
increase the park’s teaching space
encourage visitors to interact with the natural environment
educate visitors about backyard conservation and environmentally sound
landscaping practices
educate visitors about native plants and local wildlife, especially songbirds,
amphibians and beneficial insects such as pollinators
The proposed teacher shelter would function as the center of the outdoor
classroom, facilitating outdoor workshops and programs. This aspect of the Outdoor
Classroom requires the most funding – park staff asks for financial help from the
community to make the teaching shelter possible.

The nominations for the Common Wealth Award are presented as submitted.

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 25

 Fine Arts & Flowers at the Virginia
Museum of Fine Arts
By Virginia B. Maloney
The James River Garden Club

rom the light-filled Cochrane Atrium in the spacious new McGlothlin Wing

F to the galleries of the original 1936 building, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
will abound with more than 70 art-inspired floral designs, many by Garden
Club of Virginia members, when Fine Arts & Flowers opens for the tenth time,
October 13-17. There will be more art to see than ever before, offering designers fresh
and inspiring ways to express their creativity in interpreting the artists’ visions.
A large variety of floral materials will be made available by event sponsor Strange’s
Florists, Greenhouses and Garden Centers. And, of course, the participating Virginia
Federation of Garden Clubs and Garden Club of Virginia members will make the very
best use of them.
The first opportunity to see the arrangements will be at the Gala Preview,
October 13th. Magnificent floral designs, hors d’oeuvres, wine, music and the
Jewelry Fair are a combination that is hard to beat. This elegant evening is always a
highlight of Fine Arts & Flowers.
Highly-respected lecturers will present programs to entertain and enlighten you.
On October 14, Hitomi Gilliam will delight you with ARTFLOR demonstrating her
contemporary and sometimes abstract approach to design. That afternoon popular
favorite Allan Armitage, head of the University of Georgia test garden, will present an
illustrated talk about new and unusual plants. On October 15th, Bryan Rafanelli,
who has planned everything from dinner
parties for 10 to President Obama’s
Commander-in-Chief ’s Inaugural Ball,
will give away some of his secrets of
successful planning. Finally, Rene van
Rems, an internationally noted floral
designer, will demonstrate floral design
concepts and techniques from Europe.
ONLINE GARDEN SHOP Two new events may entice you:
Shop with us Online Anytime!
Flowers after Hours with music and tapas
Flower Arranging Accessories on Friday evening and Flowers in Fashion
Garden Tools & Supplies at midday Saturday, an exhibition of
Cut-Flower Seeds floral-themed clothing designed and
Locally Grown Cut Flowers modeled by Virginia Commonwealth
Group Programs University students. You will find
Shopping Events everything in flower at Fine Arts &
Flowers!
Lisa Ziegler Entrance to the museum and the
Cut-Flower Farmer and Speaker floral extravaganza is free, but all special
Local 757-877-7159 events require tickets. To purchase your
Toll Free 1-888-977-7159 ticket go to the ticket desk at VMFA,
Newport News, Va. lisa@shoptgw.com 200 N. Boulevard, Richmond,
www.shoptgw.com or call (804) 340-1405.

26 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Symposium 2010
By Ann Gordon Evans, GCV Symposium Committee
The Huntington Garden Club

ith the theme “Quality of Life: Past. Present. Future.,” the 2010

W Symposium was a huge success. Nearly 400 Garden Club of Virginia

members and their guests gathered February 22-24 at the Homestead to
enjoy informative speakers, attend seminars and workshops, tour local historical
houses, enjoy excellent food and fellowship and shop with the outstanding vendors.
Current and past presidents of the GCV and of member clubs were honored. The
success of the Symposium was due largely to the chairman, Julie MacKinlay, and her
committee members who worked tirelessly for 18 months to offer GCV members and
their guests a unique educational experience. The committee made a special effort to
price the tickets reasonably and still stay in the black.
The following GCV members and guests were asked to share their thoughts:
Tom Brown, husband of Sally Guy Brown, The Garden Club of Alexandria:
“I sent an email to my daughter telling her that I was attending the Symposium with
11 men and 380 women. She immediately replied that it could be heaven or it could
be not so heavenly. I assure all GCV husbands that it was much closer to the former
and not remotely like the latter.”
Nick Cadwallender, husband of Jeanette Cadwallender, The Rappahannock
Valley Garden Club: “Geology, ecology, biology, hydrology and climatology came to
life when the Homestead’s naturalist, Brian LaFountain, cast his spell on a small group
of Symposium attendees who had signed up for the Cascades Gorge Hike. Although
rain prevented us from walking the gorge, Brian introduced us to the insect, bird,
animal and plant life of the mountains through his own spectacular photography and
theatricality. It was a hilarious romp through the woods, listening to his bird calls,
holding prehistoric fossils and playing Brian’s own brand of trivial pursuit without
leaving the warm and dry comfort of the Nature Center.”
Lyn Hutchens, The Huntington Garden Club: “I felt enriched by the exposure
to excellent speakers and programs and came home saturated with information and
beautiful images. I hope that the Symposium will continue every other year.”
Karen Jones, The Martinsville Garden Club: “My favorites were the Washington
National Cathedral floral designers and the conservation speakers, George Hawkins
and Joel Salatin. It was a special treat to see the homes and nearby St. Luke’s Episcopal
Church. ”
Elizabeth Littlejohn, daughter of Jamie Old, The Huntington Garden Club:
“I thought the quality and variety of the vendors were excellent. The speakers were the
highlight for me. I really enjoyed the environmental/conservation focus, especially Joel
Salatin’s talk.”
continued on page 28 ...

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 27

 ... continued from page 27
Judy Perry, The Elizabeth River Garden Club: “The Symposium roster of
speakers was extensive, covering a myriad of topics that inspired us to become better
stewards of our environment, better flower arrangers and gardeners and better friends
with our fellow garden club members. The expert planning by the Symposium
committee kept us moving from one special experience to another.”

Grace Rice, The Augusta Garden Club: “Energy. Electricity. Enthusiasm.

Excitement. This described the scene greeting guests to the GCV Symposium.
Beginning with the Hot Springs House Tour and a lovely tea at St. Luke’s Episcopal
Church through Joel Salatin’s talk on organic farming in Augusta County, there was
not a minute wasted. The flower arranging workshop, led by Marion Zimmerman and
Louise Rocker was the highlight of the Symposium for me. What fun those ladies are
and how easy they make you feel when faced with flowers and an empty vase. This ads
an important fifth ‘e,’ Education.”

Diane Wilkinson, The Garden Club of Fairfax: “The Symposium was

wonderfully organized and the scheduled events went off like clockwork. I came away
enthused with many notes. I applaud the Symposium committee and appreciate its
good work.”
The Symposium is clearly an event that GCV members want to continue.
The board has already begun to discuss the next Symposium.

Past presidents of the GCV and member clubs at the Symposium,

February 2010, the Homestead

28 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 fearlessflowers.com
Arranging Flowers Fearlessly

The first virtual flower arranging workshop!

Videos with lots of great ideas for quick, easy arrangements.
And a subscription makes a great gift for your flower arranging friends.

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG 29

 My Own, My Native Land
When the violets are blooming in Virginia,
And the breath of spring is in the softer air,
When the buds are bursting into apple-blossoms,
How my heart is longing, longing to be there!

When it’s golden summertime down in Virginia

And the moonlight’s dancing on the noble James,
O there’s not a land more fair in God’s creation
Than fond memory of youthful day proclaims!

When the Blue Ridge turns to brown in Old Virginia,

And the trembling leaves float on the autumn air,
Tho’ the mocking bird has sought fair realms to southward,
Than the land of all my dreams there’s none more rare!

When the snowflakes soft are falling in Virginia,

In reverie, I see, beneath the mistletoe,
Fair the face of mine own boyhood’s brown-eyed sweetheart,
Whom the angels took from earth so long ago!

Springtime’s call and summer’s skies in Old Virginia,

Autumn’s glow and winter’s frost are calling me:
O when I shall fall asleep, my loved Virginia,
Let my dreamland be a little part of thee!
—Henri Fortesquire

Editor’s note. I found this poem in my late mother’s desk with items belonging to my
great-grandmother. The yellowed piece of newsprint is dated October 23, 1922.
It lists Mr. Fortesquire as being from Waynesboro. I can find no record of the poet.

30 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 CONTRIBUTIONS
Report Period From 1/1/10 Through 3/31/10
Provides essential ongoing support necessary to maintain GCV operations.
The Garden Club of
Alexandria
Rivanna Garden Club
The Garden Club of
Warren County
Victoria Alexander
Nancy W. Avery
Margaret J. Ayscue
Anne G. Baldwin
Mrs. Ronald W. Bevans
Linda C. Blackburn
Mrs. Bowlman T. Bowles, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas
Nan Bowman
Terry Boyd
Mrs. Peter K. Braden
Mrs. George M. Brooke, Jr.
Sally Guy Brown
Randy Brown
Betty S. Brown
Sandy Burroughs
Dianne E. Butler
Helen S. Carter
Jane D. Cheadle
Mrs. Stuart G. Christian, Jr. Madeline Hutcheson
Mrs. C. L. Christian III
Cathy W. Clarke
Jocelyn P. Connors
Sarah G. Craddock
Mrs. Alan B. Croft
Mrs. C.B. de Gavre
Lucy R. Ellett
Catherine S. English
Terry Evans
Millie Faucett
Mrs. Lockwood Frizell
JUNE 2010
The Annual Fund
Donors
Jacquie Gammons
Martha Geiger
Pamela K. Gottschalk
Oakwood Foundation
Susan Foster Hamill
Elizabeth B. Hardy
Mrs. N. Potter Henderson, Jr. Mrs. James B. Richards, Jr.
Marguerite Heyworth
Sarah S. Hodgkin
Chris Howison
Gay Carpenter Huffman
Jamison
Cecelia R. Johnson
Martha Roland Jones
Judy Kidd
JoAnne H. Kinnamon
Jean W. Lane
Mrs. Malcolm H. Livick
Cheryl C. Lynch
Mrs. Charles G. Mackall, Jr. Carey Thompson
Martha F. Manson
Mayhood
Myra Lynne McDaniel
Mary Wynn McDaniel
Brenda McGehee
Betty M. Michelson
Elizabeth P. and Lewis N.
Miller, Jr. Charitable Fund
Margaret Welch Moffitt
Jane T. Moore
Jill B. Mountcastle
Tommi T. Nevin
WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG
Jill Newton
Rebecca H. O’Brian
Joyce Overby
Sarah Holt Pierson
Ann R. Reed
Grace P. Rhinesmith
Rodie Savage
Mrs. Marc A. Shook
Scottie Slater
Alice K. Smith
Dana Y. Smith
Misty C. Spong
Mary Lew Sponski
Cora Sue Spruill
Nadia Stanfield
Mrs. Norman E. Tadlock
Sue C. Taylor
Suzanne F. Thomas
Mary Nelson Thompson
Mrs. Robert F. Turner III
Mrs. Stephen Wagner
Mrs. D. Fleet Wallace
Mrs. H. Conrad Warlick
Katharine Watson
Peyton Page Wells
Martha Wertz
Mr. and Mrs. Fielding
L.Williams Jr.
Mary Ann Wine
Mr. Clifton Alexander
Woodrum III
Mrs. Edward B. Wright III
31
 Donor In Honor of
The Garden Club of Fairfax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Kincheloe
Three Chopt Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles J. Stick
Mrs. A. Wesley Graves VI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joyce Overby
Karen Jamison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nina Mustard
Dianne Nea Spence
John's Island Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cabell West
Cabell Goolsby West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. and Mrs. E. Armistead Talman
Donor In Memory of
The Hampton Roads Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C. Marcus Cooper, Jr.
Three Chopt Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Howard Hudgins
Joan Arenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Kaye Rollins Nazarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Virginia Burt Gunnell
Maria C. Satterfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bessie Carter

The Garden Club of Virginia Endowment

Supports the ongoing preservation of the historic Kent-Valentine House,
headquarters of the Garden Club of Virginia and Historic Garden Week.

Donor
The Ashland Garden Club
The Garden Study Club
The Little Garden Club of Virginia
The Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton
Di Cook
Judy B. Truehart
Donor In Honor of
The Blue Ridge Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Grover
Louise Tayloe
The Brunswick Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bettie Guthrie
Elizabeth Steele
Gabriella Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancie Motley
Elizabeth Whitehead
Deedy Bumgardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr. and Mrs. E. Armistead Talman
Terry E. Buntrock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nina Mustard
Mary Ann Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peggy Talman
Jamie Old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Gordon Evans
Dianne Nea Spence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nina Mustard
Donor In Memory of
The Ashland Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oriana Hargrove
Edith Reid
The Princess Anne Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Harris Fears
Betsy and Peter Agelasto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Palmer Douglas
Judith Helen Arenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
The Arenstein Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Nancy and John Baillio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Mr. and Mrs. Bowlman T. Bowles, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers

32 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA

 Deedy Bumgardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Nan C. Freed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mrs. Newton H. Ray, Sr.
Brooks Godwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Mrs. H. Hiter Harris, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Dolly and Eddie Horner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
M. Scott Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Brenda B. McGehee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Mrs. Benjamin W. Mears, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Millicent West
Helen Turner Murphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Dick and Laura Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr. . . . . . . . . .The Honorable Lloyd Sullenberger
Lilburn Talley
Louise L. Toms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers
Elizabeth P. Varner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Frances Flowers

The GCV Conservation Fund

Supports GCV clubs in local and statewide conservation projects.
Donor
Lucy Gadsby
Donor In Honor of
The Ashland Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anne Beals
Sallie Sebrell
The Blue Ridge Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sallie Sebrell
Cabell West
The Huntington Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merry Outlaw
Marilyn South
The Martinsville Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sallie Sebrell
Fayetta Weaver
The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tricia Garner
The Williamsburg Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cathy Adams
Winchester-Clarke Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anne Beals
Tricia Garner
Donor In Memory of
Kitty Claiborne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bessie Bocock Carter
GCV Conservation Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kathy Chiffiller Dube
Lorraine Warren Strickler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Millicent West

Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award Fund

Donor
Elaine Stephenson

Restoration
Supports GCV restoration projects across the commonwealth.
Donor In Honor of
The Franklin Garden Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Hart Darden

JUNE 2010 WWW.GCVIRGINIA.ORG

 The Garden Club of Virginia Journal Periodicals
(USPS 574-520) Postage Paid
12 East Franklin Street At Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia 23219 And Additional Offices
THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA
CALENDAR 2010
June 16-17 Lily Show, Union Train Station, Petersburg
July 15 Journal deadline
Sept. 21 Flower Arranging Workshop, Lewis
Ginter Botanical Garden
Dates and events as posted on the GCV Web site
at http://gcvirginia.org. See Web site for further additions.