National Garden Clubs offer interest groups for every botannical aficionado.
National Garden Clubs, Inc., promotes a range of gardening from the aesthetic to the practical. The organization is divided into many sub-topics, such as…
- The Historic Gardens and Trails. This committee is devoted to providing historical research and policies for the historic preservation and conservation of gardens and buildings.
- The Memorial Gardens which provides guidelines and recognition through awards for the preservation of gardens that commemorate historical events, sites, or persons.
- The Headquarters Grounds committee which directs the supervision of maintenance of the NGC property in St. Louis. This committee was also responsible for the design and development of the recently rededicated 911 Memorial at NGC Headquarters.
The organization also sponsors National Garden Week, which celebrates gardens across the continent in diverse ways. Local and state garden clubs participate in the commemoration of this event.
Another large segment of the garden community, Public Gardens, now operates as affiliates that include over 160 botanical gardens and arboreta. This alliance extends the NGC base to over a quarter of a million public garden members working in concert to promote gardens.
Almost everywhere you look you can find evidence of garden club efforts. Civic development doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and the organizations goal is to make America beautiful. The impact of NGC is not limited to cities, towns and villages but extends across the nation. Along our nation’s highways, Blue Star Memorial Markers are being either refurbished or added at an accelerating rate because of the work of a very active Garden committee.
Applications for the Blue Stars are processed by this chairman and sent to Sewah Studios for completion. Military personal often attend plaque dedications. The markers act as reminders to all of us of the services and sacrifices made by military personnel.
Two projects in our nation’s capital are jewels in the National Garden Club’s crown. First, The Friendship Garden of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., designed by Oehme, van Sweden and Associates, exists as a result of a cooperative effort with members of National Garden Clubs, Inc. Monies from memorials, honorariums and gifts fund the maintenance of this garden. A Chairman continues to work closely with NGC, NCAGC and officials at the Arboretum.
The second project is The Butterfly Garden. The chairman of this committee works with the Executive Director of the National Botanic Garden in D.C. to create or provide materials on butterflies and butterfly gardening. This literature educates the public on the conservation of this major pollinator and valuable insect.
Finally, the Community Gardening committee assists in the start up of new garden clubs, identify the best locations and initiate appropriate communities. The groups served vary from apartment dwellers, to armed services bases, retirement housing, etc.
Clearly, the efforts of garden club members have a major impact on the landscape. The heart of NGC is gardening. Member involvement is tremendous at all levels and appears in many forms. This dedication to gardens began over three-quarters of a century ago and is today the driving force of the members everywhere.
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