|
Committee Briefs
| |
Program
Speaker Spotlight
Are you wondering about those honey bees?
Howland Blackiston, author of Beekeeping for Dummies,is one of GCA's newest speakers. Howland's book has sold over 100,000 copies and has been translated into 13 languages. His story chronicling his 30-year experience as a backyard beekeeper has been shared with fascinated audiences in over 40 countries worldwide.
Are you curious about what's happening to the dwindling honey bee population? Wondering what it means for the future production of crops in our country? Thinking of starting your own hive? Worried about getting stung?
Click here to learn the answers to these questions and much more! You will love the entertaining and informative conversation with Howland Blackiston. Who knows, perhaps his enthusiasm and charm will entice you to try your hand at beekeeping!
Flower Show
Florescence, a GCA Major Flower Show in Houston April 15-17 2013, will open for registration on October 1 for all divisions except Photography. The schedule will be posted in Upcoming Flower Shows under Current Information on the Flower Show Committee webpage; there will be a link to the registration form included in the schedule. All registrations are to be made electronically. Photography entries are being selected by a juried system. Entries for juried judging may be submitted electronically on January 1, 2013; selected photographers will be notified by February 18. You may also visit www.flohouston.org for information.
Centennial Book
'Hits the Presses'!
We have been notified by the Smithsonian that publication has begun on William Seale's historical book about GCA's legacy. Complete with updated title and dust jacket cover, The Garden Club of America: 100 Years of a Growing Legacy will be sent to members in October 2012 and to bookstores in March 2013. Supplies at pre-publication prices are dwindling. To view a video review of the book, click here. To order while supplies last,
|
|
Administration
| |
Zone Chairs, Vice Chairs & Club Administrators:
A new procedure is in effect for submitting and updating club leadership rosters. Zone Vice Chairs will once again be responsible for collecting data and updating club rosters in Site Manager. Club administrators will continue to enter new members and manage membership lists. Please make sure that any changes to club rosters are communicated to your Zone Vice Chair. As always, any questions can be directed to:
communications@gcamerica.org
Zone Reps:
You will soon be able to get the names of your club chairs directly from the website. In the meantime, if you need a list pulled, please contact your staff liaison or email communications@gcamerica.org
GCA Directory:
The 2012-13 Directory has been posted to the website. Go to: Members Area>Resources>Directory. It is intended for reference only and not to be used for mass communications. Click here to access the directory.
Club Presidents:
A list of club presidents for 2012-13 is available for reference on the Members Area>Nat'l Organization>Club Presidents page on the website. Go to the sidebar and open Lists, Forms & Samples or click here.
|
|
|
In this Issue...
...an important announcement from GCA President,
Marian Hill
...the debut of the
Program Committee's
Speaker Spotlight
...in focus, a feature from
the GCA Photography committee plus the latest issue
...Off the Shelf from the Library Committee
...Going Fishing with the Scholarship Committee
...Yellow Book deadline
...the Centennial Committee invitation announcement
...news briefs and more from the Garden History & Design, Centennial and Flower Show committees.
Thank you to Suzette de Turenne, Seattle GC, Zone XII for this month's banner photo and to Gayle Meves, Town & Garden GC, Zone XI, for the photo above.
Please note that the next issue of GCA eNews will be out in October. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions of our committee. We enjoy being available to answer queries.
GCA Communications Committee
Cindy Willis, Chairman
communications@gcamerica.org
To contact your Communications Zone Representative,
click here
|
| |
|
GCA President, Marian Hill, Announces Appointment of Jennifer Barnette
It is with great pleasure that GCA President, Marian Hill, reports that the GCA Board of Directors has selected Jennifer Barnette as GCA's first Chief Operating Officer.
"Her selection marks an exciting new chapter in the life of GCA" , says Marian, and "...I know that each of you will welcome [her] as a part of the GCA family..."
Jennifer's appointment takes effect October 24th. Click here to read Marian's announcement
letter. |
|
|
in focus...news from GCA's Photography Committee
The NEW Fall edition of focus features a stunning array of award winning photographs as well as interesting articles on topics including the new judging guidelines, notes from two workshops and a reprint of the 'Water Reflections' chapter from Libby Collins's book The Elegant Earth: Secrets of Beautiful Nature Photography.
Click here for your PDF copy of Fall 2012 focus. Click here to link to the GCA website Flower Show page and click on Current Information in the sidebar for a list of the upcoming flower shows with photography divisions.
|
|
|
October 1 Deadline for Printed Flower Show & Judging Guide
The deadline for pre-ordering a printed Yellow Book is October 1, 2012. Click here to place your credit card order.
Expected printing and delivery is the end of October.
Be sure to check out the FS&JG webpage on the GCA website, accessible from both the Flower Show and Judging Committees webpages. The forms, templates, cards
and samples that you need to plan and produce a flower show are located here.
|
|
The Show Must Go On...
 | |
Photo by Judy Joyce,
Carmel-by-the-Sea, Zone XII
|
Did you know that GCA clubs are encouraged to hold at least one club flower show each year? The show can be just two or three classes of one division such as Horticulture or Floral Design -- and before you panic, we have a step-by-step guide to show you how.
|
|
|
Smithsonian Receives Awards...
 | | Barbara Faust, AAG Associate Director, accepts APGA Award |
We are pleased to congratulate the Archives of American Gardens, managed by Smithsonian Gardens, on the Award For Program Excellence from the American Public Gardens Association. This award recognizes the AAG for "exemplary public garden programming that has been a pioneer in a discipline related to public horticultural institutions."
In addition, Smithsonian Gardens received the Urban Beautification Award. This award is "given to an individual, institution, or company for significant contributions to urban horticulture and the beautification of American cities."
GCA's Garden History and Design Committee and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC have had a special relationship since 1987, the year 3,000 glass lantern slides and 22,000 35 mm slides of gardens were given to the Archives of American Gardens. The AAG now has more than 100,000 images documenting over 7,000 gardens from the late 1800's to today.
Contributions to the AAG continue today through the efforts of GCA clubs throughout the country: consider documenting a garden in your community. Click here for more information.
|
| |
|
Invitation Arrives Next Week...
 | | GCA HQ, 14 East 60th St, 3rd Floor, New York City |
GCA is inviting all members to the Centennial Dedication Celebration
in NYC in June 2013!
- Be part of the Centennial Founders Fund Dedication Ceremony in Central Park...
- See Robert Thornton's gorgeous botanical prints, 1798-1807, (featured in 'Off the Shelf' below) at the Grolier Club exhibit...
- Visit GCA HQ where the business of our 100-year-old organization is conducted...
- Meet GCA friends from across the country at Dedication Dinner...
Some events have limited seating, so register quickly and remember, all members and their guests are welcome to the Dedication Ceremony in Central Park.
Watch for your invitation arriving in your email next week!
|
|
|
GCA Scholar Goes Fishing...
For Lee Schoen, going fishing is much more than a summer diversion. Lee is a Master's degree candidate at Central Michigan University and a 2012 recipient of the GCA Award in Coastal Wetland Studies. He is conducting his research in the Great Lakes coastal wetlands where he is studying fish tissues and otoliths (ear-bones) to estimate the proportion of diet coming from wetland food sources. The fyke net (photo above) is designed to catch "young of year" resident fish that are too small for a regular net. The other photo (below) is of Lee holding a 20 lb. flathead that he netted in a wetland on the Grand River.
While this photo is fun and makes for great bragging, it also exemplifies the value of coastal wetlands. The fish communities of the Great Lakes coastal wetlands thrive in an environment with an abundance of sources of dietary carbon and healthy, expansive habitats in which to grow.
|
|
|
Off the Shelf...'Double Take'
 The two botanical images chosen by the Centennial Committee to headline its announcement for Dedication Week June 2-4 2013 may cause a double take!
Have I seen these on the wall or off the shelf or both? Many of the 597 subscribed copies of the Temple of Flora (1799 - 1807) have been dismantled. Our copy is in pristine condition and remains in its subscriber's red Moroccan binding.
The author and publisher Robert John Thornton enlisted the best painters and engravers of his day: Philip Reinagle painted the tulips and Peter Henderson the Egyptian  bean. Filled with not only botanical and mythological meanings but also implied political intrigues, there is more than meets the eye in these pictures, two of the most arresting images from the "greatest of all English flower books."
This book and 125 others will be on view in May 2013 at the Grolier Club exhibition when the Library Committee celebrates "Gardening by the Book."
|
| |
|
|
|
|
