The Charlottesville Garden Club

March 22, 2022

thecharlottesvillegardenclub.com

In the years since publication of Follow the Green Arrow II in 1995, The Charlottesville Garden Club has not only flourished, but blossomed. The club has grown in numbers; categories of membership; diversity of programs and program times; creativity in educational and floral arranging opportunities; as well as many aspects of technology — an updated website, an Instagram account charlottesvillegardenclub, a reimagined monthly newsletter format, the use of credit cards as a form of payment at special events and programs, and the use of Eventbrite for purchasing tickets.

CGC Membership

After much research by an ad hoc committee on membership, CGC has now secured a more stable and thriving membership by adding a Junior membership category for a maximum of ten women under 45 years of age (with a term limit of three years). This new category is in addition to the club’s Active, Associate, Honorary, and Life Membership categories. CGC has also increased the maximum number of Active members from 42 to 45. This small change increases the club’s workforce but still allows it to be small enough to continue to hold meetings and luncheons in members’ homes, as the founding members did to foster opportunities to enrich club friendships.

Fundraisers, Project Development, and Community Projects

CGC continues to sell two educational publications, What to Do When and The Art of Conditioning Flowers at the downtown Charlottesville Caspari flagship store, as well as online. These often-revised publications were the combined efforts of a small group of club members in 1992 for the education of CGC members and the public. They continue to be profitable for the club as an ongoing fundraiser, raising close to $40,000 over the past twenty years.

Fundraising opportunities have increased through the hard work and creativity of CGC members. What started out as a small silent auction of seasonal gifts (baked goods, art, potted bulbs and floral arrangements) among members, has recently grown into a much larger Holiday Bazaar that’s now open to the public, as well.

As an additional fundraiser at some monthly meetings, members have had an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win an arrangement created by one of the club’s many talented floral arrangers. Another successful holiday fundraiser item has been the sale of waxed amaryllis bulbs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, members moved to a Grab-and-Go Silent Auction of Gifts using a drive-thru format, another creative innovation of the club’s Fundraising Committee.

These increased sales opportunities have led to an increase in consistent monetary profits, which has allowed us to use these funds to expand our outreach to community projects:

• 1999: Made a $5,000 donation to Monticello for establishment of an Outdoor Classroom as part of the Thomas Jefferson Monticello Parkway Project.
• 2002: The Blue Ridge House Landscaping Project (now known as Region X, Blue Ridge Center): The CGC completed a landscaping project and continued to take floral arrangements to the house and/or fresh flowers for them to arrange.
• 2002: Planted a Legacy sugar maple at the Charlottesville Regional Airport Memorial and Tribute (in partnership with Albemarle and Rivanna garden clubs) as a memorial and tribute to the victims of September 11th.
• April 2006: Made a donation to the Rock House Renovation Project. The Charles B. Holt Rock House was a part of a prominent African-American business district, which was officially listed on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and the National Registry of Historic Places at this time. The CGC donation was for adding to the landscape by planting bulbs and groundcover.
• March 2007: Made a $10,000 donation to the Roadside Enhancement Project (Fontaine Avenue Exit at the 29 S./ 250 W. Entry Corridor). This was a beautification project agreement made between CGC, Albemarle County, and VDOT for the installation of trees, shrubs, bulbs, and other plantings in a triangular bed created at the Fontaine Exit, which serves as an entry corridor (just off I-64) to Charlottesville and UVA. Upon completion, CGC installed a sign indicating the area was sponsored by CGC.
• 2016: CGC approved a proposal to develop a Habitat Demonstration Garden, in cooperation with Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, by helping with plant installation and placing signage for the Native Habitat Garden (after Parks and Recreation cleared the site of invasive plants, prepped the site, and then planted native trees).
• April 2017: Made a donation of 100 roses for the Memorial Celebration of Daughters of Zion Cemetery, an historic, African-American two-acre burial ground listed on both the Virginia and National Registers of Historic Places, City of Charlottesville, and makes an annual contribution for this memorial.
• 2018: Another recipient was Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, which had formerly housed a shipping warehouse. After the removal of dead bushes and invasives, new plants, shrubs, and bulbs were planted and mulched by club members to make a new, more welcoming entrance for clients. A member’s husband, who had helped with the original renewal project, helped coordinate with an interested Eagle Scout to design and build a board fence at the entrance.
• Fall 2020: A small group of members returned to plant daffodil bulbs around the fence at Loaves and Fishes.

The Tay Gwaltney Flower Arranging School

The Tay Gwaltney Flower Arranging School (TGFAS) was established in 2006 in honor of CGC member “Tay” Sarah Parrot Gwaltney, a talented, award-winning arranger and GCV artistic judge, as well as a knowledgeable horticulture judge. “The purpose is to reflect Tay Gwaltney’s love of flower arranging and teaching and her belief that the art enriches people’s lives in a profound way.” The TGFAS is meant to encourage this art in the community by providing an educational opportunity to observe demonstrations by talented arrangers, to hear speakers, and/or to create arrangements.

The first Tay Gwaltney Flower Arranging School was held at Olivet Church with demonstrations by talented Associate members Gene Barnes, Pattye Leggett, Ellie Whiteley and Aileen Kelly. It was targeted toward new members. The workshop highlighted conditioning, mechanics and arranging techniques.

TGFAS has offered a variety of programs and formats since its founding but, to this day, it still continues as a flower arranging school.

• October 2008: Randy Ouzts (Blowing Rock, NC), known for Napa Home and Garden products, gave a flower arranging presentation and demonstration at Farmington Country Club. Floral products were available for sale afterwards. It was open to the public and chaired by Nan Brody. CGC Vice President Trish Burton hosted a dinner the night before in his honor.
• October 2010: Chris Giftos, Master Floral Arranger and Manager of Special Events at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Honorary Member of the GCA, gave a lecture and floral arranging demonstration at Farmington Country Club, open to the public and chaired by Holly Macauley Casey.

For the next few years, the schedule, format, and location of TGFAS varied — an event for members one year, followed by a public event the following year. The club’s November meeting became the TGFAS with demonstrations and hands-on workshops for members. Programs were held at St. Paul’s Ivy Episcopal Church or The Clubs at Old Trail. Fall and holiday arrangements were made in a variety of seasonal containers such as gourds and pumpkins, and wreaths were created. Randy Herring and Joey Strickler of Floral Images Design Studio or talented club members provided expert guidance for many of these arranging schools. TGGAS in 2016 was held at the Charlottesville Boys and Girls Club. Randy and Joey supplied containers and fall flowers and demonstrated an arrangement for members to then duplicate. Members were asked to bring well-conditioned boxwood, holly, pinecones, greens, or berries for everyone to share.

CGC began a partnership with Caspari in November 2018, hosting TGFAS at Caspari’s flagship store on the Charlottesville downtown mall. Lisa Milbank, a CGC member and president of Caspari, generously offered store space and provided materials for members to create a personal set of holiday placemats. In November 2019, five CGC members made floral arrangements for Caspari holiday-inspired tablescapes displays. The designers gave talks about the design process they used for creating each of the individual tablescapes. The event was a huge success.

1998 GCV Board of Governors

The Charlottesville Garden Club hosted the 79th GCV Board of Governors meeting on October 6-8, 1998, at the Boar’s Head Inn and Conference Center, co-chaired by Kate Kessler and Jane Maddux. The Board of Directors was invited for lunch on October 6, 1998, by Dr. and Mrs. John Janes at their UVA Pavilion V home. Cocktails were served that evening at “Double Fault,” the delightful home of Hunter Smith, followed by Dutch treat dinner.

Charlottesville Garden Club President Linda MacIlwaine welcomed attendees to the BOG on Wednesday morning and introduced Kate Kessler, who provided a brief history of the club beginning with a project to arrange dried flowers at Monticello. She told of the first CGC president, Martha Rankin, who authored a pamphlet on drying flowers that sold 27,000 copies to benefit the club. With $2,000 from the 1988 Common Wealth Award, members attempted to clean up the fraternity/sorority area at UVA. Kate remarked, “At least the entrance on University Avenue shows some positive results.”

Following business reports on Wednesday, guest speaker Dr. Richard Guy Wilson, Commonwealth Professor and Chair of the Department of Architectural History at the University of Virginia, presented “The Colonial Revival in Virginia.”

After adjournment for the day, attendees enjoyed a tour of Bessie Carter’s Redlands, followed by lunch on her front lawn served by Albemarle Garden Club members. Attendees were then offered afternoon tours of the Kluge Japanese Garden or the gardens at Morven, a three-story, brick manor house built in the late-Georgian/Federal Style that dates to 1820. The land on which it sits was part of the original Carter family land grant and was known to Thomas Jefferson as “Indian Camp.” The formal gardens at Morven were restored in 1930 by landscape architect Annette Hoyt Flanders and have been open to the public for Historic Garden Week every year since 1933. The property is on the National Register of Historic Places and on the Virginia Landmarks Register.

As if the day was not special enough, CGC then treated attendees to a candlelight tour of Ashlawn-Highland, home of James Monroe, and followed that with the awards banquet at the University of Virginia Rotunda. Quite an amazing day, filled with Virginia history.

At the close of the business meeting on Thursday, GCV President Bessie Carter hosted a farewell luncheon at her historic home, Redlands.

2013 GCV Annual Meeting

The Charlottesville Garden Club hosted the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of Virginia on May 6-8, 2013, at the Boar’s Head Inn, chaired by Trish Burton, Renee Grisham, and Elizabeth Neff.

The Board of Directors met Monday, May 6, hosted by Peggy Quayle and Jane Maddux at Peggy’s lovely hilltop home in Farmington for luncheon and meeting.

Attendees were invited to a wine reception Monday night at the historic Paramount Theater on the downtown mall. With drinks in hand, attendees toured the beautifully restored theater and watched a video introduced by Barbara Sieg that highlighted the history of the Paramount and its revival. Dutch treat dinner followed at Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar and featured a tasty spring-inspired menu.

CGC offered activities on Tuesday morning as described by Catherine Madden in her meeting summary: “Tuesday morning arrived a little soggy, but that didn’t dissuade our intrepid group from venturing forth to first tour the fascinating home and garden of Barbara Sieg. Barbara graciously invited us inside to Flordon, which started its life as a hunting lodge in the early 1900s and was later enlarged in 1936 by noted architect Marshall Swain Wells. We also admired the formal gardens originally designed by Charles Gillette, including a charming secret garden tucked in beside the house. Then we were off to Fran and Andrew Boninti’s wonderful, never-ending garden where we were amazed at the extensive and varied plant material that clearly demonstrates a passion for horticulture and a really green thumb.”

Lunch at the Boar’s Head followed morning tours, where member club presidents dined with their Directors at Large in the Patio Room while others met up with new friends and old in the Hearth and Arbor rooms.

Following announcements, the meeting was adjourned for the evening. Cocktails and the awards banquet were held in the Boar’s Head Inn ballroom Tuesday evening. Attendees were thrilled to be serenaded by the Virginia Gentlemen during cocktails, especially with their rendition of The Good Old Song.

Wednesday’s guest speaker was Sam Abell, noted National Geographic photographer, author, and artist.

2013 Annual Meeting Photos

GCV Centennial: A Commemorative Tree Planting Ceremony at Monticello

On February 24, 2020, the three local member clubs of the Garden Club of Virginia hosted a Centennial Celebration at Monticello in honor of the GCVs 100th Anniversary. A member and representative of The Charlottesville Garden Club, Sue Ann Morgan, served as a liaison with Monticello to plan the tri-club project with representatives from the other two member clubs (Albemarle and Rivanna) to commemorate the GCVs Centennial by planting three Commemoration sugar maples at Monticello: one for each of our garden clubs. (Commemoration in honor of the occasion and sugar maples because they were a favorite of Thomas Jefferson’s.) Tri-club members and honored guests from the Garden Club of Virginia were invited to the celebration, and Thomas Jefferson, as interpreted by Bill Barker, surprised attendees with a special appearance to assist with the tree planting and to provide fitting remarks. Curator of Plants Peggy Cornett provided a guided tour of the gardens afterwards, and a lovely reception followed at the food café. Coverage was provided by the local NBC 29 News that evening, as well as a write-up in The Daily Progress the following day.

GCV Officers and Committee Members

1994-1996	Jane Maddux, Chairman, GCV Slides Committee
1996-1998	Peggy Quayle, Chairman, GCV Slides Committee
1996-1998	Jane Maddux, GCV Massie Medal Committee
1996-2000	Linda MacIlwaine, Circulation Manager, GCV Journal
1996-2000	Zan Short, GCV Computer Consultant (to set up GCV email system)
1996-1998	Zan Short, GCV Computer Committee (to design GCV Website)
2010-2016	Linda MacIlwaine, GCV Flower Show Committee
2012-2014	Trish Burton, GCV Common Wealth Committee
2014-2016	Linda MacIlwaine, GCV Flower Show Committee, Awards Chairman
2016	Betsy Casteen, GCV Historic Garden Week, State Co-Chairman

GCV Awards

The 1998 Massie Medal for Distinguished Achievement awarded to Mavis Bayles, a member of CGC since 1969, “for fiscal gardening and artistic talent shared with wit and joy.” (1980-1994, GCV Treasurer)

The 2004 Common Wealth Award 2nd place ($2,000) awarded for the creation of the CGC website, Gardening in Virginia, designed by CGC member Zan Short.

The 2015 Common Wealth Award ($10,000) awarded for the Blue Ridge Juvenile Detention Center garden, a joint partnership between Rivanna Garden Club and The Charlottesville Garden Club. Funds were requested to expand the garden, which the residents plant, maintain, consume, sell, or donate. An expert gardening individual was already in place to help with this project.

The 2018 Horticulture Award of Merit awarded to CGC member Meredith Mercer, for their “significant accomplishments in horticulture, both personally and in the community at large;” a Master Gardener, often hosting groups in her garden; willingly sharing her expertise.

GCV Flower Show Awards

The 2012 Annabel Josephs GCV InterClub Artistic Award. A perpetual (silver cup) trophy for the club accumulating the greatest number of points in the InterClub artistic division of the three GCV flower shows from Annual Meeting to Annual Meeting. Accepted by CGC President Betsy Casteen at the GCV Annual Meeting.

Lily Show Awards

1996 Lily Show Members’ Club Cup: Barbara Sieg; 2013 Lily Show Ann Carter Walker Somerville Award: Anne Vanderwarker; 2015 Lily Show Blue ribbon and Quad Blue Ribbon for best InterClub arrangement)

Daffodil Show Awards
2012 Blue Ribbon and Quad Blue Ribbon for best InterClub arrangement

CGC member Gale Frizzell, as her obituary read in January 2018, “was revered for her endless
knowledge of and contagious enthusiasm for daffodils.” She won many trophies and awards:

• The Katharine Leadbetter Bloomer Award: 1995, 1998, 2000, 2007
• The Eleanor Truax Harris Challenge Award: 1991, 2000, 2002
• The Helen Louise Broyhill Trophy: 1999, 2000
• The Louise Morris Goodwin Bowl: 2001
• The Reds Cup Award: 2002
• Blue Ribbons at ten shows in 2005 and tied for the most Blue Ribbons in one show
• Virginia Daffodil Society
  • April 2005 Head Judge, Virginia  Daffodil Society Show for Miniature Division
  • April 2005 The Ads Throckmorton Ribbon, the 2nd highest award given by The American Daffodil Society (15 cultivars–and each of the 15 blooms must be perfect!
    Best Collection of 12 Stems: 1996, 1997, 1999
  • April 13, 2002: The British Medal: Marie Bozievich Collection of 12 Stems

On September 17, 2008, The Charlottesville Garden Club (with the GCV Daffodil Committee) announced The Gale and Lockwood Frizzell Award, Class 199: as a Section M Daffodil Recognition Award given for the Best Collection of Three Different Varieties of Irish Blooms, Division 1-4, exhibited in a single tube, to be awarded at the GCV Daffodil Show beginning in 2009. Gale’s husband, Lockwood, was made an Honorary Member of CGC in 2000 for his contributions with Gale.

CGC Anniversary Celebrations of Membership in GCV

The Charlottesville Garden Club celebrated its 50th anniversary of becoming a member of the Garden Club of Virginia on May 16, 2007, at Oakwood, home of member Renee Grisham. Attendees enjoyed a presentation by CGC President Allison Schildwachter, “Celebrating the Decades,” followed by memories and skits by many members. Guest speaker and noted National Geographic photographer, Sam Abell, spoke on the influence of gardening in his life. Members received a copy of his book, Seeing Gardens. The club’s annual flower show and tablescapes were displayed under an elegant tent. Each member was given a copy of The CGC 50th Anniversary Memoirs, edited by Sue Ann Morgan (25th anniversary book incorporated at back of the 50th book).

The club celebrated its 60th anniversary of becoming a member of the Garden Club of Virginia in September 2017, “Celebrating Our Club’s History,” at the home of member Whitley Rotgin.  Co-Historian Allison Schildwachter led the celebration, and club members contributed memories. Members received a copy of Celebrating 60 Years of The Charlottesville Garden Club (Becoming a Member Club of the GCV): May 15, 1957–May 15, 2017, edited by Sue Ann Morgan, Co-Historian (25th and 50th books incorporated at back of the 60th book). New members receive a copy at their orientation.

CGC Presidents 1996-2020

1996-1998	Peggy Quayle
1998-2000	Linda Macilwaine
2000-2002	Nancy Campa
2002-2004	Peggy Zunka
2004-2006	Patricia Tiedeman
2006-2008	Allison Schildwachter
2008-2010	Trish Burton
2010-2012	Nan Brody
2012-2014	Betsy Casteen
2014-2016	Rachel Watson
2016-2018	Boo Green
2018-2020	Robin Cherry