The Little Garden Club of Winchester

March 22, 2022

littlegardenclubofwinchester.com

The Little Garden Club of Winchester has been immersed in the culture of Winchester and the surrounding communities since its founding in 1934, becoming a  member of the Garden Club of Virginia in 1954. Club members have long focused on community beautification, stewardship of the environment and providing educational opportunities for others to follow their lead.

Community

Club member Mary Bruce Glaize, along with Peggy McKee and Martha Wolfe, had a vision – to establish a place for children to learn about the natural environment. Without hesitation, Mary Bruce’s husband, Phil Glaize, offered the use of his barn at Old Home Orchard in Frederick County which was surrounded by streams, a pond, fields, woodlands and farmland. The Little Nature Camp of the Little Garden Club became a reality in 1993, and the camp ran for 27 years before closing in 2000.

These intrepid ladies did not stop there, insisting that Winchester should have a children’s science museum. Their persistence paid off and, on April 20, 1996, the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum opened to the public.

Nancy Larrick Crosby Native Plant Trail

“Completed in 1998 thanks to a generous donation from Nancy Larrick Crosby, a founding member of the Little Garden Club of Winchester, the native plant trail was built to showcase the beauty and diversity of Virginia’s native plants and features hundreds of wildflowers, grasses and trees. The trail also serves to educate visitors about our native plants – from their importance in our local ecosystems to identification tips and the benefits they offer humans; interpretive signage and seasonal interactive exhibits appear throughout the trail to help visitors find a deeper connection to the flora and landscapes of Virginia.” https://blandy.virginia.edu/content/nancy-larrick-crosby-native-plant-trail

In 1999, the club worked with the GCV Conservation Committee to create an “Environmental Learning Box,” designed to teach children in Grades 3-5 about water and its role in the environment.

The club began a renovation of the Stewart Bell, Jr. Memorial Garden at Abram’s Delight — to reestablish the landscape to reflect the historic architecture of the Abram’s Delight house; to enhance the visitor’s experience; and to provide an opportunity for families to contribute to the beautification of publicly owned historic site. Club members continue to assist with the garden’s maintenance.

The Little Garden Club and Blue Ridge Hospice hosted Winchester Showhouse and Gardens in 2013 to raise funds for the inpatient care facility and for the beautification of area parks and gardens. The event was held at the Headley House of Long Green in Frederick County.

In 2018, the club generously funded the Wildflower Garden at the entrance of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.

The club also funded a Musical Rooftop Garden at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum. The garden provides a unique musical experience in a natural garden, making the instruments accessible to people of all ages with special needs. The museum educational team has developed programming to encourage collaboration, an understanding of sound and a creative connection to the natural gardens.

The club was awarded the 2020 Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award for its Weir Garden project at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. The garden includes large stone weirs for storm water management, a naturally managed wildlife habitat, an accessible trail and provides education for visitors.

The club established a Butterfly Garden at Virginia Avenue Charlotte DeHart Elementary School in 2023.

The Garden Club of Virginia Board of Governors 2001

The eighty-second meeting of the GCV Board of Governors was hosted by the Little Garden Club of Winchester on October 9-11, 2001, at the Holiday Inn, chaired by Carolyn Griffin and Regina Headley.

The Board of Directors was hosted for lunch and the board meeting that followed at the lovely home of Chris Scully, overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sally Guy Brown later admitted she had spent several minutes thanking Chris, only to find out she was talking to her twin sister.

Mary Bruce and Phil Glaize hosted a Dutch treat “Winchester-style” picnic Tuesday night at their home with apple candles, apple hors d’oeuvres, apple casseroles, apple crisp and a delicious dinner served on apple tablecloths.

On Wednesday morning, Little Garden Club President Martha Parthemos welcomed attendees and called upon Dolly Glaize to present the club history. Dolly confided that when murmurs of an invitation to join the Garden Club of Virginia membership were heard in the early 1950s, members panicked and decided the club’s name was not dignified enough for such an honor. After reviewing 17 suggestions for a new name, the club decided upon Glen Burnie, home of Winchester’s founder. Wait a minute! Within thirty days, members voted to change the name back to the Little Garden Club, and so it stood when asked to join GCV in 1954. Dolly then spoke of the club’s many civic projects through the years and the lasting impact of their work in the Winchester community.

Following the business meeting, attendees were hosted for lunch by Ann Glaize and Susan Holland in their homes, followed by a guided tour of 18th-century Glen Burnie House and Gardens. Cocktails and dinner that night were served in Old Town Winchester at Shenandoah University’s Bowman Building, once a bustling bank. Flautists from the university serenaded attendees as they walked into the hall, transformed by candelabra filled with dahlias and roses.

Thursday morning’s speaker was David Carr, a UVA professor of environmental sciences and the director of Blandy Experimental Farm, who provided attendees with a fascinating lecture on invasive and native plants.

Sally Guy Brown paid tribute to the Little Garden Club of Winchester, closing with, “But there is something wrong, it seems to me. The amazing garden club could not little be!”

LGC hosted 2014 and 2015 GCV Daffodil Shows

2014 Daffodil Show Photos

2015 Daffodil Show Photos

Talented members have consistently won ribbons at GCV flower Shows, including a 2008 Lily Show artistic InterClub blue, a 2009 Daffodil Show artistic InterClub yellow and a 2010 Rose Show artistic blue for a pave arrangement.

Club members participated in the 2011 dedication of the GCV restoration of John Handley High School landscape.

GCV Awards

In 1996, Carolyn Griffin received the GCV Horticulture Award of Merit for her dedication to the horticultural pursuit of daffodils, which she grows, shows and judges on a statewide level.

LGC Presidents 1995-2021

1995-1997	Pembroke Hutchinson
1997-1999	Chris Scully
1999-2001	Mary Bruce Glaize
2001-2003	Martha Parthemos
2003-2005	Christy Chandler
2005-2007	Susie Gerometta
2007-2009	Suzy Oliver
2009-2011	Diane Kelly
2011-2013	Colleen Zoller
2013-2015	Mary Gardiner
2015-2017	Chris Scully
2017-2019	Katie Harvard
2019-2021	Anita Lynn Shull