The Nansemond River Garden Club

March 21, 2022

1996-2000

The Nansemond River Garden Club marked 1996 with two important milestones — the club’s 68th birthday, and the 60th anniversary of the club’s membership in the Garden Club of Virginia. As was true when the club was founded, dedicated members have continued their enthusiasm for participation in local and state-level activities.

Fundraisers have included bus trips to Charleston and Savannah, sales and raffles. The club has funded projects to beautify the Suffolk Museum and to help fund the Gay Birdsong Memorial Flower Fund, NRGC’s Ecology Camp and the Wildlife Project.

The members have actively supported the GCV anti-billboard legislation through a letter-writing campaign.

Nansemond River hosted the 62nd Annual Rose Show in 1998. The members worked their magic transforming the Nansemond Suffolk Academy’s cafeteria into a glorious sight for all who attended. The need to fill a category resulted in co-chairman, Nita Bagnell, winning Best in Show for her tablescape. Four hundred seventy-four stems added to the spectacle of a successful show. The members extended their heartfelt thanks to the Elizabeth River, Franklin and Brunswick clubs for their assistance. Preparations for the 63rd Rose Show in 1999 became upended when the devastating rains, caused by Hurricane Floyd, inundated southeast Virginia, causing, for the first time in GCV history, the cancellation of a Rose Show.

2000-2010

Continuing the club members’ interest and attendance at Conservation Forums, it was announced at the March 2000 meeting that NRGC was the only club who completed the environmental boxes for the science teachers’ project. The new decade brought new fundraising ideas: sales of metal flower containers, wrought iron lanterns, the Step into Spring luncheon and blossom boas. The club continued with projects to preserve and protect the environment, to provide educational programs, to support GCV preservation projects and to foster projects within the community.

Georgie Morgan, director of the Nansemond River Garden Club Ecology Camp, was awarded the 2000 Elizabeth Cabell Dugdale Award for Meritorious Achievement in Conservation.

In 2001 the club began researching projects that would continue the club’s on-going focus to preserve and beautify the city. In 2002 a commitment of $10,000 began a partnership with the city to establish a garden in the 1802 Cedar Hill Cemetery. Having acquired a tax-exempt status, the club hired an architectural historian, began the layout of the garden and applied for the GCV Common Wealth Award. Through the club’s work, the cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

‘The Heritage Garden is part of the larger Cedar Hill Project, the rejuvenation and beautification of Cedar Hill Cemetery, the only greenspace in our historic district. This project is how our garden club chose to be a part of Suffolk’s major downtown revitalization effort. To date we have invested $10,000 of our treasury in hiring an architectural historian, landscaping the main entrance of the cemetery, replacing cedar trees felled by Hurricane Isabel, and creating a scatter garden for human ashes. Interest in the old cemetery has been raised by our activities there and by our sending speakers with a PowerPoint program to local groups.

‘The Heritage Garden with its berried/fragrant plants, accessible to the physically and sight impaired, faces the river and hotel/convention center, providing an ideal location to highlight the history of Suffolk during Colonial and Civil War periods. It has been named a Legacy Project for America’s 400th Anniversary, and its implementation is a city-wide effort with many contributions and grants being given to NRGC.

“With the receipt of the prestigious Common Wealth Award, the addition of historic signage (including Braille) and fragrant plants would complete the garden.”

~NRGC application text reproduced in June 2006 Journal

by Melba Trenary

2002 brought particularly exciting news. Mary Hart Darden was elected President of the Garden Club of Virginia (2002-2004), the third club member to be so recognized. In 2012 Mary Hart received the Massie Medal for Distinguished Achievement. On the club’s current membership roll are those who have been members for over sixty years. NRGC members have served as GCV officers, committee chairmen, committee members and participated in long-range and strategic planning.

In 2008 a club mentorship program began. It has proven successful and beneficial to new members and has been a positive reaffirmation for the mentors of the club’s programs and projects.

Nansemond River Garden Club president Pat House accepted the GCV 2006 Commonwealth Award for the Heritage Garden at Cedar Hill Cemetery at the 87th Board of Governors Meeting. The 2007 dedication of the Heritage Garden, the newly formed scatter garden and the restored historic fountain was attended by GCV President Sally Guy Brown. Others attending for this Jamestown Legacy 2007 Project were the City’s mayor and dignitaries, project donors and club members as host. The club provided for perpetual funding for the garden and continues the upkeep to provide an inviting garden in the only green space in downtown Suffolk.

The Horticulture Award of Merit, the ninth for NRGC, was awarded to Mary Lawrence Harrell. The club’s nomination for the Dugdale Award for Conservation was presented to the Thomas J. Lipton, Inc. Tea, Inc. for promoting a reduce, reuse and recycle approach, resulting in the company achieving a 100 percent recycle goal in 2009. The company also received the 2010 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.

2010-2020

The new decade began with the club’s winning the Quad Blue for the best InterClub artistic award at the 72nd Rose Show.

Preparations that were underway for the 2012 Board of Governors meeting in downtown Suffolk, went into high gear. The Heritage Garden was fluffed to perfection and final assignments were coordinated with the GCV and the club’s co-chairmen. A new logo featuring cattails, designed by a member’s son, debuted at BOG. Rains threatened on the evening of the BOG cocktail party, held at Cricket Hill on the Nansemond River, the home of Dwight and Jane Schaubach. The skies cleared just as attendees arrived and the lovely party ended with the host driving GCV President, Ann Gordon Evans, to Cedar Point Country Club in his 1929 Duesenberg. The following day gave attendees an opportunity to see the historic sights and visit the Heritage Garden in downtown Suffolk.

Club business and educational programs continued as usual and club members learned about the newly formed Nansemond River Preservation Alliance (NRPA). The club became a supporter of this grassroots organization of businesses, organizations and individuals to educate the public about the importance of the health of our waterways. NRPA was the 2019 recipient of the Elizabeth Cabell Dugdale Award for its dedication to preserving the waterways and educating the future generations through hands-on classroom programs.

Visit the following sites for more information.

Nansemond River Preserfvation Alliance

Suffolk River Heritage 

Partnering with the city, the club hired the firm of John Milner Associates to present a preservation plan for Cedar Hill Cemetery. The plan resulted in the firm’s winning a prestigious award from the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The club also hired Andrews Lefevre Corporation. of New York to cast a stately bronze map, in Braille and print, giving detailed information of the Heritage Garden and Cedar Hill Cemetery. Suffolk Tourism Bureau’s tours now begin at the map located in our award-winning garden.

A partnership with The Elizabeth River Garden Club, then the addition of The Franklin Garden Club to Historic Garden Week, has been a rewarding opportunity to work closely with sister clubs. Sharing the leadership responsibilities, while rotating the tours among the three cities, has given guests and members an enhanced appreciation for the diverse region.

Adding to the list of award winners, Susan Garrett, won the Nobel Prize for the best horticulture exhibit at the 2018 Symposium. In 2019 she was awarded the GCV Horticulture Award of Merit.

2018 marked NRGC’s 90th anniversary. To celebrate, the club sponsored a speaker/luncheon event, complete with outstanding vendors, and thus began a series of highly successful fundraisers. Similar events followed, raising funds for: the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance for hands-on water-monitoring devices for elementary students and a riparian restoration project on the Nansemond River; a bench and gardening tools for the new Salvation Army facility in downtown Suffolk; the club’s Ecology Camp (renamed the Ellen G. Godwin Ecology Camp); the first phase of a three-part ecological garden at King’s Fork High School; and continued upkeep and improvements to the Heritage Garden at Cedar Hill Cemetery. The club has set aside funding for an additional beatification project within the city.

In 2020 the club added photography to its list of special committees. Members have enthusiastically embraced and participated in GCV and in-house photography shows.

The Nansemond River Garden Club moves forward with a resilient attitude that sustains the club’s humor and its ongoing dedication, commitment and financial support to the principles of the club and the Garden Club of Virginia.

NRGC Presidents 1996-2020

1996-1998	Pearl Harrell
1998-2000	Pam Pruden
2000-2002	Ellen Saunders
2002-2004	Nita Bagnell
2004-2006	Linda Consolvo
2006-2008	Pat House
2008-2010	Nancy Dempsey
2010-2012	Sara Ann Johnson
2012-2014	Sandy Hart
2014-2016	Brenda Quayle
2016-2018	Mary Jane Naismith
2018-2020	Linda Consolvo