Rivanna Garden Club

March 21, 2022

therivannagardenclub.org

Rivanna Garden Club has had tremendous impact on Charlottesville and its surrounding communities for many years with award winning projects, grants and volunteerism. The club’s successful tours during Historic Garden Week, in collaboration with its sister clubs (Charlottesville and Albemarle), have contributed significantly to the Garden Club of Virginia’s Restoration projects around the Commonwealth.

While contributing so much to the community, RGC members have formed lasting friendships and the club is proud to be known for its “worker bee mentality — well-rounded, diverse and known for getting the job done.”

Community Projects

The club’s annual Christmas Market has provided major funding for community projects, as well as an opportunity for community residents to purchase beautiful holiday wreaths, table top arrangements, crafts, delicious food and holiday gifts. In addition, RGC members contributed $25,000 for community projects in celebration of the RGC centennial.

For many years RGC has provided annual scholarships to Nature Camp in Vesuvius, and to ARC (Albemarle, Rivanna, Charlottesville) Camp, where students are given opportunities to learn about nature and the environment.

Other projects include:

• planting an arboretum at the Miller School of Albemarle in 1996
• designing and planting a pollinator garden at James River State Park in the spring of 2018
• working and providing funding to complete an outdoor learning center at the Brownsville Elementary School in 2019 as a memorial to member Mary Eades

RGC Centennial projects:

• supporting the restoration of the Upper Grove at Monticello (tree planting)
• restoring a rock wall at the Ivy Creek Natural Area.

Tri-Club: Albemarle, Charlottesville and Rivanna

The “tri-club” that includes Albemarle Garden Club, the Charlottesville Garden Club and Rivanna Garden Club, was formed to facilitate Historic Garden Week. Rivanna had previously joined with the Albemarle and Charlottesville garden clubs in planting a maple tree at the entrance to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport in honor of the victims of 9/11.

In 2008, a proposal was initiated by Rivanna and presented to the Garden Club of Virginia by the three clubs to realign the HGW district and expand the clubs’ role and cooperation within the district. This enabled the clubs to share their thoughts and concerns with the GCV Board of Directors.

Each December, the tri-club comes together to decorate the Charlottesville Amtrak Station with a beautiful Christmas tree, wreaths, arrangements — a very festive event that brings holiday cheer to travelers.

GCV Awards

Under Fran Boninti’s leadership, RGC received the 1997 Common Wealth Award — $5,000 to landscape the Ivy Creek Natural Area education building. This project was completed with the help of the Master Gardeners. Mary Bentley submitted an article on this project that appeared in the 1999 edition of the Journal. In 2011, RGC received the Common Wealth Award — $10,500 for landscaping and site improvements at Hatton Ferry, the last hand-poled ferry in the United States. And in 2015, RGC and the Charlottesville Garden Club received the Common Wealth Award — $10,000 for the creation of a garden and outdoor counseling area at the Blue Ridge Juvenile Detention Center. Matching grants were obtained for each of these Common Wealth Award projects.

In 2008, the Mary Jean Printz Rose award was created honoring RGC member and former President of the Garden Club of Virginia, Jean Printz, for the best InterClub Rose Chairman collection in a GCV Rose Show.

The club successfully nominated two local projects for the Elizabeth Cabell Dugdale Award for Conservation — The University of Virginia Foundation’s Tree Transplanting Project at North Fork Park in 1999 and Union Bank and Trust branch on the corner of Barracks Road and Cedars Court for their site preservation work in 2007.

In 2001, member Fran Boninti was awarded the de Lacy Gray Medal for Conservation.

Garden Club of Virginia Events

Rivanna Garden Club has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the Garden Club of Virginia and is especially proud of its contributions to Historic Garden Week that provide trementous support not only the community, but also the Commonwealth.

RGC hosted the 53rd and 54th Annual GCV Lily Shows June 14-15, 1995 and June 19-20, 1996, at the University of Virginia’s Alumni Hall, chaired by Carolyn Wilcox and co-chaired by Cecila Oaks.

Rivanna hosted a fabulous 86th Annual Meeting in 2006, chaired by Nancy Lowry and Jan Stalfort. A Dutch treat barbeque dinner was held Tuesday night in the Ice Park Center with an all-girl band providing entertainment. Wednesday’s highlight was lunch on the lawn at Bessie Carter’s family home, Redlands and, when attendees arrived they found a beautiful, tented area with fifteen tables elegantly covered in white linens. The center of each table held a gorgeous “one of a kind” birthday cake made by members of Rivanna Garden Club. Lunch turned out to be a surprise birthday party for Bessie! Following lunch, Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at Monticello, gave a presentation on heritage plants. An afternoon tour of Monticello and a trip to Montalto for cocktails preceded the awards banquet at the Omni Hotel.

Rivanna Garden Club members assisted the Garden Club of Virginia and the GCV Horticulture Committee when 2007 Horticulture Field Day was held in the Charlottesville area, featuring gardens that included Whispering Pines, the Taylor Garden, Whilton, Waterperry Farm and Bird Hill.

Rivanna will celebrate its centennial in 2022 with a 1920’s themed event at the Keswick Hunt Club; and will host the GCV Annual Meeting in 2024 — a conservation themed event.

RGC club members have often served on the Garden Club of Virginia Board of Directors and as chairmen and members of numerous GCV Committees.

RGC Milestones

• Celebrated 75th anniversary in 1997 with a Monticello garden tour and cocktail party with vintage attire at the home of Dan and Lou Jordan on the grounds of Monticello
• Celebrated 95th anniversary in 2012 with a fabulous gala celebration at Morven
• Invited to attend the rededication of a marker originally placed by RGC in 1929 at the birthplace of Susan Koerner Wright at Hillsboro in Loudoun County. The marker says that Susan Wright “inspired her sons Wilbur and Orville to their immortal discovery, giving mankind access to the unlimited aerial highway.”

RGC Presidents 1994-2020

1994-1996	Sallie Sims
1996-1998	Jane Kerewich
1998-2000	Mary Ann Miller
2000-2002	Jocelyn Connors
2002-2004	Nancy Lowry
2004-2006	Jan Stalfort
2006-2008	Louise Tayloe
2008-2010	Lucy Huff
2010-2012	Janice Carter
2012-2014	Cheryl Bradbury
2014-2016	Phyllis Ripper
2016-2018	Liz Carter
2018-2020	Martha Wertz