The Garden Club of Warren County

March 21, 2022

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The first business brought before the club was the subject of refuse dumped along roadsides. There are frequent references to this nuisance in the minutes for some years, as well as reports by the chairman of an interview with the mayor, council, and supervisors. It is reasonable to believe that the establishment of a town dump was the direct result of garden club efforts.

Club members have been beautifying surrounding communities ever since and, on May 20, 1941, the club expanded its vision when it became a member club in the Garden Club of Virginia.

Community Involvement

GCWC has long focused on community involvement and improvements. Landscaping projects over the years have had significant impact in Front Royal: landscaping at Warren Memorial Hospital; the creation of a garden and bird sanctuary at Samuels Public Library (then housed in Ivy Lodge) and another bird sanctuary at Skyline Caverns; improvements to the landscape at Warren County High School; planting marigolds at filling stations; and landscaping at Lynn Care Center at Warren Memorial Hospital and the town parking lots.

When Bowman Park was established with plantings of dogwood trees, flowering shrubs and thousands of bulbs, the club assisted with landscaping maintenance. And when a garden plan was developed for Belle Boyd Cottage on the grounds of the Warren Heritage Society, the club applied for and received the GCV Common Wealth Award.

Trees planted by the club could be found for years along Royal Avenue, on the post office lawn, along John Marshall Highway, on the grounds of Warren Memorial Hospital and Warren County Middle School, at Samuels Public Library and on additional public properties and historic homes.

The club was instrumental in the reclamation of Happy Creek and the surrounding Brookside community in its early days.

And when the club was invited to join the Garden Club of Virginia, it began a long history of hosting the GCV Board of Governors meetings, GCV flower shows and Historic Garden Week tours. Members chaired and served on GCV committees and received accolades from GCV for artistic design, horticulture and conservation.

Since 1990, GCWC has contributed funds to landscape the Warren County Senior Center in Front Royal and continues to participate in the Adopt-a-Highway-Program. Club members have planted wildflowers at Leslie Fox Keyser Public Elementary School and, under the guidance of member Melba Trenary, expanded and maintained the Belle Boyd Cottage Garden.

In partnership with South River, Front Royal and Valley garden clubs, GCWC organized the Beautification of Front Royal Committee. The first project was implementation of a Landscape Corridor Plan developed for the town by the University of Virginia School of Landscape Architecture. Our members continued to serve on the Beautification of Front Royal Committee.

The club has provided scholarships for students at Warren County High School to Nature Camp; presented wildlife programs to Warren County Middle School students; provided decorations for Christmas activities at Belle Grove Plantation, Warren County Heritage Society and Blue Ridge Arts Council; and provided flower arrangements for St. Luke Community Clinic and Salvation Army fundraising dinners. The club also provides funds annually to the Beautification of Front Royal Committee; Warren Heritage Society for the Bell Boyd Cottage Garden; local 4-H Camp; Friends of the Shenandoah River and Shenandoah River State Park.

GCWC recognizes outstanding artistic and horticulture achievements annually with the Artistic Award Bowl and the Garden Club of Warren County Horticulture Plaque. The club participated in the VMFA’s Fine Arts and Flowers event in 2009 and continued participation through 2019.

The Garden Club of Virginia

The club hosted the GCV 2004 Board of Governors at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center on October 12-14, co-chaired by Melba Trenary and Elsie Upchurch. The GCV Board of Directors met Tuesday afternoon at the Miller-Lickson House. A Dutch treat dinner followed at Rose Hill. The awards banquet was held Wednesday evening at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club.

The club spent countless hours preparing to host the 2020 GCV Board of Governors when COVID-19 resulted in its cancellation.

In celebration of the GCV Centennial, GCWC applied for and received a 2018 grant from the Garden Club of Virginia to develop a pollinator meadow and bee habitat with interpretive signage at the Raymond R. “Andy” Guest, Jr. Shenandoah River State Park. A second grant was received in 2019 to improve the lighting and add additional plantings to the area around the visitor center at the park.

After serving on the GCV Horticulture Committee from 2012 to 2014, Beth DeBergh chaired the committee from 2014 to 2016. She received the GCV Horticulture Award of Merit in 2022. Other recipients of the Horticulture Award of Merit were Judith Geddy in 1994 and Louise LaBarca in 2015. The GCV’s Dugdale Award for Meritorious Achievement in Conservation was presented to the Friends of the Shenandoah River in 2003.

GCWC Presidents 1995-2021

1995-1997	Elsie Upchurch
1997-1999	Scottie Thomson
1999-2001	Bryane Lickson
2001-2003	Louise LaBarca
2003-2005	Peggy Heyden
2005-2007	Julie Mead
2007-2009	Diane Kline
2009-2011	Corrine Llewellyn
2011-2013	Bev Morrison
2013-2015	Bonnie Baker
2015-2017	Dannett Lightcap
2017-2019	Beth DeBergh
2019-2021	Jenny Murphy