About the Dolley Madison Garden Club
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The Dolley Madison Garden Club, approaching its Centennial Year, was founded in Orange, Virginia, in November 1919, by a group of civic and garden-oriented women who began their work to protect the agricultural heritage of the area, stimulate horticulture advancement, and undertake community improvement projects. The zinnia was chosen as the Club flower for its symbolism. Zinnias are associated with friendship, endurance,  and constancy. The Dolley Madison Garden Club was the fourth to join the Garden Club of Virginia when that organization started in 1920 and was admitted to the Garden Club of America in 1922. 

The Dolley Madison Garden Club has worked to save dogwoods, control billboards, abolish automobile graveyards, plant five miles of trees on US 15 to beautify the southern stretch of that arterial toward Gordonsville, and work with the Town of Orange to enhance Taylor Park in Orange, Virginia. Recent and ongoing community projects include a public biennial plant sale (in September) and a biennial Conservation oriented forum. On a tri-annual basis, the Club hosts a public Zinnia Show, featuring professionally judged horticulture and artistic entries. Archival work by Club members in the Garden History and Design Committee supports efforts to document local gardens for entry into the Smithsonian’s Archive of American Gardens. Recent submittals include the Orange County estates of Mt. Sharon and Springfields. Club members constructed a Medicinal Herb Garden at the Civil War Medical Museum in Gordonsville in June 2015, and in December 2015, donated an Oriental spruce tree to Dogwood Village. In June 2016, DMGC’s Scholarship and Finance Committee granted a $1000 scholarship to Orange County High School senior Tess Reeves toward a degree in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture at Virginia Tech.

Annually, the Dolley Madison Garden Club produces a Garden Club of Virginia Historic Garden Week tour in April. Proceeds from the tour support GCV projects to beautify and restore gardens and an ongoing partnership with State Parks. All Club members participate in the annual Historic Garden Week tour. In addition, Club members participate in one of the Club's flower committees and in a second Club committee. 
 
We are a  non-profit 501(3)(c) all volunteer organization. Our members provide their time and talent to further the goals of horticulture advancement, protection of the agricultural heritage of the area, and meaningful community projects and engagement. 
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Daffodil Committee

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​The Daffodil Committee is responsible for planting and growing GCV daffodil collections each year and encourages members to plant, grow, show, and exhibit daffodils. 

Rose Committee

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The Rose Committee is responsible for planting and growing GCV rose collections and encourages members to grow, exhibit, and show roses. 

Lily Committee

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The Lily Committee is responsible for planting and growing GCV collections of lily each year, for encouraging members to purchase and ​grow the yearly collections, and to exhibit and show lilies. 

Horticulture Committee
The Horticulture Committee promotes a love and deeper understanding of growing plants and trees. This committee is central to the mission of the Dolley Madison Garden Club and is responsible for growing and gathering plants to be entered in horticultural exhibits at DMGC, GCA, and GCV meetings and shows. They provide the Garden Calendar on our Garden Calendar page to give you tips on what to do in your garden each month of the year.

Flower Arranging
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This committee fosters creative enhancement of flower arranging through workshops, demonstrations and exhibits on a local, state and national level. The committee organizes and implements monthly Club flower exhibits and hosts public events on a biannual basis. 

Conservation and Beautification Committee
The Conservation Committee promotes the conservation of natural resources, encourages control of pollution, and fosters beautification of the environment. Acting as a liaison with other interested civic groups, this committee promotes education in all areas of conservation and beautification. This committee hosts, on a biannual basis, a public Conservation Forum. Committee members participate in GCA and GCV conservation events.

Community Projects Committee
This committee solicits and reviews worthy projects in the counties of Madison, Orange, and Culpeper to be approved and implemented by the Club to enhance the community and further the goals of the Club to reach out to the community. Projects have included plantings in Taylor Park in Orange, VA, tree plantings, and making swags with the Boys and Girls Club.