DMGC hosted author Jennifer Ackerman at a meeting on January 9, 2019, to discuss some of her incredible work with birds as documented in her book The Genius of Birds.
Read more here: Orange County Review Article "A Word on Birds" 
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Floral Design Study Group, in Denver was attended by members Catherine Brooks and President Annie Vanderwarker. They created the arrangement and unique basket at the workshop.
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The Garden Club of America Zone VII Meeting and Flower Show, held October 8-10, 2018, in Roanoke, Virginia, was a ribbon winning event for Dolley Madison Garden Club members. Member Ada Harvey brought home a 2 blue ribbons in Horticulture for her Celosia, 'Oregon's Breath', and her Dahlia 'Akita'; President Annie Vanderwarker took a blue ribbon for Tricyrtis, Toad Lily, a red for Araceae, Arum, and a yellow for her Celosia; 1st Vice President Carla Passarello took 3 red ribbons for her Zinnia, Cactus, and Anemone Chrysanthemum, and a yellow ribbon for Sedum 'Specitabile'. Horticulture Committee Chairman Jane Hammond (pictured above with Barb Bandyke, President of the Winchester Garden Club, at the Spikenard Bee Sanctuary) took a blue in the Zone VII Club Challenge for the Propagation of Butterfly Weed, 2 red ribbons for Chamecyparis, False Cypress, Gerbera Daisy, and a ribbon for Buddleia davidii, Butterfly bush. She also took 3rd place in the photography Landscape Class. Ada Harvey won an Honorable Mention in the Artistic Flower Arranging Class 2 for her beautiful rendition of The 611 Steam Train, pictured here.
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The Garden Club of Virginia Fall Symposium in Richmond was held September 25 -26, 2018 at the Richmond Science Museum. The host club, Albemarle Garden Club, incorporated the science theme into every aspect of this year's events and flower show. DMGC President, Annie Vanderwarker, presented at the Symposium. DMGC took home nearly 20 awards for hort and photography, and Jane Hammond received the newly minted Claire Smithers Mellinger Award for Photography.
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DMGC Plant Sale on September 22, 2018, was a success.
Thanks to the Club members who worked hard on plants and baked goods and the public who came and purchased beautiful plants and tasty baked goods, the Centennial Plant Sale was a huge success. Over $2,000 was raised for community projects. Thanks to all members and to the public! |
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DMGC Past Presidents gather for Annual Luncheon. Past Presidents pictured (left to right) are Vibeke Ober, Catherine Gillespie, Gail Babnew, DeLane Porter, Jane Henley, Page Sullenberger, Marge Grills, Suzanne Aiello, (Annie Vanderwarker - current president), and Mary Beth Wells.
(Not pictured - Suzie Bresee and Bernice Walker) 
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Community Projects Committee Members, Suzanne Aiello, Page Sullenberger, and Alice Smith Beautify Taylor Park On May 1, 2018, Club Members planted angel winged begonias in the pots at Taylor Park. The beautiful begonias will be enjoyed by the Town of Orange and visitors. |
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DMGC enjoys very successful GCV Daffodil Show in Richmond, Virginia in March DMGC member, Bridget Bryant, was awarded the Helen Louise Broyhill Silver Trophy for Best Vase of Three, and won Blue, Red, and White ribbons. Her long list of winning entries included 6 Firsts and 1 Second. Member, Catherine Gillespie, took home 3 Seconds, a Third, and an Honorable Mention. Member, Jane Hammond, came home with 6 Firsts, 3 Seconds and an Honorable Mention. She also took home two Reds in photography. |
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DMGC Hosts David Pippin at Flower Arranging Forum
Renowned arranger, David Pippin, demonstrated some of his arranging techniques to a crowd of over 100. The event was held on March 14 at The Pavilion on Lakewood Farm. 
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DMGC Ladies help children make swags at the Boys and Girls Club of Orange
Club member, Mary Lew Sponski, organized swag-making at the Boys and Girls Club on December 20, 2017. Club members brought bows, greens, and dried oranges to help the children create beautiful swags to take home to their families. 
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Saunders Brothers, Inc. awarded Garden Club of America Commendation.
Based on the joint nomination by the Dolley Madison Garden Club and Albemarle Garden Garden Club, Saunders Brothers, Inc. was awarded the Garden Club of America’s Zone Horticulture Commendation in recognition of exemplary leadership in boxwood horticulture, research, trials, and comparative evaluations, and for generously sharing their knowledge to establish industry standards. The photo shows Robert Saunders accepting the award while, left to right, Annie Vanderwarker, Carla Passarello, Gail Babnew, and Delane Porter congratulate him. |
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Montpelier Races in November
Member Ada Harvey shared a photo of the beautiful arrangement she designed for the Paddock party at the Montpelier Races to the theme of Mrs. Scott's red room. Pampas, magnolia, red celosia, red cockscomb, red alstormeria, and red roses brought out the highlights of the theme. Many members shared their time and talent to help decorate areas for the races. |
Pansy Planting at Taylor Park in Orange, VA in October
Several members helped plant pansies to beautify Taylor Park in Orange, VA, as part of the Club's community projects.
Several members helped plant pansies to beautify Taylor Park in Orange, VA, as part of the Club's community projects.
Honorable Mention at GCA Zone VII October Meeting in Winston Salem for Horticulture exhibit
Members had a great time at the GCA Zone VII Meeting and took an honorable mention too.
Members had a great time at the GCA Zone VII Meeting and took an honorable mention too.
GCV Board of Governors Meeting October 10-12, 2017 - Members enjoyed exhibits, tours, and more in Lexington.
As reported by Annie Vanderwarker, DMGC President, the horticulture entry at Evans Hall, Washington and Lee University was one of the most beautiful hort exhibits she had ever seen. Placed on serpentine tables with a mulched path down the center, the hort bottles were on either side of the path. The effect was to make you feel as if you were on a nature walk along a stream. At the dinner and Awards Banquet, The Healing Grove at Boulder Crest Retreat submitted by Fauquier and Loudoun GC won the $10,000 prize, a project supported by the DMGC, Second place, and a $6,000 prize, went to the Petersburg GC for their submission of the Lee Park Wildflower and Bird Sanctuary.
As reported by Annie Vanderwarker, DMGC President, the horticulture entry at Evans Hall, Washington and Lee University was one of the most beautiful hort exhibits she had ever seen. Placed on serpentine tables with a mulched path down the center, the hort bottles were on either side of the path. The effect was to make you feel as if you were on a nature walk along a stream. At the dinner and Awards Banquet, The Healing Grove at Boulder Crest Retreat submitted by Fauquier and Loudoun GC won the $10,000 prize, a project supported by the DMGC, Second place, and a $6,000 prize, went to the Petersburg GC for their submission of the Lee Park Wildflower and Bird Sanctuary.
GCV Symposium in September - Members bring home trophies and ribbons
The 2017 GCV Symposium was held September 25th & 26th in Richmond, Virginia. Members enjoyed floral design and arranging presentations and a flower show. Annie Vanderwarker won “Challenge the Artistic Judges” with her witty arrangement featuring a slinky and anthuriums. Bernice Walker won four rose competition silver trophies. She won the Jane Marshall Broyhill Memorial Trophy, the Bernice S. Walker Perpetual Trophy, the Pat Wade Taylor Miniflora Trophy, and the Dr. and Mrs. James R. Hundley Trophy (awarded to the GCV member winning the greatest number of blue ribbons in the rose classes). In general Horticultural entries, Jane Hammond won for her Solidago entry and for additional entries, Carla Passarello won for her California Poppy entry and additional awards entries. Joanna Davies won an Honorable mention for her entries. Congratulations to all our winning members. Click on the photos below to see them in more detail.
The 2017 GCV Symposium was held September 25th & 26th in Richmond, Virginia. Members enjoyed floral design and arranging presentations and a flower show. Annie Vanderwarker won “Challenge the Artistic Judges” with her witty arrangement featuring a slinky and anthuriums. Bernice Walker won four rose competition silver trophies. She won the Jane Marshall Broyhill Memorial Trophy, the Bernice S. Walker Perpetual Trophy, the Pat Wade Taylor Miniflora Trophy, and the Dr. and Mrs. James R. Hundley Trophy (awarded to the GCV member winning the greatest number of blue ribbons in the rose classes). In general Horticultural entries, Jane Hammond won for her Solidago entry and for additional entries, Carla Passarello won for her California Poppy entry and additional awards entries. Joanna Davies won an Honorable mention for her entries. Congratulations to all our winning members. Click on the photos below to see them in more detail.
2017 INTRACLUB ZINNIA SHOW
The Club held an intraclub Zinnia Show along with the annual picnic on September 13, 2017. Beautiful zinnias and horticultural entries graced the show which was held at Catherine Brooks's barn at Gaston. Click on the photos below to see them in more detail.
The Club held an intraclub Zinnia Show along with the annual picnic on September 13, 2017. Beautiful zinnias and horticultural entries graced the show which was held at Catherine Brooks's barn at Gaston. Click on the photos below to see them in more detail.
ANNUAL AWARDS 2017
At the Club's annual meeting, awards were presented to many hard-working individuals. Charlene and David Scibal of Willow Grove were presented with the GCA Club Historic Commendation Award for their preservation work. Annie Vanderwarker was presented with a GCA Club Appreciation Award, Pat Filer with a GCA Club Floral Design Achievement Award, Gail Babnew with a GCA Club Garden History and Design Award, Mary S. Queitzsch with a GCA Club Communications Award, and DeLane Porter with a GCA Club Horticulture Award. DeLane Porter was also presented with a GCV Horticulture Award of Merit. DMGC awards were presented to Pam Hudson, Suzanne Aiello, Frances Lea, Gail Babnew, Bridget Bryant, Page Sullenburger, Bobbie Davies, and Alice Smith. The DMGC Community Service Bowl was presented to Mary Lou and Charles Seilheimer for their community work with the Boys and Girls Club. Bryan Morse of the Virginia Forestry and Wildlife group was presented with the Conservation and Beautification Bowl for his work in conservation.
At the Club's annual meeting, awards were presented to many hard-working individuals. Charlene and David Scibal of Willow Grove were presented with the GCA Club Historic Commendation Award for their preservation work. Annie Vanderwarker was presented with a GCA Club Appreciation Award, Pat Filer with a GCA Club Floral Design Achievement Award, Gail Babnew with a GCA Club Garden History and Design Award, Mary S. Queitzsch with a GCA Club Communications Award, and DeLane Porter with a GCA Club Horticulture Award. DeLane Porter was also presented with a GCV Horticulture Award of Merit. DMGC awards were presented to Pam Hudson, Suzanne Aiello, Frances Lea, Gail Babnew, Bridget Bryant, Page Sullenburger, Bobbie Davies, and Alice Smith. The DMGC Community Service Bowl was presented to Mary Lou and Charles Seilheimer for their community work with the Boys and Girls Club. Bryan Morse of the Virginia Forestry and Wildlife group was presented with the Conservation and Beautification Bowl for his work in conservation.
Flowers Chopped
A fun competition organized by the Club's Flower Arranging Committee was a wonderful success. Member competed in three rounds and were allowed just ten minutes to create an arrangement from the contents of their baskets. Take a look at the video of the event on our homepage.
A fun competition organized by the Club's Flower Arranging Committee was a wonderful success. Member competed in three rounds and were allowed just ten minutes to create an arrangement from the contents of their baskets. Take a look at the video of the event on our homepage.
Annie Vanderwarker Wins Red at GCA Annual Meeting and Show in May
DMGC's Annie Vanderwarker brought home a red ribbon for her interpretation of jockey silks at the GCA annual meeting. She was assigned the colors to work with and her winning arrangement was inspiring.
DMGC's Annie Vanderwarker brought home a red ribbon for her interpretation of jockey silks at the GCA annual meeting. She was assigned the colors to work with and her winning arrangement was inspiring.
2017 Daffodil Show
Club members had another successful Daffodil show at the GCV 83rd Annual Daffodil Show, hosted by the Huntington Garden Club. Several members took home ribbons. Jane Hammond won the ADS Historic Best of Three Ribbon and Frances Lea took home a yellow ribbon for her artistic creation in the Izar- Creative Line class. Congratulations to all our winners and participants!
Club members had another successful Daffodil show at the GCV 83rd Annual Daffodil Show, hosted by the Huntington Garden Club. Several members took home ribbons. Jane Hammond won the ADS Historic Best of Three Ribbon and Frances Lea took home a yellow ribbon for her artistic creation in the Izar- Creative Line class. Congratulations to all our winners and participants!
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Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond VA
2016 Fine Arts and Flowers Exhibition Club members, Annie Vanderwarker and Joanna Davies, exhibited at the prestigious Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in October 2016. They selected a painting by the artist Anson Keifer, a desolate landscape created with paint, tar, straw, and a metal wing to symbolize hope, on which to base their arrangement. Using a metal stand and black ceramic container, they created with a Harry Lauder Walking Stick, hosta leaves, white calla lilies (wrapping the stems with brown stem tape to help them fade into the arrangement), wire wrapped straw spathes, and used a dried calla leaf to make the "wing" for their arrangement. The end result is breathtaking and integrates seamlessly into the landscape. 
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2016 Rose Show, Hampton, VA
By, Bernice Walker
Rose Committee Chairman
The Dolley Madison Garden Club Rose Horticulture team descended on Hampton Tuesday, October 4, full of vim, vigor, and vitality but with fewer flowers than we would have liked. Our gardens had been soaked with rain for four days preceding our departure, so rose buds had not developed, and existing blooms were soaked and tired. It was slim pickings. Nevertheless, Gail Babnew, Joanna Davies, Carla Passarello, Pam Brady, and Bernice Walker found a few roses to take. Normie Sanford sent some entries also. We were disappointed that more of our members did not send entries for the ‘companion plants’ classes. Joining us in Hampton was Bernice’s daughter, Susan, who lives in Virginia Beach. Susan’s job was to help Bernice, whose back issue limited her walking.
Pat Filer had made our Interclub entry, a Biedermeier arrangement , but she was not able to go to the show. With a good bit of trembling and fear, we, the horticulture team, took responsibility for transporting and entering Pat’s gorgeous arrangement. Bernice quickly assigned the duty to Joanna, who bravely and expertly nursed it to the show floor. Pat’s arrangement received compliments from several people in the workroom. Unfortunately, the judges liked other entries better than ours.
Overall, the artistic division was exquisite! The 65 arrangements really carried the day. The horticulture division, though, was tiny! Pam Powers, who was the speaker at Dolley Madison’s October meeting last year at Gail Babnew’s house, brought a ton of entries and won everything! Without Pam’s entries, it would have been a poor showing. It looked as if GCV member clubs deserted the show before it ever opened.
Here is how our members did in the rose division. Normie Sanford got one red. Joanna Davies got one red. Gail Babnew got a blue ribbon and a silver trophy for her ‘Best Modern Shrub’ This means her entry was the Best in the Show in the modern shrub category. She also got four additional blue ribbons, one red, and one yellow. In addition, Gail provided the flowers for our club entry in the club collection class, and we won the blue!! Thank you, Gail! Bernice’s only hybrid tea entry became “King” of the showThis means it was the second best hybrid tea in the show, the Queen being the best. In addition to this blue ribbon entry, Bernice Walker won three other blue ribbons, four reds, one yellow and one white.
In the new division of the show that called for rose ‘companion plants’ because they have properties that repel rose pests, we also won ribbons. Normie Sanford won a blue, Joanna Davies won a yellow, Carla Passarello got one blue, and two reds, and a yellow, and Pam Brady won two blues.
Even though we didn’t have many roses this year we had a lot of fun. Our most important accomplishment was to introduce our new member, Pam Brady, to the world of flower shows. As it turned out, Susan Walker, enjoyed her time with the five of us. She said prepping flowers for the show was fun and informative; and Lord knows, she was helpful. Both Pam and Susan said they learned a lot, and we were so pleased to have them with us.
By, Bernice Walker
Rose Committee Chairman
The Dolley Madison Garden Club Rose Horticulture team descended on Hampton Tuesday, October 4, full of vim, vigor, and vitality but with fewer flowers than we would have liked. Our gardens had been soaked with rain for four days preceding our departure, so rose buds had not developed, and existing blooms were soaked and tired. It was slim pickings. Nevertheless, Gail Babnew, Joanna Davies, Carla Passarello, Pam Brady, and Bernice Walker found a few roses to take. Normie Sanford sent some entries also. We were disappointed that more of our members did not send entries for the ‘companion plants’ classes. Joining us in Hampton was Bernice’s daughter, Susan, who lives in Virginia Beach. Susan’s job was to help Bernice, whose back issue limited her walking.
Pat Filer had made our Interclub entry, a Biedermeier arrangement , but she was not able to go to the show. With a good bit of trembling and fear, we, the horticulture team, took responsibility for transporting and entering Pat’s gorgeous arrangement. Bernice quickly assigned the duty to Joanna, who bravely and expertly nursed it to the show floor. Pat’s arrangement received compliments from several people in the workroom. Unfortunately, the judges liked other entries better than ours.
Overall, the artistic division was exquisite! The 65 arrangements really carried the day. The horticulture division, though, was tiny! Pam Powers, who was the speaker at Dolley Madison’s October meeting last year at Gail Babnew’s house, brought a ton of entries and won everything! Without Pam’s entries, it would have been a poor showing. It looked as if GCV member clubs deserted the show before it ever opened.
Here is how our members did in the rose division. Normie Sanford got one red. Joanna Davies got one red. Gail Babnew got a blue ribbon and a silver trophy for her ‘Best Modern Shrub’ This means her entry was the Best in the Show in the modern shrub category. She also got four additional blue ribbons, one red, and one yellow. In addition, Gail provided the flowers for our club entry in the club collection class, and we won the blue!! Thank you, Gail! Bernice’s only hybrid tea entry became “King” of the showThis means it was the second best hybrid tea in the show, the Queen being the best. In addition to this blue ribbon entry, Bernice Walker won three other blue ribbons, four reds, one yellow and one white.
In the new division of the show that called for rose ‘companion plants’ because they have properties that repel rose pests, we also won ribbons. Normie Sanford won a blue, Joanna Davies won a yellow, Carla Passarello got one blue, and two reds, and a yellow, and Pam Brady won two blues.
Even though we didn’t have many roses this year we had a lot of fun. Our most important accomplishment was to introduce our new member, Pam Brady, to the world of flower shows. As it turned out, Susan Walker, enjoyed her time with the five of us. She said prepping flowers for the show was fun and informative; and Lord knows, she was helpful. Both Pam and Susan said they learned a lot, and we were so pleased to have them with us.
2016 Zinnia Show at "Springfields"
The DMGC Zinnia Show, open to members, was held at Springfields this year in conjunction with the Club's annual picnic. Gail Babnew hosted the show and picnic. The zinnias were beautiful and the arrangements highly creative.
The DMGC Zinnia Show, open to members, was held at Springfields this year in conjunction with the Club's annual picnic. Gail Babnew hosted the show and picnic. The zinnias were beautiful and the arrangements highly creative.
2015 Medicinal Garden created in Gordonsville, VA
In 2015, members of the Club completed a Community Project at the Exchange Hotel in Gordonsville. Following a list of medicinal plants that might have been used at the time of the Civil War, plants were selected for their useful values.
In 2015, members of the Club completed a Community Project at the Exchange Hotel in Gordonsville. Following a list of medicinal plants that might have been used at the time of the Civil War, plants were selected for their useful values.
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