GSVGC Mission Statement and Club History
To provide opportunities to enhance and share our knowledge of and passion for gardening, floral design and photography, being ever mindful of our role as stewards for conserving our natural world.
The
Green Spring Valley Garden Club, founded in June 1912 by a group of
twenty prominent Maryland women who lived near the
Green Spring Valley, held its first meeting on July 12, 1912, at the
home of Mrs. Mason Knox at Mt. Wilson. There the aims of the club were
defined as providing a continuing home garden competition among the members and enabling them to help each other by comparing notes on their gardens and sharing their own knowledge and experiences. The
meetings were held weekly in the members' homes, followed by
tea. (Read More)
Organizations We Support
The Garden Club of America - Our
Garden Club is one of the founding members of the Garden Club of
America (GCA), the umbrella organization for many U.S. and Canadian
local garden clubs. The GCA is an active supporter of education and
action of the local garden clubs to improve and protect the quality of
the environment in their area. The GSVGC has been an annual supporter
of an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing studies such as
environmental science, horticulture, landscape design, coastal wetlands,
endangered bird habitat and many more.
Irvine Nature Center - Irivine Nature Center is a non-profit organization located in the Caves Valley area of Baltimore County. Irvine recently opened a new Visitors Center and educational facilities. GSVGC has been a long supporter of Irvine and was a partner in launching the Jones Falls Clean-Up in 1975. This annual program, now called Project Clean Stream, is the largest watershed clean up project in Maryland with over 1,200 volunteers participating.
In 2007, the GSVGC applied for a Founders Fund project through the Garden Club of America to provide Irvine with a Native American Children's Garden. While our project was not chosen, Irvine received a $7,500 donation from the GCA. In the fall of 2007, our Garden Club held a fundraiser "A Buzz to Benefit Irvine Nature Center" and raised an additional $30,000 for the center. GSVGC assists annually with Irvine's fall fundraiser, Pumpkins on the Green.
Cylburn Arboretum - This horticulture center, located in Baltimore City,
is maintained by a volunteer organization, the Cylburn Arboretum
Association (CAA). GSVGC has made donations to the CAA to support
operations and construction of its new "green" Visitors Orientation and Education Center, the Vollmer Center, named in honor of Pauline Vollmer, a longtime supporter of Cylburn.
Maryland Zoo - is located in the Druid Hill area of Baltimore City and is beginning its 133rd year of operation in our city. The GSVGC has made financial donations to support the zoo in its operations and research studies.
Jones Falls Watershed is an area of 58 square miles from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore City to the Green Spring Valley area of northern Baltimore County. The volunteers of the JFW Association assist in planting trees, shrubs, and perennials along the buffers of the river, trash collection, monitoring water quality, and outreach programs to the communities affecting the Jones Falls Watershed. In September 2010, the Jones Falls Watershed joined forces with four other conservation organizations to create
The Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, Inc.
Trout Unlimited