HORTICULTURE

The GCA Horticulture Committee seeks to nurture the knowledge and love of gardening, to promote useful and valuable plants and to conserve those at risk. It supports GCA clubs in their efforts to educate their communities in responsible ways to plant, propagate, grow and show.

The Kanawha Garden Club Horticulture Committee is responsible for promoting the interest of members in gardening, the protection of trees & wildflowers, and civic improvement and beautification.  The committee is responsible for obtaining entries from club members for the Zone Meeting Flower Show.  workshops are scheduled throughout the year to stimulate interest in these projects.  This page will provide some of our favorite Horticulture links and an occasional blog post of workshops we think you may find easy to do in your home or with your garden club.

Propagation and Seed Share (P&SS) is a rapidly growing Horticulture Committee initiative that supports club propagation efforts, is educational, enables members of GCA cubs to share seeds with other members across the country, and to share their stories of how they propagate plants.  Kanawha Garden Club participates at the club, zone and national level  In addition we have a P&SS blog titled Sprouts.  Connect to Sprouts, scroll down to the bottom of one of the pages and enter your email address in the 'Follow by Email' window to receive updates as posted.

Pollinators in Peril is an additional focus area.  Join us by adding plants that support pollinators to your garden.  Inspire others to become involved.  Learn more about the plight of pollinators, view KGC's Pollinator Page.  Learn about our projects and learn how you can help join in a national effort.

One of the favorite events of our Horticulture Committee is the annual May Day Basket & Jello luncheon get together.  We gather as close to May 1 as possible and make simple arrangement/door hangers to leave on the front doors of our Affiliate Members.  Flowers are picked from our own yards and placed is small mason jars with wire hangers.  A lovely gift tag attached and delivered on May Day.   The workshop is followed by a fun Jello luncheon with all of the members contributing a 'jello' recipe.  We've had a lot of fun over the years with Jello!  

   

Horticulture Links

Native Plant Sites
Plant Native: Regional Plant List for MD, VA & WV
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center  A great native plant research source.  In addition visit 'Mr. Smarty Pants' page and submit your own questions.
Missouri Botanical Garden  A tremendous database of native plants.  In addition you may ask gardening questions by clicking on their 'Contact' page and submitting your question.

TheodorePayne Foundation for Wildflowers & Native Plants
Find Native Plants: Mid Atlantic Regional Plant List
A Way to Garden:  'horticultural how-to and woo-woo' the source of organic gardening inspiration
                                 margaret roach, head gardener (Sign up on her page to receive her blog posts)

Seed Share Sites
Southern Exposure Seed Share
Native Seeds/SEARCH
Hudson Valley Seed Library

Invasives
WV Dirty Dozen From the WV DNR
Native Substitutes for Invasives:  From the United States National Arboretum Kick the Exotic Invasive Gardening Habit with Great Native Plant Alternatives
English Ivy Is Killing Our Trees: NPS 'Alien Plant Least Wanted List"

Propagation
 Basic Plant Propogation: MSU Extension

Plant Societies

Deer Lists
WVU Agriculture Extension: Deer Resistant Ornamentals