History of the Garden Club of America 
Since Its Foundation in May, 1913 
Read by the President, Mrs. Martin, at the First Business Meeting 
of the Annual Meeting of 1920 
Nearly sixteen years ago there swept across this Country a rage 
for gardening. Helena Rutherford Ely, one of the first Vice-Presidents 
of the Garden Club or America, had in the Woman's Hardy Garden 
inspired and bidden the women to care for and work in their 
gardens. The call was answered, and bedding-out plants (the joy 
of the professional gardener) disappeared, and in their places came 
Delphinium, Columbine, Fox-glove and hundreds of other charming 
plants which had once blossomed in our grandmothers' gardens but 
had long been neglected or forgotten. With our own hands we sowed 
the seeds and planted the tiny seedlings in the permanent borders, 
and had the joy of seeing them bloom; then we lived among the 
beauty of these new found friends. 
Rarely does it come to one to see visions and dream dreams, and 
have them come true. One day, while in her garden, to Ernestine 
Goodman (First Secretary of this Club) the vision was given of bring- 
ing together these women who were really interested in their gardens, 
and forming a club for mutual help and inspiration. Through her 
efforts, in April, 1904, the Garden Club of Philadelphia was organized, 
the first in this Country. Cuttings of its sturdy stock took root in 
many places, and others sprung up from the ground and grew in all 
parts of the land. 
I now quote from the Minutes of the first meeting: ''In 1913 
the Garden Club of Philadelphia sent a letter to the several Clubs, 
geographically chosen, inviting their representatives to be guests of 
the Garden Club of Philadelphia and share in the privilege of creating 
a national Garden Club. Thus was set up the loom on which, we hope, 
the Garden Clubs of the country may weave a many-colored fabric 
of beauty and deHght and knowledge. The invitations were accepted, 
the ladies came, courteously deferred to our seniority, and cordially 
seconded our effort. For two days they were whisked about from 
garden to garden and party to party, charming and charmed; and 
never did Philadelphia smile so sweetly or bloom so fragrantly. " 
The Amateur Gardeners of Baltimore, represented by Mrs. John 
Ridgeley, the Garden Club of Bedford, N. Y., represented by Mrs. 
Henry Marquand, the Gardeners of Montgomery and Delaware 
Counties, Pennsylvania, represented by Mrs. Charles H. Ludington, 
the Garden Club of Green Spring Valley, Maryland, represented by 
Miss Fanny McLane, the Garden Club of Illinois, represented by Mrs. 
Cyrus Hall McCormick and Mrs. Walter S. Brewster, the Garden 
