PGC GRANTS
Since its founding in 1950, Perennial Garden Club has been committed to financially supporting select local nonprofit organizations whose values align with GCA initiatives. Since 2022, when we formalized our grant application process, we have given up to $2500 annually to a single project at a local nonprofit, chosen from member-submitted proposals. In May 2025, in honor of Perennial Garden Club’s 75th Anniversary, we awarded three $25,000 grants to community organizations with projects establishing native plantings.
AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AT RIVER FARM
One of the 75th Anniversary $25,000 grant winners, the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm project will bring the Perennial Garden Club’s "Going Native” booklet to life by engaging the expertise of the design team from Doug Tallamy’s Homegrown National Park. The project will transform a distinct area into a vibrant example of how intentional planting choices can make a tangible impact. A key focus will be to celebrate the Freeman Medal-winning plants recognized by the Garden Club of America. AHS envisions an active role for PGC members. On Seasonal Planting and Maintenance Days, club members will work alongside AHS staff to install native plants, mulch, and conduct light seasonal pruning. Additionally, PGC members with an interest in photography and art can participate in Garden Documentation and Interpretation, capturing the seasonal transformations of the garden through photography, sketches, or floral arrangements. These images could be featured in the American Gardener and showcased as part of AHS’s rotational art series in the historic manor house. More than just a way to share the beauty of native plants, this initiative offers PGC members a unique opportunity to celebrate their collective passion for gardening, showcase their talents, and leave a lasting creative mark on a garden they helped bring to life.
C&O CANAL TRUST - GOLD MINE TRAIL
Another 75th Anniversary $25,000 grant winner, the C&O Canal Trust, the nonprofit partner of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal), is committed to preserving the park’s rich historical, natural, and cultural heritage. In collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS), the Trust supports critical conservation efforts, including the restoration of native habitats. A native forest project has been launched along the Gold Mine Trail to restore its ecological integrity by planting native trees, wildflowers, and rare plant species. With PGC’s support, the Trust can supplement NPS staffing and engage a native plant and forest restoration specialist, Nature Works, to assist with the restoration process. The Perennial Garden Club will assist in monitoring and providing early maintenance for the restoration area. To raise awareness of the value of native plants, the Trust will develop educational resources including, interpretive signage, printed materials, and online content. PGC members will collaborate with the Trust in developing educational resources to share with visitors about the importance of native plants and encourage planting natives at home.
U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM AT FERN VALLEY
Our third 75th Anniversary $25,000 grant winner, the Fern Valley project offers an opportunity for the Arboretum staff and Perennial Garden Club members to work together to restore a designated section with native understory plants, including ephemerals, ground cover, perennials, ferns and native shrubs and trees. PGC’s involvement and partnership will contribute to the Arboretum’s goals for Fern Valley: showcasing the use of native plants in ornamental horticulture, serving as a site of local, native plant germplasm conservation, displaying reference or stock plants for commercial nurseries, and providing an outdoor classroom in which students can engage with and learn about the flora of our region. Educational opportunities include creating a native plant propagation/care informational booklet based on lessons learned during the project. Given that propagation of native plants is vastly understudied, any information gathered throughout the proposed plan could contribute greatly to a variety of audiences including conservation organizations, other botanic gardens and arboreta, and the local community. The booklet could empower people to not only plant native plants in their area but effectively maintain them for years to come.
WASHINGTON YOUTH GARDEN POLLINATOR GARDEN SIGNAGE
In 2022, Perennial awarded a grant to the Washington Youth Garden at the National Arboretum for signage in the Pollinator Garden. The garden serves the DC community by educating children and school groups about growing food and native plants and how planting the right plants to attract pollinators contributes to a healthy garden and a healthy ecosystem.
In 2023, Perennial funded an intern position for the C&O Canal Trust to work on reducing invasive plants in this beautiful and important National Historic Park.
POTOMAC CONSERVANCY CLEAN WATER ADVOCACY PROGRAM
In 2024, Perennial supported the ongoing efforts of the Potomac Conservancy and its Clean Water Advocacy program.