Suzanne Bushnell, Garden Club Federation of Maine President, presenting the Lucille Droege Mauntel Conservation Award to Becky Gallery and Ann Standridge.

For the third year in a row the Harpswell Garden Club has won a National Garden Club Award — this time for the Harpswell Invasive Plant Partnership and the Club’s participation with other town organizations to rid our town’s byways and ecosystem of invasive plants!  The NGC awarded the Club the Lucille Droege Mauntel Conservation Award along with a check for $50 at the organization’s national Convention in Richmond, Virginia.  Garden Club Federation of Maine President and Harpswell Garden Club Award Chairman Suzanne Bushnell was on hand at the annual Awards Banquet on May 18th at the Richmond Marriott Hotel to accept the award on behalf of the Garden Club Federation of Maine and the Harpswell Garden Club.  Suzanne then presented the Club with the Award at this year’s GCFM Convention in Freeport, Maine on Wednesday, June 21st.  Along with the Award came a check in the amount of $50 donated by the National Capital Area Garden Clubs of Washington, DC.  Runners-up for the Award were the Greensboro Garden Club of Alabama, the Lecompte Garden Club of Louisiana, the Spalding Garden Club of Georgia, and the Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club of Ohio.

Other awards won by the Club at the GCFM Convention were the Club of Distinction Award, an award for our yearbook, and the Gladys Harris Traveling Trophy given to the Club having accomplished the most notable work in horticulture during the preceding two years.  Any activity that involved horticulture was considered when deciding the winner.  This award is only given every other year.  Activities the Club participated in included our trip to study the wine growing and making of wine at the Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville, a field trip to the gardens being restored at Portland Head Light by the Ft. Williams Foundation, our work with the Harpswell Invasive Plant Partnership, and numerous horticulture-related programs we’ve presented to Club members over the past two years.

Gladys Harris Traveling Trophy for Horticultural Achievement

GCFM President Suzanne Bushnell presenting awards to Ann Standridge at the 2017 GCFM Convention.