From suburban home lot to the country seat, women have designed, cultivated and reshaped America’s landscape, moving from the "harbinger of a gentle heart" to women of power and influence. So, we tend to forget that at the turn of the 20th century, it was considered social suicide and distinctly matrimonial suicide, for a woman to enter a profession.
Still, it did not deter the notable efforts of women such as Virginia Estelle Randolph, a pioneer educator and humanitarian who lived from 1874 to 1958; and conducted the first Arbor Day program in Virginia. In fact, it was during the first decades of the 20th century that a small number of visionary women in the Philadelphia area initiate garden club movements which eventually result in changed lives and landscapes for all of North America.
As designers and gardeners, women of this era influenced both large estate landscapes and the house-yard gardens. Working together these women established four vital organizations: the Garden Club of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women, the Garden Club of America and the Woman’s National Farm and Garden Association.
Archives of Temple University Ambler
It was during this era, the Progressive Era, the United States experienced momentous change. Nevertheless, many remain unaware of this heritage: a time in history when the groundwork was laid for others to follow, creating for women of the 21st century an opportunity to ban together, to openly network while continuing a progression from "harbingers of a gentle heart" to women of power and influence.
As a child of the era 'tell instead of read me a story', in my book – Eco-legacy, a millennium woman’s heritage, I share stories of women in my family who pride their selves in both ownership of and ‘hands-on’ working land in the form of agri and ornamental gardens, leaving behind a legacy of knowledge and heritage plants. While these women may not have initiate the first Arbor Day held in Virginia or found a nationally recognized organization, they did preserve a rich central Virginia eco heritage. Whether in the form of gathered seeds, rooted plant slips or knowledge, they carried from their native European countries to America heirloom plants many of which still flourish on our family’s generational property.
As Ann Cornell says, “As an environmentalist and president of the Cornell Douglas foundation, I have been searching for words to define those of us who advocate for protecting our natural resources for future generations. The word- eco-legacy is perfect: it encourages all of us to recognize that water, land, and air are not expendable luxuries, but critical resources we must sustain in our roles as responsible stewards.”
So, in celebration of 'women in history' month, let’s celebrate – honor – women well and less known who have opened doors of opportunity. For such women not only made a difference but through personal choices influenced others to create an eco-legacy of healthy green space, both rural and urban. For further eco tips and strategies, visit web site www.TheWrightScoop.com.Eco Women DC, http://dc.ecowomen.org/
Women in Landscape Architecture, http://www.asla.org/PPNIndividualHome.aspx?id=211
Woman's National Farm and Garden Association Inc., http://www.wnfga.org/
