The Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, Inc. was founded in 1926 and incorporated in 1950. In the early part of the last century the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, Inc. (FGCMD) was one of the first states to form a Federation as part of the garden club movement. In 1929 Maryland was one of sixteen charter states that organized into what is now the National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Today the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland is comprised of 99 garden clubs with 3,558 members divided into five districts located throughout the state, from the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the mountains of Western Maryland. The FGCMD is in the Central Atlantic Region of the National Garden Clubs a nonprofit educational organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with approximately 222,000 members in 6,218 clubs.
Throughout its history the FGCMD has played an important role in keeping Maryland roadsides clear of billboards, preserving and placing Blue Star Memorial markers on highways in honor of military service personnel and partnering with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in plantings to protect critical watershed areas.
Individual members and clubs have the opportunity to participate in many educational opportunities in Floral Design , Horticulture, Garden Study, Conservation and Environmental Concerns.
Scholarships funded by state life memberships are available to assist students interested in horticulture and landscape design. Young gardener groups sponsored by member clubs thrive throughout the state.
More recently it has been involved in the development of the Vollmer Center at Cylburn Arboretum located in the city of Baltimore. The Vollmer Center sits quietly within the landscape so as not to detract from or overpower the site's historic Cylburn Mansion. Interior views are focused out to the Arboretum's large collection of maple trees, and the exterior features natural materials and a woodland amphitheater.
The Vollmer Center is a model of what green technology can achieve, illustrating how we can reduce energy use, conserve water and help to restore our environment.
The Federation continues to support the preservation of historic properties such as Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, Historic Hampton in Baltimore County and the Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore.
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