The mission of the Princess Anne Garden Club is “to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening; to promote gardening among amateurs; to share horticultural knowledge by means of demonstrations, lectures, conferences, correspondence and publications; to restore, improve and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action; to protect our native trees, wildflowers and birds; to encourage conservation of natural resources; to promote civic planting; to encourage roadside beautification; and to aid in the restoration and preservation of historic gardens in Virginia.”

The mission strongly reflects our enduring commitment to Conservation and Beautification. Through our many years of stewardship of First Landing State Park, the Virginia Marine Science Museum and Aquarium, and many other civic projects including the Brock Environmental Center, the Princess Anne Garden Club has demonstrated this commitment through action.

We participate in two annual Garden Club of Virginia (GCV) events that are open to the public: 

• GCV Conservation Forum that is held in November and an educational opportunity on a topic currently relevant to conservation in Virginia
• GCV Legislative Lobby Day that is held at the end of January and both an educational opportunity on topics and bills before the General Assembly on conservation issues and a chance to meet with our legislators to advocate for our positions

Current Projects

Norfolk Botanical Gardens Conservatory Project: The Garden of Tomorrow will feature a stunning new conservatory that will replace the Tropical Display House. The new conservatory will be 25,000 square feet of climate-controlled space to house a greater diversity of plants, especially tropical varieties. It will provide educational programming around ecosystems through different themed gardens.

Virginia Aquarium Project:

The Aquarium Marsh Pavilion will be developed into a new area to teach conservation of the marine environment with many galleries and exhibits. PAGC will sponsor the “Bubbles, not Balloons” exhibit. This exhibit will be approximately 1,400 square feet to teach children and adults about the devastating consequences of non-degradable trash in the ocean.

The Brock Environmental Center Greywater Rain Garden: Visitors to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Center will be greeted by the beautiful Greywater Rain Garden, which supports the center’s zero runoff and waste goals, as well as contributing to the “beauty” criteria for Living Building Challenge certification.

First Landing State Park Bay Lab Project: With funds from the GCV Commonwealth Award, PAGC Party in the Park and Friends of First Landing, the Bay Side camper check-in and the Bay Lab are being transformed. The new Bay Lab will be Chesapeake Bay specific and will educate visitors about what is in the Bay, what they will see and how to interact with it.

First Landing State Park Native Plant Landscape Project: At the front of the Trail Center, the Native Plant Landscape continues to be a showpiece for Coastal Virginia natives. It entices visitors to grow these same pollinators and nectar plants in their own yards, helping to make a difference one yard at a time to improve Virginia’s environment.