With a tradition of planting thousands of trees throughout the community over its hundred year history, the Augusta Garden Club’s Project Dogwood celebrates the Virginia state tree and flower. In an effort to re-establish and promote additional planting of the dogwood, the Club worked closely with the Staunton City Horticulturist to showcase hybrid cultivars of dogwoods that could thrive in the area. Seven hardy, disease resistant cultivars were planted in small teaching arboretums at Staunton’s Gypsy Hill Park and Montgomery Hall Park to demonstrate the variety and beauty of the dogwood. With an award from the Founders Fund of the Garden Club of America, the Augusta Garden Club was able to plant additional trees and commission interpretive signs to tell the story of Project Dogwood and provide educational information about the selected cultivars.
Frazier Associates designed the full-color signs with rich graphics and photographs using National Park Service standard metal frames for long-term durability. The signs were installed in planting beds adjacent to the teaching arboretums in both city parks.
