Emily Barbee, right, longstanding member of the Garden Club of Gloucester and Mathews, was presented the Horticulture Award of Merit by president Julie Stone, left, at the club’s annual picnic held on May 25. The award was established in 1960 by the Garden Club of Virginia to recognize individual members of local clubs for significant achievements in horticulture. A committee nominated Barbee citing her local, state and national achievements and as a rosarian with more than 130 varieties. Emily and husband Bart Barbee have shared their gardens and their home, Five Gables, several times on the Garden Week tour, horticultural tours and Rose Society tours. Barbee also maintains an allée garden on the Ware River and is a talented floral arranger. She was one of seven members statewide to receive the award.
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