The Garden Club of America has welcomed a familiar face into its prestigious fold. Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, has been named one of just four new honorary members for 2025—a recognition of his lifelong dedication to horticulture, environmental stewardship, and public engagement.
Since 1916, the Garden Club of America (GCA) has honored individuals who have made significant contributions to horticulture, conservation, and environmental education. This year, Strand joins an esteemed list of more than 400 honorary members whose work has helped shape gardens and green spaces across the country. Strand’s nomination came from the Garden Club of Wilmington, with additional support from The Gardeners of Villanova, Pennsylvania. GCA Awards Committee Chair Kim Cory introduced him at the organization’s annual meeting in April, where more than 600 members gathered to celebrate the honorees. 
A respected leader and horticulturist, Strand’s influence reaches far beyond the 60-acre garden he now oversees at Winterthur. From community gardening programs in Virginia to educational internships at Callaway Gardens in Georgia, he has built a career connecting people with the natural world. His nomination letter noted that Strand “combines horticulture knowledge with vision and determination” and serves as “an ideal ambassador for horticulture at Winterthur and beyond.”
Strand was humbled by the honor. “My journey through gardens has been an exceptional privilege,” he said in his acceptance speech. “From the historic landscapes of the Arnold Arboretum to the breathtaking grounds of Winterthur, each step has been an opportunity to connect people with wonder-inspiring narratives written in leaves, branches, and blooming landscapes.”
That journey began with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado, followed by a master's in Public Horticulture Administration through the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware. Strand first joined Winterthur in 2005 as Brown Harrington Director of Garden and Estate and became its first internal promotion to CEO in 2021. 
During his nearly two-decade tenure at Winterthur, he and his team carefully preserved the vision of the museum’s founder, Henry Francis du Pont. One of Strand’s notable efforts includes propagating trees from the original pair of Sargent cherry trees gifted to du Pont in 1918—an act of continuity that ensures the beauty of Winterthur’s landscapes can be experienced for generations to come. “Gardens are fragile,” Strand said. “We’re trying to hold onto the way this was designed even as climate is changing, life cycles of plants are changing, and even as fashion changes.”
His approach to stewardship echoes the legacy of du Pont, who was himself honored by the GCA in 1956. Strand closed his acceptance remarks by extending a timeless invitation: “We hope that you will visit us and see what Henry Francis du Pont was trying to do. This honor is not just a recognition of my work, but a celebration of every gardener, volunteer, and passionate individual who understands and promotes the transformative power of gardens.”
To learn more about Chris Strand’s work and to experience the beauty of Winterthur’s gardens and exhibitions for yourself, visit winterthur.org.
