News & Press

AHS Environmental Award Winners Named at Several Flower Shows

The American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) associate director for horticulture Dan Scott and AHS board member Amy Bolton attended The Philadelphia Flower Show in late February 2020 to select the winner of the AHS Environmental Award, which recognizes horticultural excellence best demonstrating the bond between horticulture and environmental impact.

The winning exhibit was “The Olfactory Pathway” by Refugia of Narberth, PA. Refugia’s designs focus on native and edible plantings to create landscapes that are both beautiful and ecologically functional.

Other winners of AHS Environmental Awards to date include:

* “Orca Recovery Garden” by NW Bloom Ecological Services and the King Conservation District at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle

* “A Collaborative Garden with International Landscaping and Design and the American Landscape Institute students” at the Maryland Home & Garden Show in Baltimore

* “Between Every Two Pines Is a Doorway to a New World” by Plant Man LLC at the Southern Spring Home + Garden Show in Charlotte, N.C.

* Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery’s 18th century abandoned mine in New England, which now is home to bats and a regrown forest with wildlife. The exhibit was featured at the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show in Hartford, Conn.

Learn more about the AHS Environmental Awards.

News & Press

New Resources: Home Composting & Container Gardening Tips

If you’re looking for information on how to enrich your soil using household food scraps and yard waste, or tips on how to create a garden or enjoy plants in a small space, you’ve come to the right place.

Visit our new Resource pages on Composting at Home and Creating Container Gardens, featuring helpful articles from our bimonthly member magazine, The American Gardener.

Interested in other Resources you don’t see displayed? Send us an email at webmaster@ahsgardening.org.

News & Press

Explore Lush Gardens Across the Country Via RAP Garden Virtual Tours

Want to tour a botanic garden or arboretum in your neck of the woods or across the country without setting foot out of your home? Now you can, thanks to the virtual tours developed by many of our 330+ Reciprocal Admissions Program gardens.

Following are several gardens offering virtual tours. Did we miss one? Let us know by contacting education@ahsgardening.org, and we’ll add it to the list!

Atlanta Botanical Garden: Lou Glenn Children’s Garden Tour

Birmingham Botanical Gardens: Spring Highlights and Japanese Garden

Botanic Garden of Smith College (Northampton, Mass.): TreeSpeak Tour

Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens (Buffalo, N.Y.): A Glance at the Gardens

Cape Fear Botanical Garden (Fayetteville, N.C.): Virtual Tour of the Garden

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (Nashville, Tenn.): Cheekwood in Bloom 2020

Chicago Botanic Garden: Virtual Tour of Summer

Conservatory of Flowers (San Francisco): Conservatory of Flowers Virtual Tour

Cranbrook House & Gardens (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): Virtual Tour

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden: Virtual Garden Tours

Descanso Gardens (La Canada Flintridge, Calif.): Descanso Digital Tours

Hatcher Garden (Spartanburg, S.C.): Virtual Tour

Heritage Museums & Gardens (Sandwich, Mass.): Virtual Collections

Huntsville Botanical Garden (Huntsville, Ala.): Virtual Garden Tour

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens (Richmond, Va.): A Virtual Visit

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota, Fla.): Bringing Selby Gardens to You

Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, Mo.): Virtual Garden Tour

Museum of the Shenendoah Valley (Winchester, Va.): Virtual Garden Tour

Newfields Horticultural Society (Indianapolis, Ind.): Virtual Tour of the Gardens at Newfields

New York Botanical Garden (The Bronx, N.Y.): Read & Watch

Reiman Gardens (Ames, Iowa): Reiman Early Spring Flowers

State Botanical Garden of Georgia (Athens, Ga.): Virtual Tour of the Garden

Tower Hill Botanic Garden (Boylston, Mass.): Daffodil Fields and Signs of Spring

Tudor Place (Washington, D.C.): Virtual House Tour

U.S. Botanic Garden (Washington, D.C.): Google Map Tour

U.S. National Arboretum (Washington, D.C.): Spring at the National Arboretum

Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark (Dayton, Ohio): Google Map Tour

Wilson Botanical Gardens (Wilson, N.C.): The Children’s Secret Garden

News & Press

Six Ways to Virtually Connect With AHS’s RAP Gardens

Visiting public gardens is enjoyable at any time of the year but can be an especially magical event in the spring when blooms are bursting, and gardens are awash with color. While the coronavirus has shuttered the gates of most public gardens and arboreta, that doesn’t mean you can’t engage with them. In fact, many of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) 330+ Reciprocal Admissions Program gardens offer a variety of opportunities for remote experiences. Here are some ideas for experiencing RAP gardens while sheltering in place — or taking a break from work from home (WFH) — depending on your visitor personality.

1. For Casual Tourists: Do you enjoy visiting gardens to see what’s new or newly in bloom? The Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens offers a virtual tour. The United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. and Dayton, Ohio’s Cox Arboretum offer Google tours that allow you to take a virtual stroll, or scroll, through the gardens. Watch short clips from Marie Selby Gardens (Sarasota, Fla.) about their new Salvador Dali exhibit, “Gardens of the Mind,” which highlights the artist’s use of botanical imagery alongside a surreal display of tropical plants.

2. For In-Depth Scholars: For those who prefer a guided garden tour or enjoy reading interpretive signage, Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago offers a digital tour on Art and Architecture and one entitled Golden Hour, which celebrates its 2020 Spring Flower Show. Denver Botanic Gardens has several digital tours of their gardens and collections (from dye plants to palms), or you can create your own tour by selecting plants and garden features.

3. For Contemplative Types: Some gardens serve as a respite from the daily grind — a place for wandering, meditating, and contemplating. Enjoy a moment of Zen with the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va. via drone footage of its cherry blossoms (see embedded YouTube clip below). Combine your contemplative practice with creativity via a downloadable coloring page (it’s not just for kids!) from the plant collections of The New York Botanical Garden or Denver Botanic Gardens. Post a pic of your masterpiece to Twitter using the hashtag #ColorOurCollections.

4. For Newbies to WFH: River Farm spring 2020 Do you need a diversion from your new WFH situation? Check in on Mr. President and The First Lady – the bald eagles at the U.S. National Arboretum — via webcam feed or check out the arboretum’s blooms on Flickr. Phoenix, Arizona’s Desert Botanical Garden, Washington State’s Bellevue Botanical Garden, and many other gardens – including the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm — post beautiful botanical images to the Flickr community.

5. For Hands-On Learners: Were you registered for a workshop at your local garden, but it got cancelled? Online help is here! The Missouri Botanical Garden has a wealth of visual guides, including ones like “Propagating Plants by Cuttings,” “Renovating an Indoor Houseplant,” and “Starting Plants From Seed Indoors.” Craving a more creative outlet? Construct a green-roofed birdhouse with instructions from Smithsonian Gardens.

6. For Volunteers: Is volunteering for your local garden part of your routine (or do you suddenly have additional time in your daily schedule)? For those of you who want to engage in a productive way, consider a virtual volunteering gig. The New York Botanical Garden is crowdsourcing a volunteer effort to transcribe the papers of Dr. John Torrey, a preeminent 19^th century American botanist. Or join the cadres of citizen scientists — individuals that participate in scientific data-collection projects. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Budburst is one such project that calls on citizen scientists to make careful observations of the timing of plant life cycle events.

News & Press

Gardening for Wellness While Homebound

The past few weeks have been challenging for many of us as we’ve been forced to change our daily routines and remain largely homebound. Despite the uprooting of our lives, plants continue to flourish around us, showing off their springtime blossoms and reminding us that planting season has arrived — or is coming soon — in many parts of the country.

Tending to plants and creating gardens or pollinator patches are some of the most healing and healthy ways to get through our homebound days. Here are some things you can do:

- Learn from experts by watching free Good Gardening Videos, which have been curated for accuracy and quality
- Get questions answered about plants and gardening specific to your geographic area by contacting the Master Gardeners program in your state. Note that there may be a delayed response, depending on their current work situation.
- Learn about some of the best plants for supporting our critical pollinator population by reading related articles from AHS’s The American Gardener.
- Consider ordering seeds for butterfly and/or hummingbird gardens via Renee’s Seeds, which donates part of its sales back to the nonprofit American Horticultural Society.
- Clear invasive plants from your yard and learn what native plants are best for your area by contacting your state’s native plant society.
- Are you an AHS member? Make sure to take advantage of your member benefits by exploring our seed discounts and book discounts. Not a member? Read about the benefits of joining today.

News & Press

American Horticultural Society Names Winners of 2020 AHS Book Awards

The American Horticultural Society (AHS) has selected the three winners of its annual book awards program recognizing outstanding gardening literature.

A total of 50 books published in 2019 were nominated for consideration this year. The three award recipients are:

• The Scentual Garden by Ken Druse with botanical photographs by Ellen Hoverkamp (publisher: Abrams Books).
Designed to reveal the world of sensory experience of plants–including how to sample botanical fragrance, design for it, revel in it, and even capture it—this book was praised by judges for being “engaging, beautiful, and well written with rich descriptions.” Druse is a celebrated lecturer and an award-winning author and photographer from northwestern New Jersey who has published more than 20 garden books over the last quarter century. This is his fourth AHS Book Award.

• The Melon by Amy Goldman with photographs by Victor Schrager (publisher: City Point Press).
This book is a comprehensive and definitive work that includes portraits in words and photographs of 125 extraordinary varieties of melon, expert advice on cultivation and seed saving, and delicious melon recipes. Judges deemed it “scrumptious and luscious” with wonderful storytelling. Goldman—a Rhinebeck, N.Y.-based author, heirloom gardener, and artist—is a passionate advocate for seed saving, plant breeding, and heirloom fruits and vegetables. This is Goldman’s fourth AHS Book Award.

• Fruit Trees for Every Garden: An Organic Approach to Growing Apples, Peaches, Plums, Citrus and More by Orin Martin with Manjula Martin (publisher: Ten Speed Press).
Praised for its botanical illustrations and information on pruning, this book is a full-color guide covering everything you need to know about organically growing healthy, bountiful fruit trees. Martin, the manager of the Alan Chadwick Garden at the University of California at Santa Cruz, is a respected master orchardist, horticulturist, and teacher. This is Martin’s first AHS Book Award.

Over the last two decades, the AHS has recognized outstanding gardening books published in North America with its annual Book Awards. Books are judged by the AHS Book Award Committee on qualities such as writing style, authority, originality, horticultural accuracy, and design quality.

AHS’s 2020 Book Award Committee was chaired by Deb Wiley, a garden writer, editor, and and book project manager in Des Moines, Iowa. Other members were: William Aldrich, founder and former editor of Chicagoland Gardening, from Springfield, Mo.; Kim Toscano Holmes, a garden communicator, educator, and designer based in Stillwater, Okla.; Susan Eubank, a horticultural librarian at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in California; Amy Campion, a freelance garden writer, photographer, and blogger in Portland, Ore.; Catriona Tudor Erler, a garden writer, photographer, and book author based in Charlottesville, Va.; and Nancy Rose, a horticulturist, writer, and former educator and research — based in Jamaica Plain, Mass.

The 2020 AHS Book Awards will be presented on Thurs., June 18 during the Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Banquet at River Farm, the AHS’s national headquarters in Alexandria, Va. For more information about the awards, please visit our AHS Book Awards landing page.

News & Press

Five Gardens Join AHS’s Reciprocal Admissions Program

Five more gardens have joined the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP), which provides AHS members with special admission privileges and discounts at more than 330 gardens throughout North America.

You’ll find information on all five of these gardens on our searchable RAP map. Please make sure to call ahead or visit the websites of RAP gardens before planning a visit, as many of them are closed for the time being.

The newest RAP gardens include:

News & Press

American Horticultural Society Reveals the 2020 Great American Gardeners

The American Horticultural Society (AHS) today announced the distinguished recipients of the 2020 Great American Gardeners Awards. Individuals, organizations, and companies that receive these awards represent the best in American gardening and horticulture. Each has contributed significantly to fields such as plant research, garden communication, landscape design, youth gardening, community greening, and teaching.

Among this year’s winners is James P. Folsom of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, who is receiving the AHS’s highest honor—the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award—for his achievements in botanical garden and public horticulture leadership. The AHS applauds all of this year’s recipients for their passionate commitment to American gardening and their outstanding achievements within their area of expertise.

This year’s Great American Gardeners Award recipients are:

* LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY AWARD – The American Horticultural Society’s highest award, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award is given to an individual who has made significant lifetime contributions to at least three of the following horticultural fields: teaching, research, communications, plant exploration, administration, art, business, and leadership.
James P. Folsom, Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, Calif.

* JANE L. TAYLOR AWARD – Given to an individual, organization, or program that has inspired and nurtured future horticulturists through efforts in children’s and youth gardening.
Grow Dat Youth Farm, New Orleans, La.

* COMMUNITY GREENING AWARD – Given for exemplary contributions by an individual, institution, or company that demonstrate the application and value of horticulture to creating livable communities that are greener, healthier, and more equitable.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County’s Blocks in Bloom program, Rochester, N.Y.

* EMERGING HORTICULTURAL PROFESSIONAL AWARD – Given in the early stages of an individual’s career, this award recognizes significant achievements and/or leadership that have advanced the field of horticulture in America.
Jessica B. Turner-Skoff, Treeologist-Science Communication Leader, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Ill.

* LANDSCAPE DESIGN AWARD – Given to an individual whose work has demonstrated and promoted the value of sound horticultural practices in the field of landscape architecture.
Leslie Bennett, Principal, Pine House Edible Gardens, Oakland, Calif.

* B.Y. MORRISON COMMUNICATION AWARD – Recognizes effective and inspirational communication—through print, radio, television, and/or online media—that advances public interest and participation in horticulture.
Ciscoe Morris, Garden Communicator, Gardening with Ciscoe, Seattle, Wash.

* PROFESSIONAL AWARD – Given to a public garden administrator whose achievements throughout his or her career have cultivated widespread interest in horticulture.
Charles “Chipper” Wichman, Jr., President, CEO, and Director, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Hawaii.

* TEACHING AWARD – Given to an individual whose ability to share his or her horticultural knowledge with others has contributed to a better public understanding of the plant world and its important influence on society.
Barry Fugatt, Director of Horticulture, Tulsa Garden Center, Tulsa, Okla.

* PAUL ECKE JR. COMMERCIAL AWARD – Given to an individual or company whose commitment to the highest standards of excellence in the field of commercial horticulture contributes to the betterment of gardening practices everywhere.
Steve Castorani, Owner and Chief Financial Officer, North Creek Nurseries, Inc., Landenberg, Pa.

* FRANCES JONES POETKER AWARD – Recognizes significant contributions to floral design in publications, on the platform, and to the public.
Nancy Ross Hugo, Floral Designer, Ashland, Va.

* H. MARC CATHEY AWARD – Recognizes outstanding scientific research that has enriched the field of horticulture.
Dr. Michael J. Balick, Vice President for Botanical Science, Director and Philecology Curator, Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, N.Y.

* HORTICULTURAL THERAPY AWARD – Recognizes significant contributions to the field of horticultural therapy.
Catharine McCord, Horticultural Therapist, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colo.

* LUTHER BURBANK AWARD – Recognizes extraordinary achievement in the world of plant breeding.
Dan Heims, President, Terra Nova Nurseries, Canby, Ore.

* MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD – Recognizes a past Board member or friend of the American Horticultural Society for outstanding service in support of the Society’s goals, mission, and activities.
J. Landon Reeve, IV, Founder, Chapel Valley Landscape, Woodbine, Md.

On Thurs., June 18, 2020, the AHS will honor these award recipients during the Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Banquet, held at the Society’s River Farm headquarters in Alexandria, Va.

For more information on this year’s recipients, please visit our 2020 Award Winners. Photographs of the award winners and additional information about the awards program are available upon request by contacting Erika Christ at (703) 768-5700 ext. 138 or echrist@ahsgardening.org.

About the American Horticultural Society

Founded in 1922, the American Horticultural Society is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to modeling, educating about, and advocating for earth-friendly and sustainable gardening practices. Our mission is to share with all Americans the critical role of plants, gardens, and green spaces in creating healthy, livable communities and a sustainable planet. Since 1973, we have been headquartered at River Farm, one of George Washington’s original five farms that’s situated on a 25-acre site composed of gardens, meadows, and woodlands along the Potomac River in the Mount Vernon section of Fairfax County. To learn more, visit https://ahsgardening.org.

News & Press

AHS Names Heather Prince Associate Editor

As the new associate editor of the American Horticultural Society’s bimonthly member magazine, The American Gardener, Prince is responsible for editing the magazine’s contributed content, as well as writing occasional stories.

Based in the Chicago area, Prince has a strong background and extensive experience in both communications and horticulture. She is a trained horticulturist specializing in trees, shrubs, and natives, with a passion for connecting people with plants.

Besides writing articles for publications such as Chicagoland Gardening and The Landscape Contractor, she lectures and teaches gardening classes at a variety of venues, including The Morton Arboretum and Chicago Botanic Garden. Some of her current presentation topics include “Native Plants for Small Gardens,” “Rain Gardens 101,” and “Woody Plants for Butterflies.” She also blogs at https://www.fearlessgardening.net/.

News & Press

AHS Updates Vision and Mission Statements

Making Americans aware about environmentally-friendly — or sustainable — gardening practices has long been one of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) priorities, and now we’re pleased to say that this has been formalized in our national non-profit’s vision and mission:

Our Vision: A land of sustainable gardens, cultivated by a diverse population with a common passion for plants.

Our Mission: To share with all Americans the critical role of plants, gardens, and green spaces in creating healthy, livable communities and a sustainable planet.

We will be striving to implement more sustainable gardening practices at AHS’s River Farm headquarters in Alexandria, VA. We hope you will support our work at the national and local levels, and consider how you can engage in sustainable gardening as well.