News & Press

American Horticultural Society’s The American Gardener Magazine Garners Three Prestigious GardenComm Awards

David J. Ellis, Editor of The American Gardener, received the Hall of Fame Honor and contributing writers Marianne Willburn and Gail Hudson are recipients of Laurel Media Awards.

ALEXANDRIA, VA (DATE) – The American Horticultural Society (AHS) is proud to announce that The American Gardener, the Society’s print and digital membership magazine, has been recognized with three distinguished honors by Garden Communicators International (GardenComm).

David J. Ellis, long-time editor of The American Gardener, has been inducted into the GardenComm Hall of Fame, the organization’s highest honor. This prestigious accolade acknowledges Ellis’s significant contributions to advancing GardenComm’s mission and values throughout his career.

Joining the AHS as Assistant Editor in 1994, Ellis became editor of The American Gardener in 1998, overseeing nearly 200 issues. He also managed the publication of more than 20 gardening books through AHS’s publishing program, directed AHS’s digital communications and outreach initiatives, and often served as the AHS’s spokesperson. His expertise has led to appearances on national radio programs like National Public Radio’s “Science Friday,” participation in horticultural panels across the country, and hosting tours internationally for the AHS Travel Study program. An active member of GardenComm since 1998, Ellis was named a GardenComm Fellow in 2008 and has served on multiple GardenComm committees. Ellis, who plans to retire in December 2024, will continue to contribute to the AHS by leading a Travel Study program to South Africa’s Cape region in 2025.

In addition to Ellis’s recognition, two contributing writers to The American Gardener have been honored with GardenComm’s Laurel Media Awards. Marianne Willburn received a gold medal for her 2023 opinion column series “In Defense of Gardening…,” while Gail Hudson was awarded a silver medal for her article, “Kicking the Plastic Pot Habit,” which appeared in the July/August 2023 issue of The American Gardener. The awards were announced on August 28 at GardenComm’s annual conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“These accolades highlight the exceptional quality of our editorial team and the impact of The American Gardener magazine as a leading publication in the horticultural community,” says Suzanne Laporte, President and CEO of the AHS. “We congratulate David Ellis and contributing writers Marianne Willburn and Gail Hudson, on their well-deserved recognition, and thank them for their outstanding contributions to AHS and horticultural communication.”

About the American Horticultural Society
Founded in 1922, the nonprofit American Horticultural Society (AHS) is one of the most respected and longstanding member-based national gardening organizations in North America. The Society’s membership includes more than 22,000 aspiring, new, and experienced gardeners, plant enthusiasts, and horticultural professionals, as well as numerous regional and national partner organizations. Through its educational programs, awards, and publications, the AHS inspires a culture of gardening and horticultural practices that creates and sustains healthy, beautiful communities and a livable planet. AHS is headquartered at River Farm, 25-acre site overlooking the Potomac River that is part of George Washington’s original farmlands in Alexandria, Virginia. www.ahsgardening.org

News & Press

New Fall 2024 Lifelong Learning Programs!

We are excited to announce the launch of the Fall 2024 Lifelong Learning Programs from AHS! The Fall Lifelong Learning Programs provide opportunities to learn and develop your horticultural knowledge; whether you are a beginner gardener or an expert horticulturist, there is something for everyone.

The fall programs will launch in mid-September with four series: Horticulture & the Environment; Garden Design & Techniques; Plants, Culture, & Community; and Behind-the-Scenes Garden Tours. All series offer engaging and unique programs for a range of plant enthusiasts. Most programs are offered virtually and are accessible to our audiences across the country. We are pleased to feature renowned speakers including botanical artist and landscape designer Lily Kwong, ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin, and bestselling author and environmental journalist Zoe Schlanger.

Lily Kwong is an LA-based artist who works to reconnect people to nature through transformative landscape project and botanical art installations. Her work brings together horticulture, urban design, contemporary art, and climate awareness.

Rebecca McMackin is a horticulturist and garden designer who works to help people create and car for beautiful gardens that also have the benefit of providing habitats for birds and butterflies while also promoting the health of soil microorganisms. Rebecca works to educate people on ecological landscape management and pollination ecology.

Zoe Schlanger is a staff reporter at the Atlantic who covers climate change. Her book The Light Eaters investigates plant behavior research and how scientist are uncovering new and dynamic characteristics of plants. Her book helps to introduce the reader to the scientists and plants that are reshaping how we think about intelligence, consciousness, and the agency of nonhuman life.

We have also added new Behind-the-Scenes Garden Tours, which are exclusive in-person opportunities for AHS members, in the Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Boston areas for this fall.

Finally, our inagural self-paced online course will be returning this fall! The course will be available from September 18 – February 24.

Visit https://ahsgardening.org/lifelong-learning-2/ to learn more about the offerings and register! AHS Members receive a discount on the registration fee.

Spots for the programs fill fast, so be sure to secure your spot now!

News & Press

Nominations for the Great American Gardeners Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 AHS Great American Gardeners Awards. Since 1953, the Awards have recognized individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions to the American horticulture. Each year, we solicit nominations from the general public to recognize these top individuals and organizations. We are proud to honor these Great American Gardeners.

This year we are accepting nominations for seven awards:

The Liberty Hyde Bailey Award, our most prestigious award given to an individual who has made significant lifetime contributions to multiple horticultural fields.
The Jane L. Taylor Award, dedicated to individuals or organizations that have supported children and youth gardening.
The Emerging Horticultural Professional Award, which recognizes horticulturists in the early stages of their careers.
The Garden Stewardship Award, for a public garden that embraces sustainable practices.
The B.Y. Morrison Communication Award, which recognizes inspirational communication that advances horticulture.
The Landscape Design Award honors a professional committed to sustainable landscape architecture practices.
The Frances Jones Poetker Award, recognizing significant contributions to floral design.

We look forward to reading every nomination received and exploring and celebrating the great diversity of horticultural work taking place around the country, We are thankful to our AHS Awards Committee for their time and expertise in reviewing nominations for horticultural excellence. The 2025 committee includes:

Holly Shimizu, committee chair, AHS board member, and former director of the U.S. Botanic Garden (MD)
Dr. David Kopsell, professor of horticulture, Illinois State University (IL)
Kaifa Anderson-Hall, president and CEO of Plants and Blooms Reimagined (Washington, D.C.)
Diane Blazek, executive director, All-America Selections/National Garden Bureau (IL)
Lee Coykendall, former senior education specialist, U.S. Botanic Garden (Washington, D.C.)
Kate Delaney, director of career development, Society of American Florists (PA)
Panayoti Kelaidis, senior curator and director of outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens (CO)
Kelly D. Norris, author, plantsman, and landscape designer (IA)
Nan Sterman, garden designer, botanist, author, and garden communicator (CA)

To learn more about the awards and submit nominations, visit https://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/national-awards/great-american-gardeners/

News & Press

Celebrating Black History Month in Horticulture

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Throughout the centuries, Black Americans have elevated the field of horticulture, making discoveries and revolutionizing gardening practices. This Black History Month, we celebrate all Black horticulturists making a difference and paving the way for future gardeners. While there are too many impactful changemakers to recognize, we have chosen a few key figures to highlight. By lifting the voices of these select gardeners, we hope to foster a culture that invites all Americans to garden to ensure a thriving and beautiful world for current and future generations.

Historical Figures

Many historical figures helped shape the field of horticulture, furthering study in botany, agriculture, and plant science. Marie Clark Taylor, the first woman to obtain her scientific doctoral degree and the first African American woman to gain her Ph.D. in botany from Fordham University in 1941, eventually became a professor at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., one of many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country.

Another important figure who shaped the field of horticulture in the 20^th century was Booker T. Whatley, a Black horticulturist and agriculture professor at the historic Tuskegee University in Alabama. As an advocate for sustainable gardening practices and biodiversity in gardening, he encouraged African American farmers to adopt regenerative farming techniques in the 1960s and 1970s. He pioneered what would eventually become the modern crop share, having members pay for a season’s worth of crops in advance. In the mid-1980s, he published a book called How to Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres, which helped disadvantaged farmers make the most of their land. His impact on the field of horticulture resounds even today.

Plantfluencers

One group that is currently gaining traction in the public eye is “plantfluencers,” influencers who create content about gardening and houseplants. In the most recent edition of The American Gardener, writer Georgia Silvera Seamans featured three Black influencers who are prominent players in the houseplant social media sphere:

Kamili Bell Hill (@plantblerd) from New Rochelle, New York started her career as a lawyer, but now has published a book on gardening and indoor houseplants called Happy Plants, Happy You. She sees cultivating plants as a vehicle for self-love and anti-racism.

Plant biologist specializing in ethnobotany, Derek Haynes (@thechocolatebotanist) serves as a board member for The North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He creates content tying together his identity as a Black man with his love for plants.

Stephanie Horton (@botanicalblackgirl) grew up in a plant-loving family in St. Louis, Missouri, but now lives and grows in Huntsville, Alabama. She has worked with HBCUs such as Alabama A&M to revitalize their agricultural programs and interdisciplinary career opportunities to further involve Black people in horticulture. She also produces events at a plant shop to “broaden the houseplant community.”

Nonprofits

Many nonprofits champion education and sustainability while working to increase food security for underserved communities. One organization is Soul Fire Farm, a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-focused organization using ancestral and sustainable methods to farm land in Grafton, New York. By championing farming methods that work in harmony with the earth, Soul Fire Farm, founded by Leah Penniman and Jonah Vitale-Wolff, is striving to achieve its mission to end racism in the food system and foster a more inclusive culture that recognizes the value of caring for our planet and working to leave the land better off than they found it.

Black Garden History

If you are interested in learning more about the role of the Black community in gardening throughout history, join us for a Lifelong Learning Session with Abra Lee on February 2 at 2:00 p.m. ET when she will talk about “Black Garden History: A Great American Road Trip.” In this session, Lee will highlight historic and influential figures in Black garden history. Lee is an American public horticulturist, historian, and writer who currently serves as the Director of Horticulture at Historic Oakland Foundation in Atlanta. You can register for the program here.

Clearly, the role African Americans have played in shaping horticulture cannot be understated. Many important discoveries and innovations would not exist without the hard work of Black gardeners, and we are thankful for their contributions every day. We are happy to honor and recognize important figures in the field for Black History Month, but also recognize that these figures should be celebrated year-round. We hope to see even more diverse voices amplified in the field for years to come.