Daily Archives: March 20, 2024

Monday, August 19 – Friday, August 23 – Oregon: The Gardens of Portland & the Farm-to-Table Bounty of the Willamette Valley

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Embark on a unique American Horticultural Society journey to Portland and the Willamette Valley on August 19 – 23, celebrating magnificent gardens, sustainable farming, and farm-to-table traditions. Discover the distinctive beauty of the Portland Japanese Garden, Lan Su Chinese Garden, and Oregon Garden. Learn about holistic land management at a Willamette Valley farm and enjoy a tasting and tour at a picturesque winery. Timed with the Swan Island Dahlia Festival, witness thousands of dahlias in peak bloom. Engage with local experts, including farmers, chefs, and a winemaker. Throughout, enjoy meals at hand-picked restaurants committed to sustainability and locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Reserve your place now. Click here for program brochure and registration details.

Trip Highlights:

– Explore the lush beauty of Portland and the Willamette Valley with AHS Hosts Holly and Osamu Shimizu.

– Visit the renowned Portland Japanese Garden, the tranquil Lan Su Chinese Garden, and the fascinating Oregon Garden.

– Discover sustainable farming practices at a pasture-based farm in the Willamette Valley, showcasing holistic land management and the farm-to-table movement.

– Savor the fruits of the region’s vineyards with a tasting and tour at a picturesque winery in the Willamette Valley.

– At the Swan Island Dahlia Festival, enjoy a spectacular display of thousands of dahlias in peak bloom.

– Interact with knowledgeable local experts, including farmers, farm-to-table chefs, a winemaker, and the owner of one of Portland’s top nurseries, gaining insights into the area’s agriculture and horticulture.

– Indulge in delectable meals at restaurants known for their commitment to sustainable practices and use of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

Learn more about this program in a Q&A with trip leader Holly Shimizu and AHS’s Director of Travel Studies, Mercedes Bryant.

Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – A World of Discovery: How Science and Heart Can Make You a More Ecological Gardener, Online

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Much has been written about gardening for human senses, but how do plants and animals perceive the world around them? What do we miss when we landscape for human visual appeal but neglect the sensory experiences of our wild neighbors? Noise, light, and odor pollution can have many unintended consequences. Conventional gardening practices often interfere with animals’ and plants’ abilities to interact with their environment in ways we can scarcely imagine. Through science, heart, and our powers of observation, we can learn to mitigate these disruptions and create sensory refuges in an increasingly noisy world.

Nancy Lawson will speak on Wednesday, April 3 from 7 – 8 pm Eastern online with the American Horticultural Society. $10 AHS members, $15 nonmembers. Register at ahsgardening.org

Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, popular speaker, and founder of The Humane Gardener, LLC, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, Lawson co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, after discovering a little-known butterfly behavior in her own garden. Her work has been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, and Ecological Entomology. Her new book, Wildscape, is a finalist for the 2024 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books.