Boston Flora

Tag: AHS

  • Saturday, January 23 – Sunday, January 31 – Tropical Splendor: Costa Rica’s Gardens & Natural Wonders

    Embark on an unforgettable journey with American Horticultural Society through Costa Rica’s lush gardens and vibrant natural wonders. This meticulously crafted adventure will immerse you in the heart of Costa Rica’s tropical landscapes, where you’ll explore stunning botanical gardens and pristine rainforests. Along the way, experience guided tours of verdant gardens and an organic coffee farm, indulge in local cuisine with farm-to-table dining, unwind in natural hot springs, and discover the ecological richness of the region. With expert guides and delightful accommodations, this travel program is a paradise for plant lovers, nature enthusiasts, and those seeking to experience the wonders of Central America’s biodiversity.

    This 2027 custom trip is part of the AHS Adventures travel program collection.

    Visit the Green Ark Botanical Garden, showcasing over 1,600 species of tropical plants and fruit trees.
Enjoy a coffee farm tour at Finca Rosa Blanca, including a “cupping” session to taste gourmet coffee.
Hike through Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges with spectacular views of Volcano Arenal.
Relax at the Titoku Hot Springs, featuring a variety of temperature-controlled pools.
Visit Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve, a protected tropical rainforest with over 500 acres of wildlife habitat.
Explore the Organization of Tropical Studies’ La Selva Research Station and its 4,000 acres of land.
Enjoy a boat ride on Rio Sarapiqui, surrounded by rainforest and wildlife.
Take a hands-on chocolate tour to learn about the cacao plant and its cultural significance.
Participate in a cooking class, making traditional Costa Rican dishes like empanadas and tortillas.

    Contact

    AHS Travel Department
    (703) 768-8801
    travel@ahsgardening.org

  • Thursday, May 14, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Shrublands of the American West, Online

    Shrublands exist all around us, thriving in almost any environmental condition, from the desiccating sunshine of the endless sagebrush steppe to the deep, private shade of moist forests. These diverse and inspiring ecosystems serve as perfect models for our gardens. Beyond their inherent beauty, they provide nurturing habitats, demonstrate resilience in the face of a changing climate, and offer a challenge to conventional garden-making through their intense aesthetics and obscured intentions. Join the American Horticultural Society and coauthor Michael Guidi of Shrouded in Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands to explore a glorious spectrum of wild shrublands and discover the philosophies and design strategies for bringing these magnificent plant communities into your home garden.

    Michael Guidi is the Manager of Horticulture Research Programs at Denver Botanic Gardens, where he integrates scientific research, ecological theory, and practical horticulture to promote resilient plant choices and landscape strategies. His work spans a wide range of topics, including plant breeding, plant tissue culture, direct-seeded vegetation, and green infrastructure. An advocate for dynamic, self-sustaining gardens, he demonstrates how thoughtful planting design can enhance biodiversity, bolster ecological resilience, and improve human well-being. In 2024, he coauthored Shrouded in Light: Naturalistic Plantings Inspired by Wild Shrublands, a book that explores the biology, philosophical foundations, and landscape potential of shrubland habitats worldwide. Michael holds a master’s degree in Ecology from Colorado State University.

    $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.ahsgardening.org

  • Friday, May 8, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – The Modern Professional Planting Designer, Online

    There are many different approaches we can take to filling our gardens, landscapes and lives with plants. In this American Horticultural Society online talk on May 8 based on his new book, The Modern Professional Planting Designer, Andrew Fisher Tomlin will reveal some of the tools that will help you achieve professional-level solutions in planting. He will explore the difference between ornamental, naturalistic and nature-based planting design and discuss a guiding framework to support the development of your own planting design choices. With examples of real-life projects in Europe and the USA, he will finish with a preview of the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

    Andrew Fisher Tomlin is widely acknowledged as leading the development of a distinct professional career path in planting design through his own work and as a director of the internationally renowned London College of Garden Design in London and Melbourne where he has mentored some of the most exciting new designers coming out of the UK and Australia over the past 20 years. Andrew is a Chartered Horticulturist and a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers in the UK and has received design awards in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. He also teaches students of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has given papers at institutions worldwide such as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

    $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.ahsgardening.org

  • Thursday, May 7, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – A Conversation on Black in the Garden, Online

    Join the American Horticultural Society and Colah B. Tawkin, creator of podcast Black in the Garden, for a conversation reflecting on the podcast’s highlights and impact, the future of horticultural communication, insights on land stewardship and farming heritage, and all things Black and botanical.

    Colah B. Tawkin, creator of Black in the Garden, is a ‘plantrepreneur’, podcaster, and the guide to all things Black and botanical. Since 2019, she has produced more than 150 episodes about farming heritage, food sovereignty, cooperative economics, and land stewardship. Black in the Garden has been distributed by the NPR podcast network in production at WABE Studios in Atlanta, GA. The show has reached over 100 countries, serving a global audience with top ratings and multiple-year features on Apple Podcasts Black History Month Collection. Colah has collaborated with the Smithsonian Gardens, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Atlanta Botanical Garden. She has given TEDx talks, been honored as a Cultivator of Celebration by Cornell Botanic Gardens, and been commissioned by The Atlanta History Center to curate The Botanical Black History podcast series.

    $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.ahsgardening.org

  • Thursday, April 16, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Future Nature: Cultivating Resilience Amid Ecological Change, Online

    Vegetation is shifting in response to intensifying environmental pressures—from invasive species and habitat fragmentation to rising nutrient loads and imbalanced herbivore populations. Drawing from his firm Phyto Studio’s experience with high-visibility public projects, landscape architect Thomas Rainer shares actionable strategies for designing resilient plantings. Learn how to work with competitive dynamics, select vigorous native species, introduce designed stress through soil manipulation, and embrace adaptive management models that favor abundance. This talk offers a grounded path forward for planting in a rapidly changing world.

    Thomas Rainer is a leading voice in ecological landscape design, pioneering a plant systems approach that anticipates a changing future. As a registered landscape architect based in Arlington, Virginia, Thomas reimagines ecological planting for gardens and public spaces, focusing on merging ecology with horticulture to shape resilient, adaptive landscapes that address today’s environmental challenges. His career features signature designs at landmark locations such as the Battery Park, Toronto Botanical Garden, and The New York Botanical Garden. He has designed over 125 residential gardens spanning from Maine to Florida. Thomas has taught planting design for the George Washington University Landscape Design program, as well as design workshops globally. He is the co-author of the bestselling Planting in a Post-Wild World with Claudia West.

    This American Horticultural Society online talk will take place April 16 at 7 pm Eastern, and is $15 for AHS members and $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.ahsgardening.org

  • Sunday, November 1 – Thursday, November 12 – Japan’s Autumn Majesty: Gardens, Colors & Cultural Treasures

    In Japan, autumn is a celebration of color. The centuries-old tradition of momiji-gari, or “red leaf hunting,” invites reflection and reverence as temple gardens, mountain landscapes, and ancient cities glow in luminous shades of scarlet, amber, and gold. Maples blaze against dark cedar forests, moss gardens deepen in color, and every carefully composed vista feels heightened by the season’s clarity. This thoughtfully designed American Horticultural Society journey blends Japan’s most revered gardens with rare cultural experiences that illuminate the philosophy behind them.

    Experience:

    Tokyo’s annual Chrysanthemum Exhibition, where intricate displays honor the flower long associated with the Imperial family and the spirit of autumn
    Shunkaen Bonsai Museum and Rikugien Garden, where classical landscape design frames brilliant seasonal color
    Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, admired for its harmonious balance of water, stone, trees, and open space
    Zen meditation at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto, where maple trees arch over reflective ponds in one of Japan’s most iconic temple settings
    A hands-on ikebana workshop led by a master practitioner, exploring the disciplined artistry of Japanese flower arranging
    A traditional tea ceremony that reveals the profound aesthetics of simplicity, hospitality, and seasonal awareness
    A visit to an indigo-dyeing workshop preserving generations-old textile traditions
    A night in a traditional ryokan inn, complete with tatami mats, kaiseki cuisine, and restorative indoor and outdoor onsen hot spring baths
    Visits to a wasabi farm and tea plantation, where you’ll see firsthand how Japan’s agricultural traditions are shaped by water, terrain, and climate

    Throughout your trip, you’ll stay in exceptional accommodations and travel seamlessly between dynamic Tokyo, the mountainous beauty of Nagano, the preserved Edo-era districts of Kanazawa, and the temple-filled serenity of Kyoto. For complete information visit www.ahsgardening.org

  • Monday, September 28 – Friday, October 2 – Autumn Splendor in the Brandywine Valley

    Spend five glorious days with the American Horticultural Society in the heart of “America’s Garden Capital,” where autumn light settles gently over rolling hills, historic estates, and some of the most celebrated gardens in the country. As maples blaze in crimson and gold and late-season perennials reach their peak, the Brandywine Valley becomes a living canvas of color, design, and horticultural mastery.

    You’ll explore:

    Longwood Gardens in peak seasonal display, from its dazzling conservatories to its grand fountain gardens framed by fiery fall foliage
    Winterthur’s masterfully composed naturalistic landscapes, where sweeping drifts of color unfold across a 60-acre garden
    Mt. Cuba Center’s pioneering work in native plant conservation and sustainable design
    The imaginative, artistic plantings of Chanticleer, often called one of America’s most creative public gardens
    A private visit to Brandywine Cottage with acclaimed plantsman David Culp, offering rare insight into layered garden design

    The AHS host is Rochelle Greaye, Editor of American Gardener and a landscape designer with more than 25 years of experience. Complete information and pricing may be found at ahsgardening.org

  • Thursday, March 12, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – The African Ancestors Garden, Online

    Paul Peters, principal at Hood Design Studio, will share about the studio’s landscape design process for the African Ancestors Garden, part of the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. The garden draws inspiration from both the Lowcountry landscape and the broader African diaspora to create a tranquil environment for reflection, learning, and remembrance. Organized as a series of sub-gardens, the design celebrates the artistry, craftsmanship, and labor of African Americans through botanical and material narratives. The African Origins Garden highlights the botanical diaspora by featuring plants commonly found throughout Southern landscapes that trace their origins to regions across Africa, symbolizing how plant migration parallels the historical displacement and movement of people. Complementing this, the Lowcountry Garden is rooted in the ecology of local marshlands, incorporating native reeds, a circular arrangement of concrete benches inspired by the contours of coastal mudflats, and a gentle ground depression that gathers site runoff. Together, these spaces form a contemplative memorial landscape that honors ancestral memory and offers visitors a profound connection to the enduring heritage of the African diaspora.

    Hood Design Studio is a landscape architecture and social art practice based in Oakland, California and founded by visionary landscape architect, Walter Hood. Paul Peters, a Principal at Hood Design Studio, is renowned for spotlighting the intricate ties between nature and culture in his landscape designs. He transforms expansive sites into intimate spaces, designing with sensitivity to personal memories and experiences. He is deeply invested in the conceptual phase, seamlessly weaving broad perspectives, conceptual thinking, and research throughout his projects, ultimately influencing societal perspectives. Earning his master’s in landscape architecture from the University of British Columbia, Paul managed his own design-build firm in Vancouver for seven years. Since joining Hood Design Studio in 2016, he’s pioneered several groundbreaking projects. Notably, he’s contributed to the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, the historic Oakland Museum of California’s renovation, and Nvidia’s state-of-the-art campus in Silicon Valley.

    This American Horticultural Society online program on March 12 is $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register HERE

  • Friday, March 6, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Ecological Restoration & Design, Online

    Blackland Collaborative is an ecology-based consulting group with over 40 years of collective experience in restoring, creating, and conserving functional ecosystems. This American Horticultural Society online program on March 6 will discuss some of the Collaborative’s Texas-based landscape projects, such as the Headwaters at the Comal and the George W. Bush Presidential Center, to examine ecological design for native grasslands, riparian restoration, urban ecology, native prairie green roofs, landscape restoration plans at multiple scales, and pocket prairies.

    John Hart Asher has over sixteen years of experience designing and building functional ecosystems within urban conditions. He has conducted basic research in ecological engineering, ecological restoration, and land management, offered workshops to professionals and the public, and provided fee-supported ecological consulting expertise to clients across Texas. As part of the consulting team, John Hart works with integrated design teams composed of engineers, architects, landscape architects, and developers to integrate sustainable design, practices, and philosophies into projects. He specializes in translating sustainable design into successful projects that provide varying layers of ecosystem services. His home pocket prairie has recently been featured in the newly released books: Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State and Gardenista: The Low Impact Garden: A Guide to Creating Sustainable Outdoor Spaces.

    REGISTER NOW

    Environmental Designer John Hart Asher, photographed at home by David Rice.

  • Thursday, February 19, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Soils and Plant Nutrition, Online

    A beautiful and sustainable garden starts with understanding your garden conditions, enabling you to select plants that will thrive. One crucial part of that knowledge is your garden soil. We will simplify the complex topic of garden soil into five key areas to help you understand what you need to know. This online February 29 AHS Live program will address soil and water, soil texture and structure, soil chemistry, nutrient delivery, and the soil ecosystem.

    Gretchen Renshaw is a horticulturist and teacher. She is a founder and volunteer director at the Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden in California. This demonstration garden features California native plants and sustainable gardening practices. She is a former horticulture instructor at UCLA Extension, where she taught for over 25 years. One of her courses was a four-unit class on Soils and Plant Nutrition, for which she wrote and published Underground: A Gardener’s Guide to Soil and Plant Nutrition. Renshaw also worked as a science teacher at an elementary school, engaging students in hands-on science activities from kindergarten to fifth grade. She has a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

    REGISTER NOW $15 AHS members, $20 nonmembers.