Boston Flora

Tag: American Horticultural Society

  • Wednesday, May 22, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Designing for Nature, Online

    Free your garden and design for independence! Join renowned landscape designer Edwina von Gal and Toshi Yano, Director of Perfect Earth Project, as they discuss their new vision of nature-based gardening. In this May 22 American Horticultural Society webinar, Edwina and Toshi will show how the approaches that drive contemporary horticultural aesthetics and methods often do not prioritize the health of plants, people, and the planet. Instead, they will offer a holistic approach to land care that’s based in the science of plant-wildlife relationships, soil microbiology, and water and biomass management. Edwina and Toshi will show how this new approach, based on what they call “PRFCTPractices”, is being implemented in landscapes as diverse as home gardens, public parks, colleges, corporate campuses, and cemeteries, and how you can incorporate them into your own practice.

    A leading voice in sustainable gardening and landscape design, Edwina von Gal founded the Perfect Earth Project in 2013 to promote nature-based, toxic-free land care for the health of people, their pets, and the planet. As principal of her eponymous landscape design firm, Edwina created landscapes with a focus on simplicity, sustainability, and beauty for private and public clients around the world. Her work has been published widely, including in The New York Times, Vogue, and Architectural Digest, and her book Fresh Cuts won the Quill and Trowel award for garden writing in 1998. In 2023, she was named a legend and trailblazer in Wallpaper’s Guide to Creatives in America. She has served on boards and committees for a number of horticultural organizations; she is currently on the board of What Is Missing, Maya Lin’s multifaceted media artwork about the loss of biodiversity, and is an honorary trustee of Native Plant Trust. In 2022, she received the Long House Visionary Award from Long House Reserve. Her other awards include the New York School of Interior Design’s Green Design Award, the Isamu Noguchi Award, and Guild Hall’s Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award for the Visual Arts.

    Toshi Yano is the Director of Perfect Earth Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, engaging, and inspiring individuals, land care professionals, and decision makers to adopt the toxic-free, nature-based, and climate-responsible land care practices necessary for a healthier, more sustainable—and more beautiful—environment for all. He is a Director At Large at the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), where he chairs the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Committee; a co-founder of BIPOC Hort, an advocacy group for people of color working in designed landscapes; and the Landscape and Garden Advisor at Wethersfield Estate & Garden, where he previously worked as Director of Horticulture. While at Wethersfield, he spearheaded the process that placed the site on the National Register of Historic Places, and won the New York State Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation and The Garden Conservancy’s Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in the Field of American Gardening.

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

  • Friday, April 26, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Building Community in the Herb Garden, Online

    This American Horticultural Society virtual workshop on April 26 at 2 pm Eastern will explore the value of garden spaces as catalysts for community-building and growth, as well as ways to build garden community through programs and events. Kelly Fernandez will offer reflections on her 15-year tenure as the Herb Gardener at The Huntington Library and share models for garden programs, events, and volunteer trainings, emphasizing the significance of cultivating an entry point and a deep connection with the natural world to nurture a strong sense of community. The reflections will be followed by guided workshop time for participants to brainstorm ways to build community in their own gardening efforts. $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at ahsgardening.org

    Kelly Fernandez is the Head Gardener of the Herb and Shakespeare Gardens at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Her journey in gardening began in 2008 and has blossomed into a lifelong dedication to learning about the interconnection between plants and the human experience. With a diverse set of credentials, including a Horticultural Therapy certification (2015) and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (2021), Fernandez strives to share her love for gardening and believes in the beneficial aspects of fostering a sense of well-being through connecting to the natural world.

  • Wednesday, April 17, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Revisiting Liberty Hyde Bailey’s Nature-Study Idea in the Era of Climate Change, Online

    The urgency to halt the progression of climate change requires much more than the implementation of scientific knowledge—it requires a revolution across the fields of education, culture, and the arts. In The Nature-Study Idea, Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954), the “father of modern horticulture” and Progressive-Era educational reformer, articulated a similar need to reimagine education in light of socio-ecological crises at the dawn of the twentieth century. It all centered around the need to foster opportunities for curiosity and firsthand contact with the everyday landscape—whether in the woods and fields or in the garden, around the neighborhood, and on the farm. This April 17 talkfrom 7 – 8 Eastern will explore Bailey’s insights, how they emerged, and what they mean for us 120 years later as we mark the publication of the first modern, authoritative edition of the classic text and the launch of The Liberty Hyde Bailey Library from Cornell University Press. AHS members $10, nonmembers $15. Register HERE.

    John Linstrom is the Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Climate Humanities and Social Justice at the Climate Museum in New York City and series editor of The Liberty Hyde Bailey Library for Cornell University Press. His editions of Bailey’s work include The Nature-Study Idea and Related Writings (Cornell UP, 2023), The Liberty Hyde Bailey Gardener’s Companion (coedited; Cornell UP, 2019), and the centennial edition of The Holy Earth (Counterpoint, 2015). John is also a poet, and his debut poetry collection is To Leave for Our Own Country (Black Lawrence, 2024). He holds a PhD in English and American Literature from New York University and an MFA in Creative Writing and Environment from Iowa State University, and he is the former director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum in South Haven, Michigan. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Queens, New York.

  • Tuesday, December 3 – Sunday, December 8 – Bermuda’s Gardens, Homes and Holiday Magic

    Embark with the American Horticultural Society on a captivating journey to Bermuda, a remote island paradise steeped in rich history and natural beauty. Uncover the island’s impressive natural and cultural wonders and immerse yourself in behind-the-scenes tours, curator-led explorations of the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, and visits to St. Peter’s Church and St. George’s. This special AHS program marks the perfect start to your 2024 holiday season: a standout moment is the rare opportunity to partake in Bermuda’s signature winter holiday event, the “Christmas Walkabout” in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. George’s, adorned with festive decorations and historic houses open to the public. With an expert guide leading you through Bermuda’s gardens and nature reserves, this unforgettable adventure awaits you in December 2024. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this extraordinary journey to one of the world’s most captivating destinations.  The dates are December 3 – 8, and your AHS host is Naomi Mermin. Complete itinerary and registration information may be found at https://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/travel-study/2024-travel-study-programs/bermuda2024/

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

    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

    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.

  • Monday, March 11, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – What We Sow: The Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds, Online

    In her American Horticultural Society online presentation on March 11 at 2 pm Eastern, Jennifer Jewell will explore the philosophy of Cultivating Place, her national, public radio program and international podcast, based on the belief that gardens/gardeners are powerful agents and spaces for potentially positive change in our world, helping to address challenges as wide ranging as climate change, habitat loss, cultural polarization, and individual and communal health and being. She will explore how this power of gardens and gardeners can be viewed through a lens of seeds, and the general state of seeds in our gardened lives: how they grow, where they grow, who grows them, who sells and/or controls them, and their care up and down the seedsheds of our world. Jewell will walk us through examples taken from her daily life, her research, and interviews over the past decade with seed keepers as synthesized in her newest book What We Sow, On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds (2023). Register at https://ahsgardening.org/lifelong-learning-2/what-we-sow-the-personal-ecological-and-cultural-significance-of-seeds/

    Jennifer Jewell is the host of the national award-winning weekly public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden. She is the author of The Earth in Her Hands, 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants (Timber Press in 2020), and Under Western Skies, Visionary Gardens from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast (Timber Press, May 2021). Her third book, What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds, was published by Timber Press in 2023. Jewell’s greatest passion is elevating the way we think and talk about gardening, the empowerment of gardeners, and the possibility inherent in the intersection between places, environments, cultures, individuals, and the gardens that bring them together beautifully – for the better of all the lives on this generous planet.

  • Friday, January 19, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – New Nature for a Climate Change Future

    The American Horticultural Society invites you to hear a virtual presentation on January 19 at 2 pm Eastern with Noel Kingsbury, PhD, author and garden designer, on New Nature for a Climate Change Future.

    In a world of dramatically changing climate, garden and landscape design must conserve biodiversity as well as provide habitat for humans. Renowned author and garden designer Noel Kingsbury will guide participants in discovering models and approaches to accomplish these gardening goals. We will look at the range of nature-inspired planting created in recent years, captured in powerful images by leading photographer Claire Takacs, while examining how and why these designs and plant choices support nature.

    Noel Kingsbury is an internationally known innovator, writer, and teacher in the fields of gardening and planting design. His doctoral scholarship analyzes the long-term performance of perennials, which he continues to research and disseminate in practitioner workshops. Kingsbury has published 25 books, including New Perennial Design that launched a movement in naturalistic planting design, and four publications with Dutch designer Piet Oudolf.

    $10 for AHS members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at https://ahsgardening.org/lifelong-learning/new-nature-for-a-climate-change-future/

  • Friday, January 19, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – New Nature for a Climate Change Future, Online

    In a world of dramatically changing climate, garden and landscape design must conserve biodiversity as well as provide habitat for humans. Renowned author and garden designer Noel Kingsbury will guide American Horticultural Society participants in discovering models and approaches to accomplish these gardening goals. We will look at the range of nature-inspired planting created in recent years, captured in powerful images by leading photographer Claire Takacs, while examining how and why these designs and plant choices support nature. $10 for AHS members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at https://ahsgardening.org/lifelong-learning/new-nature-for-a-climate-change-future/

    Noel Kingsbury is an internationally known innovator, writer, and teacher in the fields of gardening and planting design. His doctoral scholarship analyzes the long-term performance of perennials, which he continues to research and disseminate in practitioner workshops. Kingsbury has published 25 books, including New Perennial Design that launched a movement in naturalistic planting design, and four publications with Dutch designer Piet Oudolf.

  • Friday, December 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Site Preparation for Landscape Transformation, Online

    Many people consider reducing lawns, converting hayfields, cleaning out weed patches, and otherwise transforming landscapes into pollinator gardens or meadows with native plants. Site preparation is critical, but it is often overlooked in the quest for a finished appearance. This American Horticultural Society online primer on December 7 at 1 pm covers planning, timelines, and online sources of site information. You will also learn some tips on how to do critical chores, including a comparison of weed removal methods. $30 for AHS members, $36 for nonmembers. Kathy Connolly is the instructor, and you may register online at https://ahsgardening.org/lifelong-learning/site-preparation-for-landscape-transformation/