Boston Flora

Tag: American Horticultural Society

  • Wednesday, June 14, 7:00 pm Eastern – Conversations with Great American Gardeners: Ira Wallace, Online

    Ira Wallace is a worker/owner of the cooperatively managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (www.SouthernExposure.com) which offers over 700 varieties of open-pollinated heirloom and organic seeds selected for flavor and regional adaptability. Ira serves on the boards of the Organic Seed Alliance, and the Virginia Association for Biological Farming.

    She is a member of Acorn Community which farms over 60 acres of certified organic land in Central Virginia. Ira is a cofounder of the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello, (www.HeritageHarvestFestival.com) a fun, family-friendly event featuring an old-time seed swap, local food, hands-on workshops and demos, and more. She also writes about heirloom vegetables and seed saving for magazines and blogs including Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening and Southern Exposure.

    She was named a 2019 Great American Gardener by the American Horticultural Society and is a 2023 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award Finalist. She is author of the Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast. Her new state specific book series including, Grow Great Vegetables in Virginia, are available online and at booksellers everywhere. Ira is currently working on creating an African Diasporic Seed Collection. 

    On June 14, join the American Horticultural Society for this live program hosted by Holly Shimizu, former executive director of the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. and an AHS board member, who will lead a lively and engaging conversation with speakers that will tap into their knowledge and experience. The interactive webinar format will allow audience members to ask questions of the guests. 

    Registration is free. RSVP is required HERE.

  • Wednesday, July 12 – Saturday, July 15 – Save the Date: National Children & Youth Garden Symposium

    For nearly 30 years, the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) has educated thousands of teachers who have, in turn, gone on to educate over a million children: A million children who take this knowledge and apply it to the world around them with curiosity, energy, and genuine appreciation.

    Mark your calendar! NCYGS 2023 will take place July 12-15 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Look for more details, including registration information, at www.ahsgardening.org

  • Tuesday, May 16 – Thursday, May 25 – Greece: Antiquity, Culture & Gardens

    This splendid American Horticultural Society tour on May 16 -25, 2023, will bring us to ancient ruins, modern gardens, intriguing museums, and many sensory delights. As always on an AHS Travel Study tour, we will be given exclusive access to spectacular private gardens. Your AHS Hosts will be AHS Board member Jane Diamantis and her husband, George, and Verity Smith of Specialtours. Jane is an accomplished garden designer and owner of a landscape design company. George was born and raised in Greece, and is an avid photographer of plants and gardens around the world.

    Our trip begins in the city often called the cradle of Western civilization: Athens. Our itinerary includes the Philodassiki Botanical Gardens, lunch at the water’s edge at a marina, and a late afternoon visit to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and its other monuments. During our stay in Greece we’ll see two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the medieval city of Rhodes, and the old town of Corfu. There will be leisure time to explore Rhodes, a mosaic of different cultures and civilizations for over 2,000 years. We’ll discover the elegant Old Town of Corfu, with its streets and squares, and tour private gardens all over the island. We’ll also be accompanied by Nigel McGilchrist, art historian and author of the Blue Guide to the Greek Islands, whose personal contacts have opened many doors on this sojourn. His insight and depth of knowledge will greatly enhance our understanding of past and present Greek culture. For complete itinerary and information visit http://ahsgardening.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AHS-GREECE-ANTIQUITY-CULTURE-GARDENS-May-202385719.pdf

  • Tuesday, May 16 – Thursday, May 25 – Amazing Greece: Antiquity, Culture & Gardens

    American Horticultural Society hosts Jane and George Diamantis, with lecturer Nigel McGilchrist and tour leader Verity Smith of Specialtours will take us on a profound experience in Greece May 16 – 25. Highlights include:

    • A visit to the Parthenon, an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and one of the world’s greatest monuments.
    • Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Nea Moni on the island of Chios and the Old Town of Corfu.
    • Visit Rachel Weaving’s private garden, author of a recently published book on the gardens of Corfu.
    • Gardens designed by Jennifer Gay, as well as private gardens that we’ve received special access to show you.
    • The New Acropolis Museum, with galleries of archaic and classical sculpture from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.

    Accommodations include:

    • Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, has been situated in the heart of the city since 1874. The landmark hotel is within walking distance of shopping, museums and the business district and features views of the Acropolis, Syntagma Square and Lycabettus Hill.
    • Erytha Hotel and Resort, Chios – This 4 star hotel is one of the most famous on the island due to its beautiful location and stunning views overlooking Karfas Bay. The hotel has recently been refurbished with all rooms having either a terrace or balcony overlooking the sea
    • Domes Miramare, Corfu, – Owned by the Onassis family during the 1960s this hotel re-opened in 2018 after extensive renovation. It is a luxurious adults-only resort and located 20 minutes drive from Corfu old town.
    • For more information about Travel Study Program tours, please contact development@ahsgardening.org or (703) 768-5700, ext. 117.
    • Designed with the garden-travel connoisseur in mind, the American Horticultural Society Travel Study Program offers exceptional itineraries that include many exclusive experiences and unique insights. Your participation benefits the work of the American Horticultural Society and furthers our vision of “A land of sustainable gardens, cultivated by a diverse population with a common passion for plants.

    For brochure and travel reservation form, visit www.ahsgardening.org

    From Rachel Weaving’s Gardens of Corfu (Impress Publishing London) © Marianne Majerus

  • Wednesday, March 8 – Friday, March 17 – The Enchanting Gardens and Allure of Morocco

    Join the American Horticultural Society March 8 – March 17, 2023 with AHS host Keith Tomlinson and Tour Leader Antonia Lloyd Owen for a journey through Morocco’s finest gardens. Highlights include visits to wonderful private gardens with refreshments hosted by the gardens’ owners. Visit The Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies, the only National Historic Landmark on foreign soil. The Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel are the dream and passion of French horticulturist Marcel Francois, classified as a national cultural heritage site. Old Fez, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a memory for the ages, as we make our way through the labyrinthine medina featuring the spice market, bazaars, and more. The Roman Volubilis ruins include a magnificent colonnaded shopping street, the Capitol, the Forum, and an impressive Triumphal Arch built in 217. Yves Saint Laurent’s Majorelle Garden, and Le Jardin Secret, an extraordinary garden dating back 400 years to the Saadian dynasty and loving restored by English landscape designer and author Tom Stuart-Smith, are also on the itinerary. For complete details visit www.ahsgardening.org, or call 703-768-5700, ext. 127. The updated brochure is now available.

  • Friday, November 4, 7:00 pm – The New African Garden, Online

    The final installment of the partnership between The American Horticultural Society and GardenComm takes place November 4 at 7 pm online. Tour the new African Provision Garden at St. George Village Botanical Garden in St. Croix with Lucy Cabret. Hear Lisa Ziegler discuss Secrets of Cutting Gardens. Finally, learn about New Plant Introductions for 2023 with Teri Speight. Discover the plants, products, and experiences that make us smile with moderator Joe Lamp’l. All registrants will receive a garden-based beverage recipe from GardenComm mixologist Ellen Zachos and will be entered in a raffle for a selection of seeds from All-American Selections or tools from Corona Tools. Register at www.ahsgardening.org

  • Friday, October 7, 7:00 pm – Plants & Gardens Happy Hour: Tips and Secrets Webinar

    The American Horticultural Society and GardenComm are partnering to offer virtual classes this fall. This magazine-style Webinar will feature a public garden, two topics, and a “What’s Making Us Smile” piece at the end. Learn from Andrea DeLong-Amaya with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Horticulturist and Landscape Designer Claire Jones, Organic Materials Review Institute’s (OMRI) Jacob Mogler and all moderated by expert garden writer and speaker, Kathy Jentz. Register for the October 7th webinar today! All registered will receive a garden-based beverage recipe from Garden Comm mixologist Ellen Zachos, and will be entered to win gift certificates from Brent & Becky’s Bulbs. $15. AHS members free.

    Courtesy Rhubarb & Lavender

  • The Fifty State Flower Garden Project

    As part of the American Horticultural Society’s Centennial Celebration this year, it is partnering to highlight 100 flower farms in the United States that are modernizing the notion of “state flowers” with beauty and inspiration. At the heart of The Fifty State Flower Garden Project is the idea of expanding the definition of state flowers (last updated in the 1900s) to showcase the diversity of botanical varieties nationwide, and the stories – and people – behind them.  The project has enlisted partnerships with great companies like Gibson & Dehn candles, who are developing customized scents based on the state flowers and renowned designer of hand-painted porcelain, Anna Weatherly. You’ll enjoy learning more about this exciting program here.  

    Over the past two years, more than 20 million people have turned to gardening as a way to enjoy nature and improve their home environment. Studies reveal that more younger people are choosing to make a living as flower farmers and focusing their efforts on biodiversity and eco-friendly innovations. Collectively this means that it’s time to examine flower farming, circa 2022, and share the stories of the people and places making a difference in one of the nation’s most important agricultural sectors.

  • Thursday, August 25 – Sunday, September 4 – The Gardens of the Netherlands and Floriade Expo

    The American Horticultural Society is offering a newly-scheduled excursion to the Netherlands August 25 – September 4 with hosts Jane and George Diamantis. From French-influenced formal to the Dutch Wave, we will explore a range of garden styles, complemented by a timeless landscape that echoes the paintings of the Old Masters. In addition to admiring glorious gardens, we include a focus on the art and architecture of Amsterdam and smaller historic towns and villages, such as the enchanting city of Groningen. While in Amsterdam, we’ll enjoy a once-in-every-10-year opportunity to experience the famous Floriade Expo, an International Horticultural Exhibition! Luxury accommodations for this program offer a unique blend of historic charm and contemporary comforts. The Hotel Prinsenhof, a stylish city-center hotel with its own formal garden, will be our home base in Groningen. In Brummen, we will find ourselves in a grand country castle set on 250 bucolic acres – including landscaped gardens, a golf course, and even a private forest. In Amsterdam, our nights will be spent at the Pulitzer Hotel, centrally located in the heart of this historic city. View our brochure and registration form

  • Wednesday, July 13 – Friday, July 15 – AHS Centennial Year National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, Live and Online

    The American Horticultural Society is looking forward to an in-person conference where we can learn from each other in face-to-face interactive and hands-on ways, visit and tour gardens and greenspaces, and network in both the facilitated and unfacilitated ways that conferences provide.

    Mark your calendar for July 13-15, 2022 to join us for the 30th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium in Richmond, Virginia. The past two years of global health crisis have compelled many Americans to reevaluate what is truly important in their lives. In 2021, more adults than ever before reported taking part in some form of outdoor recreation, 20 million people became first-time gardeners, and National Parks were flooded with visitors upon reopening, all clear signs that for so many, nature is one of those things that we value most. Beyond the clean air and open spaces, the opportunity to grow our own healthy foods, and the awe-inspiring landscapes that give us respite from our daily routines that became so important during the pandemic, nature can help us solve other major challenges that society is facing today including a growing mental health crisis and climate change. Join us as our National Children & Youth Garden Symposium 2022 speakers explore the resilient and hopeful topic of nature as healer, teacher, and mentor. 

    Find out more about registration rates and travel and accommodations in Richmond. Educational sessions and speakers have been chosen – check out the fantastic array of topics! Check out the comprehensive symposium schedule and descriptions of field experience in and around Richmond. Keynotes by Lily Urmann with Rosanna Ayers and Carolyn Schuyler will be offered as stand-alone events available to a virtual audience. Meredith Henne Baker will welcome attendees to Richmond with a historical perspective on youth engagement by Virginia’s garden clubs.

    Register today In order to ensure a safe and healthy conference environment, all attendees must be vaccinated for COVID-19. More details will be available on safety procedures as the event gets closer, subject to change at any time based upon CDC and local health department recommendations.