The American Horticultural Society at River Farm
7931 East Boulevard Drive
Alexandria, VA 22308
Phone: (703)768-5700
www.ahs.org

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Reciprocal Admissions Program

AHS Heat Zone Map

AHS Books

Make a Donation

National Children & Youth Garden Symposium

Annual Gala

Photo of the month:

Bizarre and beautiful, crested saguaro cacti like this one are a rare find.

Do you have a great photo you'd like to see in The AHS e-Bulletin? We are looking for candidates for our Photo of the Month – submit yours to newsletter@ahs.org, along with your name and a brief caption.

We’re always happy to hear from our e-Bulletin readers! If you’d like to give us feedback, please email newsletter@ahs.org or call (800) 777-7931, ext. 140.

What's New at the AHS

Children's Gardening Webinar for Members
There is magic in the plants in your garden! To explore that magic and discover ways to share it with kids of all ages, join Norm Lownds, curator of the 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University, for a fun-filled presentation on “A Little Garden Magic: Connecting Kids to Plants.” This online seminar, offered exclusively for American Horticultural Society members, will take place on May 5 at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Registration is now open in the members-only area of the AHS website. There is no fee to participate, but space is limited so be sure to register early. A high-speed Internet connection is strongly recommended for best results.

Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium
The AHS is proud to co-sponsor the 63rd annual Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium, “The Natural Rhythm of Gardening,” on May 1. This event will feature presentations by noted landscape architect and author James van Sweden; Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden seed company; horticulturist and author Felder Rushing; and David Howard, former head gardener for the Prince of Wales. AHS members are eligible for discounted registration rates. For more information, click here.

Garden School Goes Green
Registration opens on April 15 for the AHS’s newest Garden School, “Green Garage: Sustainable and Earth-Friendly Solutions for the Landscape,” co-sponsored by the City of Alexandria. Taking place at the Lee Center in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 27, this program will offer a wealth of environmentally sustainable practices for gardens, landscapes, and other green spaces that you can apply at home, in your community, or at work. Featured speakers include: Marcy Damon, grassroots restoration coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web; Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens; and Paul Tukey, author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual. Discounted registration is available for AHS members and City of Alexandria residents. For more details, visit the AHS website.

Youth Garden Symposium Registration Opens Soon
On April 15, registration opens for the AHS’s 17th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, hosted by Cleveland Botanical Garden (CBG) on July 23-25. The symposium will include an opening keynote by 2008 MacArthur Genius Fellow, Will Allen and more than 30 educational sessions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore CBG’s Green Corps program, which works with 75 high schoolers who garden across Cleveland in vacant lots, and the Hershey Children’s Garden. The event will conclude with a theatrical production of the Cleveland-based book, Seedfolks, by Newbery Medal-winning writer Paul Fleischman, a story of an impromptu community garden in a diverse Cleveland neighborhood and how it brought people together. For more information on the symposium, visit the AHS website.

Support the AHS through eBay
If you’re an eBay user, you can now support the AHS with every transaction. Even if you don’t buy or sell anything, you can still make a tax-deductable donation to the AHS through eBay if you have a Paypal account—simply select “The American Horticultural Society” from a drop-down menu of organizations. And for the month of April, we’re pleased to be a part of the “Spotlight on Saving the Environment” campaign through eBay, so you can show your support for this cause by giving to the AHS. To get started, click here.

Explore America's Best Gardens with the AHS
This year’s AHS Travel Study Program offers wonderful opportunities to explore America’s rich horticultural treasures. Make your way to Maryland for “Fascinating Gardens of Baltimore” from June 9-14. We will visit some of Baltimore’s finest private landscapes, including gardens designed by Wolfgang Oehme of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates and the private gardens of AHS board members Kurt Bluemel and Jack Lowry. From October 14-18, join AHS President Emeritus Katy Moss Warner for “Gardens and Art of the Historic Hudson Highlands.” Highlights will include Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Springwood and Olana, the estate of famed Hudson River School artist Frederic Edwin Church. And, exclusively for AHS President’s Council Members, there will be a special trip to Portland, Oregon, from August 13-16. For more information on these trips, visit the AHS website.

In Search of the Perfect Gift?
What could better express your affection for that special friend or loved one than a gift that keeps giving all year long? A membership in the American Horticultural Society does just that and brings with it a variety of benefits. An AHS membership makes an especially great gift for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Best of all, you can give a gift of membership from our website - no running from store to store! You also can do this by phone; just call (800) 777-7931 ext. 119. We’ll mail the recipients their membership cards and a letter announcing your thoughtful gift. A pleasant surprise: your gift is tax-deductible!

What's Growing On

By James Gagliardi, River Farm Horticulturist

With the spring gardening season gearing up, one resource I recommend to get the best gardening advice for your region is your local Cooperative Extension service. Many Extension offices support a Master Gardener program, offering garden lectures, demonstrations, diagnostic services, and many other services. To find the Master Gardener program closest to you, visit the clickable map on the AHS website. Another fantastic resource for gardening in your region are the AHS SMARTGARDEN™ Regional Guides for the Southwest, Southeast, Northwest, or Northeast. These informative and colorful books are available through the AHS website, along with other AHS garden books. Members receive a discount on all AHS book purchases.