Volume 89, Number 4- July/August 2010

Features

• Garden Showstoppers by Pam Baggett
  Looking for that perfect plant for a summer focal point? Seek no further than these flamboyant tropicals.
   
• Cultivators of Confidence by Deb Wiley
  Experienced gardeners called “garden coaches” offer inspiration and a helping hand for neophytes.
   
• Sensational Sunflowers by Rita Pelczar
  The big, bold blooms of this American native brighten up gardens and roadsides in summer.
   
• Creating Movement in the Garden by Karen Bussolini
  Use creative design and plant selection to infuse gardens with a sense of movement and vitality.

Web special: Plants That Dance

• Rainscaping by Kris Wetherbee
  By employing a variety of techniques to keep rainwater on their properties, gardeners can play an important role in protecting the health of local watersheds.

Web special: Regional Rainscaping Resources

Departments

• Notes from River Farm
  Insights and updates about American horticulture and the AHS from Board of Directors Chair Harry Rissetto and Executive Director Tom Underwood.
   
• Members’ Forum
  Reader letters to the editor.
   
• News from AHS
  Updates on American Horticultural Society programs and events. In this issue: Online auction offers exclusive experiences with noted gardeners, AHS and American Daffodil Society collaborate on digital reference (click here to view sample article), national achievements recognized at AHS Awards Ceremony, the AHS participates in Smithsonian’s fourth annual Garden Fest, the Homestead Resort hosts annual garden symposium, AOL volunteers lend a helping hand at River Farm.
   
• AHS News Special
  Harry A. Rissetto is named new AHS Board chair.
   
• One on One With…
  Interviews with today’s leaders and trendsetters in gardening and horticulture. This issue: Teresia Hazen, horticultural therapist.
   
• Homegrown Harvest
  Vegetables, herbs, and other plants that can be grown for fresh food in the home garden. In this issue: A bounty of summer squash.
   
• Green Garage
  A series focusing on the AHS’s latest initiative to promote environmentally responsible gardening tools, supplies, and techniques. In this issue: Efficient watering methods.
   
• Gardener’s Notebook
  Short, newsworthy articles on horticultural topics. This issue: Federal court shelves pesticide, Logan Pass site named Montana’s first Important Plant Area, USDA-inspired “People’s Garden” concept gains national popularity, pilot sustainability ranking system launches across the U.S., assessment of plant collections at North American public gardens underway, organic food gardens a growing trend at headquarters of major U.S. corporations, smartphone applications for gardeners.

Web special: More Gardening Applications for Smartphones

• Book Reviews
  Featured: Urban and Suburban Meadows, Chlorophyll in His Veins, and Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding.  Special focus: Edible gardening.
   
• Regional Happenings
  Listings of lectures, flower shows, and other gardening events across the country.
   
• Hardiness and Heat Zones and Pronunciations
  A guide to USDA Plant Hardiness and AHS Plant Heat Zones for most of the cultivated plants listed in each issue - and a user-friendly guide to pronouncing their botanical names.
   
• Plant in the Spotlight
  A closer look at selected plants. This issue: Violet silverleaf (Leucophyllum candidum)..

Letters to the editor should be emailed to: editor@ahs.org or mailed to:
Editor, AHS,
7931 East Boulevard Drive,
Alexandria VA 22308.