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

Join or renew now!

Links:

Support the AHS with a tax-deductible donation

Reciprocal Admissions Program

AHS Heat Zone Map

AHS Books

National Children & Youth Garden Symposium

Annual Gala

Photo of the month:

"This Himalayan blue poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia] is from my parents' garden in Anchorage, Alaska."

- submitted by AHS member
Adrian Herrera,
Washington, DC

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, email newsletter@ahs.org or call (800) 777-7931, ext. 140.

What's New at the AHS

Garden School Focuses on Green Gardening Practices
On Saturday, June 27, join us at the Lee Center in Alexandria, Virginia, for an exciting AHS Garden School, “Green Garage: Sustainable and Earth-Friendly Solutions for the Landscape.” Co-sponsored by the City of Alexandria, 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. Discounted registration is available for AHS members and City of Alexandria residents. Please visit the AHS website for more information and to register.

Youth Garden Symposium in July
The AHS’s 17th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium “Common Ground: Gardens for a Greener Tomorrow,” is a can’t miss event for educators, garden designers, youth program leaders, parents, and anyone interested in getting kids into gardening. Hosted by Cleveland Botanical Garden in Ohio from July 23-25, the Symposium will include an opening keynote address by 2008 MacArthur Genius Fellow Will Allen, the founder and CEO of Growing Power. There will also be garden tours, a panel discussion, more than 30 educational sessions, and much more. Register online or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 132.

Upcoming Water-wise Webinar
The next AHS webinar, “Dry Beauty: Strategies for Designing Water-Thrifty Gardens,” will take place on July 30 at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Presented by award-winning author and garden designer Scott Calhoun, this webinar is offered exclusively for current AHS members. Registration will open on July 1 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 from the webinar.

President's Council Trip to Portland
From August 12 through 16, members of the AHS President’s Council will have the chance to explore the rich horticultural heritage of Portland, Oregon—one of our nation’s greenest and most sustainable cities.  AHS Board Chair Susie Usrey and AHS Executive Director Tom Underwood will lead the group through various locales, including a dinner at Susie and Bruce Usrey’s home garden. The itinerary also includes visits to some very special private gardens that are being opened just for us, as well as the Oregon Garden, the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, and Portland’s International Rose Test Garden. In addition, participants will get an exclusive look at some of Oregon’s premier nurseries, including Monrovia Growers, Joy Creek Nursery, and Swan Island Dahlias. This trip is exclusively for AHS President’s Council members. If you are interested in attending but are not currently a President’s Council member, you can join on our website. For more information about the Portland trip, contact Sue Galvin at (703) 768-5700 ext. 111 or sgalvin@ahs.org. 

Experience the Fall Beauty of the Hudson Highlands
Come experience the unique and breath-taking “Gardens and Art of the Historic Hudson Highlands” in New York with us from October 14-18. AHS President Emeritus Katy Moss Warner will be your guide as you visit notable landscapes ranging from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s lifelong home, Springwood, to Manitoga, the woodland garden of America’s first industrial designer, Russell Wright. The tour will also highlight art with a visit to Olana, the home of Frederick Edwin Church—a master of the 19th-century Hudson River School of landscape painting—and Storm King Art Center, a sculpture park set on 500 undulating acres of the Hudson highlands. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to experience the local cuisine of some of the Hudson Valley’s most acclaimed restaurants. Space is limited for this trip so make your reservation today.

Daylilies for Donations
While supplies last, get 'em while they’re hot! Thanks to Viette Nurseries in Virginia, your donation of $67 or more to our Spring Appeal will earn you a ‘Bittersweet Honey’ daylily.

Viette Nurseries also invites you to check out its Garden Discussion Board, a great resource to answer all your gardening dilemmas.

What's Growing On

By James Gagliardi, River Farm Horticulturist

Color and texture are important elements of garden design. One tool I recommend that gardeners become familiar with is the color wheel. Color design possibilities include monochromatic (single color), analogous (colors near each other on the wheel such as red, orange, and yellow), or complementary (colors opposite each other on the wheel such as yellow and purple). Texture is also a significant characteristic in design. Large, bold foliage stops the eye so it is best to place finer, more airy plants towards the front of a border to create depth. In the picture above, the fine-textured pink dianthus in the foreground, with the bolder yellow foliage of a spirea in the background demonstrate these simple design principles. By taking these design hints into consideration, you can better create the look and mood you are striving for in your garden.