American Horticultural Society

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The American Horticultural Society [1] is a nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in American horticulture.

Established in 1922, the AHS is one of the oldest national gardening organizations in the country. Today's organization has merged three earlier groups: the (original) American Horticultural Society, the National Horticultural Society, and the American Horticultural Council. In addition to horticultural reference books, the organization publishes a bi-monthly magazine, The American Gardener, which is a member benefit.

Other benefits of membership include participation in the annual seed exchange, discounted or free admission into participating botanic gardens and arboretas across the country, and discounted admission into AHS events and programs.

The American Horticultural Society conducts various events annually, to educate and inspire gardeners. Each summer the AHS conducts the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, which is a forum for educators, garden designers, community leaders, and children’s gardening advocates to network and collaborate on techniques and practices to engage children with the natural world. Numerous Garden Schools are also conducted annually, covering various topics from gardening with native plants to sustainable gardening.

Society headquarters are located at River Farm, overlooking the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. Annual events at River Farm include hosting an annual spring plant sale, educational lectures, and a gala fundraiser each fall.Education is further instilled in the Society’s internship program [2], which hires interns in editorial/communications, youth programs, website development and maintenance, and horticulture.