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25-518: River Farm (25 acres (10 ha)), permanent home to the American Horticultural Society (AHS) headquarters, is a (27 acres (11 ha)) landscape located at 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, Virginia . The estate takes its name from a larger plot of land which formed an outlying part of George Washington 's Mount Vernon estate . The River Farm property was established in 1653–54 by Giles Brent and his wife, Mary Kittamaquund ,

50-650: A banquet for AHS award winners, and a gala fundraiser each fall. The Board of Directors of the AHS voted to sell the River Farm property in September 2020. The proposed sale generated controversy both within the organization, and was met with resistance from the local government. Although the AHS had initially planned to dispose of the property by Spring 2021, that deadline was not met. The Horticultural and Corporate Partners programs join other allied organizations that help to support

75-490: A computer. The design process always has an influence on the design product. There tends to be a distinction between those designers who start with the plant palette and its needs, called garden design ; and those designers who begin with consideration of the space and place-making to create architectural spaces and circulation routes with plants and other elements, called landscape design . Many famous gardens which contain myriad interesting plants can be incompletely planned as

100-404: A four-acre meadow, and scenic resting places for picnickers, artists, and romantics. Other highlights include two small buildings with planted "living" roofs, one of the largest Osage-orange trees in the nation, an orchard, a grove of rare Franklinia trees, and frequent sightings of bald eagles, bluebirds, foxes, wild turkeys and other wildlife. The farm's gardens include: On September 4, 2020,

125-516: A garden from concepts to construction, and source the plant and building materials. Historically, many gardens have been designed by talented amateurs without formal training, and many others have been designed by people whose artistic or design training was not originally focused on gardens. The complexities in contemporary environmental design issues and technology increase the scope professional garden designers fill. A wide range of design methods have been used by garden designers, depending partly on

150-585: A membership program to those interested in gardening and horticulture. Membership includes a subscription to The American Gardener , free admission privileges or discounts at 300 gardens and arboreta through the Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP), discounted or free admission to flower and garden shows, the annual Seed Exchange, and special discounts on programs and products. In 1973, the Society relocated their headquarters to River Farm , overlooking

175-486: A monthly online e-bulletin. The American Horticultural Society conducts various events annually, to educate and inspire gardeners. Each summer the AHS conducts the National Children and 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. Education

200-506: A princess of the Piscataway tribe. Brent received a grant of 1,800 acres (7.3 km) named Piscataway Neck. In 1739 his successor George Brent transferred the property to his brother-in-law William Clifton, who renamed the property Clifton's Neck. In 1757 Clifton completed the brick house that now serves as AHS headquarters. Following financial difficulties, Clifton sold the land to neighbor, founding father George Washington , who obtained

225-481: A purchase offer that could meet both AHS’s objectives and those of the Alexandria community, which hoped to see the privately-owned land purchased by local entities and transformed into a public park. On September 29, 2021, the interim executive director, CFO and all 5 of the board members who wanted to sell River Farm all resigned in defeat after a year of a stalemate. The remaining 5 Board members removed River Farm from

250-586: A whole and lack integrated composition. Also, many gardens which are well planned in overall design can lack the interests from planting detail. Some keen gardeners who are very knowledgeable about plants can be resistant to conceptualizing design. Some very competent designers and landscape architects have a meager amount of diverse botanical and horticultural knowledge and experience. A competent and talented garden designer can synthesize both needs to design and create beautiful and sustainable landscapes and gardens. Historically, garden designers were trained under

275-648: Is further instilled in the Society’s internship program, which hires interns in editorial/communications, member programs, and horticulture. Through its national awards programs, AHS celebrates outstanding achievements, encourages excellence, and inspires innovation in the art and science of horticulture. The Great American Gardeners Awards honor horticultural heroes; the AHS Book Awards celebrate great gardening literature, and Growing Good Kids Awards recognize outstanding children's gardening and nature books. AHS offers

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300-620: The Ohio River Valley . The estate's oldest trees are a large Black Walnut Tree which is over 250 years old, and the 240+ year old Osage-orange ( Maclura pomifera ), believed to be one of the largest in the United States. An old tale claimed it was a gift from Thomas Jefferson to the Washington family, and grown from seedlings of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806. In 2004, River Farm

325-578: The Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. The property was acquired by the AHS with a gift from Enid Annenberg Haupt , who stipulated that the historic property, once part of George Washington's estate, would be open for the public to enjoy. The property is home to numerous gardens, including a four-acre Andre Bluemel Meadow and a Children's Garden. Annual events at River Farm include the Spring Garden Market plant sale, garden workshops for children,

350-449: The AHS board of directors took interest in the property. AHS purchased the property in the 1970s and Haupt donated funds over several years to help AHS pay off the mortgage. While under the ownership of AHS, she expressed a desire to see the grounds kept open to the public. In 1973, AHS relocated its headquarters from the city of Alexandria to nearby River Farm. The property was renamed River Farm in honor of President George Washington, one of

375-517: The Society's vision of making a nation of gardeners. In August 2020, the AHS partnered with Elodie's Naturals to teach skincare chemistry sourced from vegetables and plants. Garden designer A garden designer is someone who designs the plan and features of gardens , either as an amateur or professional. The compositional elements of garden design and landscape design are: terrain , water , planting , constructed elements and buildings , paving , site characteristics and genius loci , and

400-577: The United States. Today's organization resulted from the merger of three gardening groups: the current namesake American Horticultural Society, the National Horticultural Society, and the American Horticultural Council. In addition to publishing horticultural reference books, the organization publishes a bi-monthly magazine, The American Gardener , which is a member benefit. The American Horticultural Society also publishes

425-495: The apprentice system, such as André Le Nôtre with his father and Beatrix Farrand with Charles Sprague Sargent . Specialist university-level landscape planning and garden design courses were established in the twentieth century, generally attached to departments of agriculture , horticulture, or architecture . In the second half of the twentieth century many of these courses changed their scale of focus and their nomenclature, from garden design to landscape architecture . Towards

450-463: The board of AHS announced that it was putting the property up for sale, supposedly to ensure the viability of their small national nonprofit, hit hard financially because of COVID-19 and the major expense of maintaining and operating River Farm. The real estate listing estimated the property's value as between $ 18 million and $ 30 million. Mount Vernon District Supervisor Daniel G. Storck and Paul Gilbert of NOVA Parks, among others, worked to put together

475-441: The historical period in which they worked and partly on the professional discipline with which they have the closest relationship. One can, for example, speak of an "architect's garden", "artist's garden" or a "plantsman's garden". Treating the subject historically, one can say that ancient gardens were likely to have been "drawn" directly on the ground, that Renaissance gardens were drawn on paper and that modern gardens are drawn on

500-399: The local climatic qualities. Garden designers are skilled specialists dealing with master planning of landscapes and design of gardens, consulting with advice for clients, providing direction and supervision during construction, and the management of establishment and maintenance once the garden has been created. They are able to survey the site, and prepare drawings for the development of

525-401: The many land owners. Today's smaller River Farm is located on the northernmost division of Washington's original property. River Farm features a 1920s estate house with naturalistic and formal garden areas. It still preserves several historical associations with Washington. Its Kentucky coffeetrees are descendants of those first introduced to Virginia upon Washington's return from surveys in

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550-485: The property for £1,210 through a bankruptcy sale in 1760. Washington changed the name of Clifton's Neck to River Farm and leased the property to tenant farmers. River Farm was passed down through two immediate generations of Washingtons and later sold with 652 acres of Washington's original land to the Snowden brothers of New Jersey. This included the houses known as "Wellington," " Waynewood ," and " Collingwood ." The property

575-428: The real estate market. They reiterated their commitment to keeping AHS at River Farm and ensuring that it is open to the public in perpetuity, as Enid Annenberg Haupt always intended. 38°44′32″N 77°02′41″W  /  38.74222°N 77.04472°W  / 38.74222; -77.04472 American Horticultural Society Established in 1922, the AHS is one of the oldest national gardening organizations in

600-713: Was designated a Horticultural Landmark by the American Society for Horticultural Science. This recognition was due to the ability to retain its historic character while at the same time showcasing the best and most environmentally responsible gardening practices. Horticultural Landmark features include vistas stretching down to the Potomac River as well as its artful blend of naturalistic and formal gardens that offer year-round delight to visitors of all ages. In addition, there are extensive and creative play areas for children, demonstration gardens for both edible and ornamental plants,

625-521: Was home to numerous owners including Malcolm Matheson, who bought the property in 1919. Matheson placed the property on the market in 1971 and received an offer from the Soviet Embassy who planned to use the land as a retreat or dacha for its staff. After Matheson took his land off the market to avoid the Soviet sale and vocal public opposition, Enid Annenberg Haupt , philanthropist, gardener, and member of

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