Gala-goers Celebrate Gardening, Art and Conservation

After the speeches and meal, guests danced to music by K Street Union.

American Horticultural Society’s gala at River Farm 

By Glenda C. Booth

Mount Vernon Gazette

Nasturtiums brightened the dinner plates, parsley greened up the centerpieces and strawberries and rhubarb starred in the dessert. Plants were inside, outside and all around.

On a balmy Sept. 20 evening, 300 gardening enthusiasts gathered under a big white tent to celebrate gardening and to honor two champions at the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) gala at River Farm in the Mount Vernon area.

Welcoming guests, AHS President and Chief Executive Officer Suzanne LaPorte said, “Horticulture is essential to life. Plants and gardens feed us, cool our cities, purify our air and bring beauty into our lives. They also offer us avenues for creativity, healing and self-expression. In a world that sometimes can feel overwhelming, gardens have a remarkable ability to surprise and delight us." 

Board of Directors Chair Scott Plein presented Brian Kemble the 2025 Liberty Hyde Bailey Award for lifetime achievement in horticulture. Kemble, the curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden and Nursery in Walnut Creek, California, described how American gardening has moved from being “Eurocentric” to adapting to local conditions, like arid gardens in parts of California.

Plein also gave the Meritorious Service Award to Alexandrian Skipp Calvert, calling the awardee “a conservationist and a cheerleader.” Plein said that Calvert was one of the “Faithful Five” who served on the AHS Board for two decades and helped save River Farm from being sold and developed in 2021. “His impact is beyond any title,” Plein said.

In 2020, the then-AHS Board of Directors announced plans to sell River Farm, generating shock waves among supporters who contended that since River Farm is prime waterfront property, developers would pounce on it. Local groups, many elected officials and then Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam mobilized to preserve the property, block development and retain public access. Ultimately the Board re-organized and abandoned the sale plan.

Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck remarked, “I deeply appreciate all the folks who worked to save River Farm.”  

Plein said that a major related announcement is forthcoming.

Among the notables attending in addition to Storck were Virginia Senators Scott Surovell and Russet Perry and former House of Delegates member Kris Amundsen. Surovell is the Senate Majority Leader.

Art in the Gardens

Nepenthe Gallery, based in the Hollin Hall Shopping Center, staged fanciful sculptures throughout the gardens, works by Vadim Kharchenko, Kevin Carman, Dorothy Gillespie, David Turner, Charles Smith, Michael Alfano, Staci Katsias, Brandon Reese, and Villagers in India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Some pieces were for sale, with prices ranging from $9,500 to $38,000.

“We love any opportunity to partner with AHS at George Washington’s historic River Farm, and the artists whose works we are showcasing feel that it is a special place,” said gallery owner Carrie Garland. “The project is art at its very best, lifting others up and connecting us all in unexpected ways.”

Alexandrian Angela Barbour wore a floral print dress and said, “River Farm’s a gem. The fact that they truly saved it in perpetuity is truly exciting.”

Lynn Godek, a kindergarten teacher who lives in the Mount Vernon area, nurtures young gardeners, she explained, by having children plant kidney beans and watch them grow.  “You only need dirt, water and sun,” she quipped. Why was she there? “I believe in the mission of AHS and the importance of maintaining green space and bringing gardening into everyone’s life,” she said.

Referring to the gala, LaPorte announced, “We passed our fund raising goals.” 

About AHS and River Farm

Founded in 1922, AHS is a member-based, national, nonprofit organization which includes more than 20,000 aspiring, new and experienced gardeners, plant enthusiasts, horticultural professionals and many regional and national partner organizations. AHS sponsors educational programs, awards, publications and trips. River Farm is a 25-acre site overlooking the Potomac River, one of George Washington’s original five farms. Visit ahsgardening.org

Art