Best Gifts for Landscape Gardeners
Check Out Memberships in Landscape and Plant Societies.
Dec 13, 2006
What comprises the perfect holiday gift for folks interested in residential landscape design and gardening? A wide-ranging variety of landscape and plant societies exist that appeal to all levels of landscape gardeners. A membership in one of them or a donation in the recipient's name can be the solution you seek.
How does one choose from among the huge number of societies with an Internet presence?
- Identify what aspect of landscape gardening your gift recipient enjoys.
- Locate small regional plant organizations that benefit from local memberships.
- Opt for a national or international society if the recipient has wide-ranging tastes and interests.
- Determine, even if you need to ask, if the recipient can use the membership's benefits.
- Take your recipient by surprise! You might initiate a garden adventure.
Although I do belong to several local plant and garden societies, it is challenging to know what is available in your recipient 's locale. However, without hesitation, I can personally recommend the following comprehensive organizations and associations from among the many excellent existing groups:
- The Royal Horticulral Society (RHS) is the UK's leading gardening charity (Registered charity Number 222879) and open for membership to all levels of gardeners in the UK and Overseas. The primary RHS garden is located at Wisley, Woking, Surrey. The wonderful Lindley Library and Exhibition Halls are located at the London headquarters, 80 Vincent Square, SW1P 2PE.
- The American Horticulture Society (AHS) is the oldest national gardening organization in the U.S.A. The society provides gardeners with quality gardening and horticultural education, connections to other gardeners via meetings and the Internet ,and to gardens around the world. Headquarters of the AHS is the 25 acre River Farm located at 7931 East Boulevard, Alexandria, VA, 22308. River Farm is open to the public.
- The Massachusetts Horticulture Society (MHS) is dedicated to developing the public's enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of plants and the environment. The annual New England Spring Flower Show in Boston, MA is a well-know activity of this Society.
- Colonial Williamsburg is the largest outdoor living history museum in the U.S.A. with over 300 acres. Williamsburg, VA was a center for gardening enthusiasm and knowledge in the eighteenth century, and present-day historians and horticulturists have combined historically accurate native plants with exotics to recreate over 90 acres of gardens and green spaces. Colonial Williamsburg provides abundant garden programs such as the Annual Garden Symposium. The 61st Garden Symposium (April, 2007) will link to the 400th anniversary of the founding of neighboring Jamestown, VA by focusing on "English Influences on American Gardens." Colonial Williamsburg does not offer memberships but relies to a great extent on gifts and donations.
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens features an Italian Renaissance-style villa and formal gardens built in 1916 as the winter residence of industrialist James Deering. Now owned by Miami-Dade County, Vizcaya is located at 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, FL. The Vizcayans is a not-for-profit support group whose membership raises funds for the museum and gardens. Membership in the Vizcayans includes many benefits.
- The New England Wildflower Society promotes conservation of North American native plants. This organization relies on members’ support for plant conservation, education, and horticulture programs. There are many benefits offered in several classes of memberships. One of the best is unlimited free admission to the Society's Garden in the Woods, the premier native plant botanical garden in the northeast U.S. Here landscaping ideas abound. Other ways to contribute a gift for another gardener or landscaper is by money donations or stock gifts.
More ideas exist at these links to two of my articles about holiday gifts for gardeners:
Also. this article has very good ideas: Holiday Gifts: Landscape Gardeners - On Target, Useful, and Out of the Ordinary Gift IdeasYou might also enjoy keeping up with activities at these and other landscape and plant societies by establishing an RSS feed to your homepage from my Landscaping Blog
©Text and photograph by Georgene A. Bramlage December 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
