The American Horticultural Society (AHS), a nonprofit organization that has been recognizing and promoting horticultural excellence for the past 100 years, has named the recipients of its prestigious AHS Book Award. This annual award honors outstanding gardening books published in North America. Nominated books are judged by a distinguished committee of garden communicators on qualities such as writing style, authority, scientific accuracy, design and illustrations. Because of this overall focus, these awards are presented jointly to the author and publisher of each winning book.
From the more than 60 garden books published in 2022 that were nominated for consideration in this year’s award program, three books were selected to receive the 2023 AHS Book Award.
“The winning books showcase diverse topics—from an explanation of botanical terms used in gardening to planting for birds to creative poems and essays on wildflowers—and exemplify horticultural excellence. We congratulate the 2023 AHS Book Award winners and appreciate their inspiration and education through great garden writing,” says Suzanne Laporte, President and CEO of the AHS.
The 2023 AHS Book Awards recipients are:
100 Plants to Feed the Birds by Laura Erickson (Storey Publishing) - The award committee members were largely in agreement that this book will be a valuable resource for gardeners everywhere. “I am definitely drawn to this kind of content—it is practical and relatable and will give a lot of people content they can use right away in their backyard regardless of the amount of space they have,” says Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago. “The type of information I appreciated—and don’t tend to see in other books—was what each plant provides for birds,” says Kimberly Toscano Holmes. “I really think we need this kind of book—it’s an important resource for gardening for wildlife,” says Amy Campion.
American Wildflowers: A Literary Field Guide, edited by Susan Barba (Abrams) - Committee members were divided on whether this compilation of poems and essays on wildflowers by prominent writers fit the criteria of a garden book, but its uniqueness tipped the scales. “I love this sort of thing,” says Doug Oster. “The uniqueness of it for me was a big selling point—I have not seen anything like this.” Viveka Neveln agreed, noting that “so much passion went into the curation of the pieces that were chosen, and they all give you insights into these specific plants. I feel like it sort of touches people on a different level, as a celebration of plants and what they mean to us,” she says. Curbelo-Santiago was among the committee members who appreciated the lavish watercolor illustrations by Leanne Shapton.
A Gardener’s Guide to Botany by Scott Zona (Cool Springs Press) - “The author’s explanations of concepts made this book so easy and fun to read. It made we wish I had this book when I was studying biology in high school and college,” says Curbelo-Santiago. “When I was reading it, I found myself thinking, wow, plants are so freaking amazing and I just want to grow them all,” says Neveln. Holmes was impressed by the quality of the scientific illustrations and felt the book was “useful for people at different levels of learning—it’s for readers who want a deeper understanding.” Caleb Melchior agreed, noting that a chapter on seed dispersal offered insights into the complex interrelationships of plants and animals.
AHS’s 2023 Book Award Committee was chaired by Kimberly Toscano Holmes, a freelance communicator and professional horticulturist based in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Members of the committee include Amy Campion, a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer and co-author of Gardening in the Pacific Northwest; Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago, a garden communicator in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Viveka Neveln, garden editor for BHG.com in Des Moines, Iowa; Caleb Melchior, a Fort Myers, Florida based landscape architect, writer, and podcaster; and Doug Oster, garden writer, television producer, and radio host from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
For more information on this year’s and previous recipients, please visit the 2023 Book Award Winners website page.
Latest from Nursery Management
- Veseris expands in turf and ornamental with acquisition of Tessman and Lynde companies
- APHIS establishes box tree moth quarantines in Delaware and Pennsylvania
- Jess Lyga joins Bailey sales team
- Top 12 articles of 2024
- Happy holidays from the GIE Media Horticulture Group!
- December issue recap
- North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association announces new executive vice president
- Plant Development Services, Inc. unveils plant varieties debuting in 2025