President's Letter – Fall 2026
Autumn is upon us! After an especially hot summer, we are all ready for a little relief. Here at AHS, we have been busily planning for spring and the American Hydrangea Annual Garden Tour for 2027. I know it seems like we just finished up the last tour but as our wonderful garden tour chair Dörte Wohmann-Schmieta likes to say, planning is everything when it comes to a successful tour and that planning starts the day after the last one. Your AHS board has been making many plans over the summer, from future speakers to possible social outings and gatherings. Maybe you would like to get more involved with AHS and help us plan for garden tours, volunteer workdays, and other happenings. Pull one of us aside at our meetings and let us know! We’d love to have you join our fun.
As the season changes over, so too, are changes afoot with the AHS board. After four years, my term as president will come to an end this December. I cannot emphasize enough how much I have enjoyed my AHS tenure and working with such an incredible group of people. It has been a privilege to serve alongside my good friends as we seek to fulfill the American Hydrangea Society mission as laid out by our founder Penny McHenry: “to study and learn about the genus Hydrangea, it’s species and cultivars, as well as culture, habits, hardiness, and performance.” I look forward to serving in a new capacity on the board, as part of a programs committee and as a contributor to the newsletter.
What better way to celebrate the new season than by joining your friends (and maybe bringing a new one!) to our fall meeting on Monday, October 26, at the Atlanta History Center’s Woodruff Auditorium in McElreath Hall. We’ll gather at 7PM to hear Irene Palmer give us her insights from ten years in the science of breeding hydrangeas. She’ll pull back the curtain on the new technologies involved in producing the plants that we all will want for our gardens as well as share some practical advice for those that may want to try doing their own backyard breeding. Get there early so you can buy some raffle tickets and enjoy the legendary AHS hospitality table!
With dirty hands and a full heart,
Jennifer Petritz
AHS President
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