Mahrou Akhundzadeh of Alexandria, VA, has been named the 2022 recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Meritorious Service Award.

ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, March 16, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Mahrou Akhundzadeh of Alexandria, VA, has been named the 2022 recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes outstanding service and generosity in support of the American Horticultural Society and sustainable gardening.

The accolade is one of the Great American Gardeners Awards that the AHS presents annually to individuals, organizations, and businesses that represent the best in American gardening. Each of the recipients has contributed significantly to fields such as scientific research, garden communication, landscape design, youth gardening, and conservation.  

Mahrou began volunteering for the American Horticultural Society (AHS) in 1997. For her, the manicured gardens at River Farm—the headquarters of the AHS in Alexandria, Virginia—evoke fond childhood memories of weekends spent at her grandfather’s house in Tehran, Iran. After moving from Philadelphia to the Alexandria area, Mahrou and her husband, Adel, became frequent visitors to River Farm and she was eventually recruited as a volunteer. While her work in the gardens was limited to one comically bad turn at pruning vines, Mahrou stayed on and helped with the now-retired Seed Exchange and has become a near-weekly presence in the Membership Department.

With an eye for color, texture, and composition honed in her Interior Design studies at Drexel University, Mahrou has enjoyed tending her own garden and creating arrangements for residents of the Mount Vernon Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, an outreach project of the Mount Vernon Garden Club. Mahrou credits “the kind and helpful staff” at the AHS for her longevity as a volunteer and the therapeutic power of flowers and gardens in helping her cope with the isolation of Covid and grief of personal losses.

For more information on this year’s recipients, please visit our 2022 Award Winners. Photographs of the award winners and additional information about the awards program are available upon request by contacting Katherine Somerville at ksomerville@ahsgardening.org or calling (703) 768-5700, ext. 121.

Founded in 1922, the American Horticultural Society is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to modeling, educating about, and advocating for earth-friendly and sustainable gardening practices. Our mission is to share with all Americans the critical role of plants, gardens, and green spaces in creating healthy, livable communities and a sustainable planet. To learn more, visit https://ahsgardening.org.

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Katherine Somerville
American Horticultural Society
+1 703-768-5700 ext. 121
email us here

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