American Horticultural Society Honors Daria McKelvey and Sam Keitch with Emerging Horticultural Professionals Award

ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, March 16, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Daria McKelvey, supervisor at the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis and, Sam Keitch, design and procurement project manager for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, have jointly been named the 2022 recipients of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Emerging Horticultural Professionals Award, which recognizes significant achievements and/or leadership early in a professional’s career that has advanced the field of horticulture in America.

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 various fields, including scientific research, garden communication, landscape design, youth gardening, and conservation.  

Daria McKelvey
At her current position as a supervisor at the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, horticulturist Daria McKelvey gets to combine her two passions: plants and teaching. She oversees the Ask the Plant Doctor and Horticulture Answer Service programs, which field gardening questions from homeowners, and she maintains the indoor informational displays as well as the Gardening Help and Plant Finder database on the garden’s website. She regularly gives gardening talks at the garden and at other venues for a variety of organizations.

McKelvey’s interest in plants began in childhood from time spent outdoors. After getting a degree in biology from the University of Texas in Austin, she went on to get a Master of Science in horticulture from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. One of McKelvey’s areas of expertise is Texas native wildflowers, developed during her time at Texas Tech, where she investigated techniques to enhance seed germination rates in these plants.

In addition to her work at the Kemper Center, McKelvey is a member of the St. Louis Master Gardener Association and a Master Naturalist. “Each plant, no matter where in the world, has its own story,” says McKelvey. “My goal in life is to learn those stories and share them with others.”

Sam Keitch
A Pennsylvania native, Sam Keitch has worked in the public horticulture field for over 20 years with an emphasis on production, design, and installation. He was project manager for public landscapes at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) for the past 10 years before recently becoming PHS’s design and procurement project manager. A graduate of Temple University with a degree in landscape architecture, Keitch worked at the Tyler Arboretum as a gardener before coming to PHS.

As project manager, he has made an impact on the many urban green spaces in the Philadelphia area. He was involved in the design, installation, and management of landscapes along the Ben Franklin Parkway and at the Rodin Museum, Logan Square, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Eastern State Penitentiary, among others. He also helped design the Subaru campus in Camden, New Jersey, replacing the turf at the campus with plants that provide year-round interest as well as installing four rain gardens to create a vibrant, sustainable landscape that attracts pollinators and other wildlife.

Keitch has traveled to Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Brazil to study public landscapes in other urban settings. He also teaches workshops to help individuals find employment in the field of public horticulture.

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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