Scott Aker, who served as the Head of Horticulture and Education at the National Arboretum since 2013, recently started a new position as Manager of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Scott celebrated 30 years of service to the National Arboretum in 2022. He joined the Arboretum in 1992 as part of the integrated pest management team and helped reduce the Arboretum's pesticide use by 75%. Scott became the Head of Horticulture in 2004, and in 2013 also took responsibility for the Arboretum's education programs.

We are grateful to Scott for the passion for plants and horticulture he brought to the National Arboretum during his three decades of service. We wish him the best of luck in Wyoming!

Read About Scott's Legacy at the Arboretum and New Position >

Last week, the National Arboretum was an exhibitor at the Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) in Baltimore, MD. This year, MANTS hosted 922 exhibitors from across the country for three days. Groups from all corners of the gardening and horticulture world were represented, including nursery growers, equipment manufacturers, garden centers, landscapers, and more.

MANTS offers a great opportunity for the National Arboretum to share its work and build relationships across the horticulture industry. Staff from both the Washington, DC campus and Beltsville, MD research facility represented the Arboretum during the trade show. They shared about the Arboretum's current research projects, new plant introductions (such as the wooly adelgid-resistant hemlock varieties Tsuga 'Traveler' and Tsuga 'Crossroad'), plant exploration trips, and upcoming education programs.

While FONA also attended MANTS, we were there in preparation for our annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale. Seven nurseries donated their plants at the end of the trade show for us to sell at the Garden Fair. We are extremely grateful for the donations from Adcock's Nursery, Monrovia Plants, Manor View Farm, Piedmont Carolina Nursery, Youngblood Nursery, Rare Tree Nursery, and Pleasant Run Nursery. Huge thanks as well to Terry Macfarlane and his team for helping transport and unload plants.

These donated plants go a long way in helping us raise funds at the Garden Fair & Plant Sale and support our work at the National Arboretum. Save the date and join us on Saturday, April 29th for the Garden Fair to bring some of these plants home to your own garden. Remember, FONA members have exclusive early access at the beginning of the plant sale. More details coming soon.

Help FONA's venue rental program gain recognition by voting for us in the Select Event Group's 2022 #SetBySelect competition. Please consider voting for both the Dinner Under the Stars and Arboretum wedding setups, labeled "MTG Hospitality - National Arboretum." You can vote for your favorite moments once per day until the end of the day on Sunday, January 29th.

Vote for FONA >

Road Scholar is hosting a two-part online bonsai lecture series with Michael James, Curator of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, and Ann McClellan, author of Bonsai and Penjing, Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty.

The second lecture will take place on January 24th at 1 PM. Each lecture costs $25 to attend, registration is required.

January 24th Event Registration >

Save the date for these exciting events and programs happening in early 2023. More details will come in our spring event guide newsletter.

Connecting Cultures: Japanese Flowering Cherries in America

Saturday, March 18th

Cherry tree symposium hosted by the National Arboretum

Lahr Native Plant Symposium & Native Plant Sale

Saturday, March 25th

Symposium hosted by the National Arboretum, Plant Sale hosted by FONA

Garden Fair & Plant Sale

Saturday, April 29th

Annual event hosted by FONA