QBARS - v19n3 Award to Mrs. A. C. U. Berry

Award to Mrs. A. C. U. Berry

Mrs. A. C. U. Berry, Portland, Oregon, was honored by the American Rock Garden Society at the 31st Annual Meeting held on May 15 and 16 in Sudbury, Mass. She was presented with the ARGS Award "for her outstanding contribution to rock and alpine gardening and to the particular study of our native plants." The citation was given by the President Emeritus of the ARGS, Mr. Harold Epstein of New York City before an assemblage of approximately 90 people who had come from all over the United States to attend the meeting and banquet. Unfortunately Mrs. Berry was not able to be present to receive the Award in person.

The presentation speech read as follows:

Mrs. Alfred C. U. Berry of Portland, Oregon is a horticulturist with insatiable curiosity concerning plants of mountains, plains, bogs, prairies and wherever they choose to make their home. This keen interest commenced in her girlhood and has persisted untiringly. She has climbed mountains and trekked through remote ravines to secure rare and challenging plants for her personal experimenting and also to furnish to scientists and botanic gardens. Her success in taming the most difficult and stubborn alpines has brought her recognition and fame amongst botanists and keen horticulturists throughout the world. She has cooperated and financially assisted nearly all hardy plant exploration projects for many years. Her generosity is well known to many nurserymen, hobbyists, and institutions who have benefited from her graciousness and sharing. The scope of her interests is very wide, but she is most renowned for her concentration on the primula and rhododendron genera.

She is the first woman to have been presented with the Gold Medal of the American Rhododendron Society. In 1964 the Florens DeBevoise Memorial Award was given her by the Garden Club of America. It is therefore a great privilege to add to this recognition this citation of the ARGS - an award to one of the really great gardeners of the United States.