The backyard garden of longtime American Horticultural Society volunteer Clara Plein is the inspiration for a posthumously named garden at the AHS headquarters at River Farm in Alexandria. Dedicated last summer, the Clara B. Plein Memorial Garden showcases combinations of native plants and cultivars based on how well they support the property’s natural ecosystems—from providing food and habitat for pollinators to waterwise planting and year-round interest through flowers, leaf color, and bark texture.
The landscape is designed to be an educational resource to River Farm’s visitors, demonstrating how native plants can be used in a home garden using plant varieties that are low maintenance and have reduced water needs. Among its many features, the garden also includes trees, azalea and viburnum platings, woodland plants, a native meadow, native shrubs, and a native shade garden. AHSGardening.org
This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue.
