Hello friends of JLBG! Alycia Thornton here—Director of Philanthropy, occasional plant punner, and your guest narrator for a very special blog takeover. I’m commandeering the JLBG blog today with some exciting news that’s as rare as an Amorphophallus titanum blooming on a Tuesday.
Tony Avent—yes, our Tony Avent—has been awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Pause for applause. Seriously. This is a big deal.
This prestigious international award is given to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to horticulture. Translation? Tony is now officially a global horticultural rock star. Mick Jagger might have moves, but Tony’s got xMangaves. He’s the 29th American to receive this medal since the 1870s. That’s fewer people than have walked on the moon or successfully kept a maidenhair fern alive indoors.
To celebrate, the JC Raulston Arboretum is rolling out the green carpet with a fundraising dinner on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 6:00–8:30 p.m., and you are invited.
Expect:
🌿 JCRA Garden views (no filter needed)
🍷 Open bar (cheers to that)
🍽️ A delicious plated dinner
🎉 A live auction full of temptation
🌱 And plenty of good-natured roasting, er, I mean, toasting of Tony
As if Tony’s not enough of a draw, we’re also welcoming Dan Hinkley, fellow Veitch Medal honoree and fellow plant wizard. If this event were any more star-studded, we’d need a redwood carpet.
Best of all? The night supports the Tony and Anita Avent Juniper Level Botanic Garden Endowment—ensuring a thriving future for plant research, conservation, and education. So really, you’re not just attending a wonderful dinner—you’re securing the future of JLBG.
Let’s celebrate Tony Avent, raise some funds, and help us honor our friend who’s done more for horticulture than Miracle-Gro.
Get your tickets before May 4! Register here.
See you there, shovels down and glasses up.
Cheers!
Alycia Thornton
Director of Philanthropy
Unapologetic Plant Nerd
Occasional Weed Puller
I just want to say that you are a fresh, funny and wonderful writer, Alycia.
Sorry we cannot be there, but I sure hope some videos will be posted…especially of the Tony toasting(roasting)!
Congrats on this well-deserved recognition. If you’ve ever been to a Rolling Stones show you know the comparisons of Mick and Tony are uncanny, especially in the area of physical endurance, not to mention wardrobe (an early roast?). As Director of Philanthropy have you considered adding a ‘pay-per view live stream’ of the JCRA Roast/Toast Event, just as every rock star deserves?
Rock on with your bada** botanical selves JLBG.