What We Do

The Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for gardeners in the Mid-Atlantic region - run entirely by many very dedicated volunteers. We encourage gardeners - from beginners to professionals - to learn more about horticulture and to share skills, knowledge, and plants with each other.

Members gather informally throughout the year to visit gardens and nurseries in the Delaware Valley and beyond. We sponsor seminars and lectures about plants - both hardy and tender - as well as ecology, design, propagation, and conservation. And our long-running Seed Exchange program is very popular with our members.

We also hold sales featuring choice and unusual plants and garden accessories, and co-sponsor other events with leading area horticultural institutions. HPS/MAG supports horticultural and educational programs through its Grants Program.

Attending and volunteering at our many HPS/MAG programs and activities rewards our members with both knowledge and new friendships. We do have some non-member events throughout the year, but we encourage you to join so you can participate in all our programs and activities.

If you love plants and want to learn more about them, we cordially invite you to join HPS/MAG:

Click here to launch our online membership form.

Click here to print a paper copy of the membership form that you may complete and mail with your check.

To make a donation to support our Grants Program, click here. HPS/MAG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and your donation is deductible to the extent permitted by law.

For more information contact: [email protected].

Our History

The Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group was formed in 1986 by Joanne Walkovic and Jean Schumacher. Joanne, a fashion designer and talented gardener in Philadelphia, was a great fan of the Hardy Plant Society in England where she visited yearly. Jean was a horticulturalist and a former Assistant Director of Tyler Arboretum and the American Horticultural Society's Plant Science Data Center. These women persuaded well-known garden experts and educators to lend weight to the organization, and membership climbed. Today HPS/MAG has more than 1100 members.

Education has been stressed from the start. In addition to many lectures, both virtual and in person, there are hands-on workshops for beginners and for those interested in deeper study. Our website, newsletter, and biweekly email blasts are invaluable resources for keeping our membership informed on all things HPS/MAG. Our newsletter, Hardy Happenings, also features articles by members. Our popular garden tours have allowed members to visit unique public and private gardens in the Delaware Valley, the greater US, Canada, and overseas.

Making rare seeds and plants available to members also continues to be a major focus. The Fall Gardeners' Market features specialty retail and wholesale growers from up and down the Eastern seaboard. The Seed Exchange has been a hit from the beginning, drawing donations from arboreta and rare plant nurseries, in addition to area gardeners. Best of all is the companionship of other gardeners in all our activities.

In 2000, while visiting gardens and nurseries in England, Joanne Walkovic was tragically killed in an automobile accident. And, sadly, Jean Schumacher passed in 2023. The Hardy Plant Society commemorates Joanne and Jean in our yearly Walkovic & Schumacher Memorial Lecture.