Amy Goldman Fowler, PhD

2021 Florens DeBevoise Medal

Through purposeful philanthropy, award-winning books, and leadership in seed saving, she has taught us to cherish heirloom fruits and vegetables thereby preserving the planet’s biodiversity.

Proposed by: Garden Club of East Hampton, Zone III

Amy Fowler is a leader in the heirloom seed and local food movements, committed to protecting the genetic diversity of the world’s food supply by saving and promoting heirloom seeds. She is an award-winning author of five books documenting the beauty, flavor, history, and diversity of heirloom fruits and vegetables. Described as “perhaps the world’s premier vegetable gardener,” she has popularized the use of heirloom varieties by home gardeners and celebrated chefs nationwide. To preserve these historic garden treasures, Amy is an integral part of a community of seed conservationists operating around the world. She is former chairman of the Seed Savers Exchange, the nation’s leading, non-profit seed saving organization. Her passion for gardening, her devotion to heirloom seeds, and her preservation of this essential part of the world’s horticulture heritage, combined with her willingness to collaborate and share her knowledge, exemplifies the work of the GCA.

The Florens DeBevoise Medal is awarded for outstanding achievement in horticulture and/or education in horticulture.

The Florens DeBevoise Medal was presented by Sasqua Garden Club, Zone II, in memory of Florens Hutchins Lewis DeBevoise (Mrs. Charles DeBevoise: 1886–1951), a charter member of the club. Florens, cofounder of the American Rock Garden Society, was a botanist and authority on landscaping with alpine plants. Rock garden historian Marnie Flook notes, “She conducted extensive experiments with their propagation at her renowned Cronamere Alpine Nurseries prior to closing in 1941. Many rare herbaceous plants and shrubs imported by the US Agricultural Station were sent to her to determine correct cultivation and hardiness in the East. She also developed methods for dwarfing various types of plants, which she exhibited in miniature gardens.” In 2021, the GCA Executive Board adapted the current award description to encourage a broader application. The award was originally intended "for horticultural achievement in the fields of hybridizing, collecting, or nurturing, with a preference to plant material suitable for rock gardens." The medal was designed in 1954 by Mary Taylor Bryan (Mrs. Alden Bryan).

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