Proposed by: Newport Garden Club, Zone II

Having dedicated her life to conservation, horticulture and philanthropy, Dodo Hamilton’s greatest gift is her vision. Whether it’s establishing a summer program for high school students to learn about horticulture or the restoration of great American gardens and landscapes, her impact is unprecedented and will be enjoyed for years to come. She helped restore the only remaining Victorian fernery at the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum and the Azalea Gardens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and has recently restored the iconic “Blue Garden” in Newport, RI, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.Her most ambitious effort was the restoration of the 45-acre Swiss Village Farm (SVF) in Newport. Partnering with Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, SVF has become what The New York Times calls “the only organization in the country dedicated to conserving rare heritage livestock breeds.” An avid gardener and horticulture competitor, Dodo not only holds the Philadelphia Flower Show record for winning more than 1,000 blue ribbons, she donated the “Hamilton Horticourt” to house the entries of future participants. Twenty years ago, she helped to establish The Newport Flower Show and continues to serve as that show’s “chair emeritus”. As a horticulturalist, she has fundamentally strengthened the endeavor as many have been inspired by her near perfect cultivation of common plants; and, she has stretched us all by her introduction of uncommon plants for competition which encouraged others to make them the standard.  As a conservationist and philanthropist, she has ensured that future generations can enjoy the fruits of a lifetime spent passionately improving our planet one garden at a time.