TO SAY I WAS surprised would be understating it. A lot. When I got the call from the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania recently that I’d been named as the 2024 recipient of their prestigious Scott Medal, I was completely caught off guard.

I was also very grateful to be added to the list of people awarded the prize since 1930, who “have made an outstanding national contribution to the science and the art of gardening,” the arboretum website says.

Last week I was delighted to get another call from the staff there, this time alerting me that all of you can attend the virtual version of the awards event, free, on March 10 from 4:30 to 6 PM Eastern. I will be there in person, giving a speech (uh-oh!) and trying to remember how to behave in public.

The purpose of the award, the Scott website says, is “to promote a greater love of nature, make the nation more conscious of the beauty of the outdoors, develop a greater knowledge and love of plants and flowers, spread the gospel of better planting and designing, and arouse a wider interest in better planting and more beautiful gardens among all citizens.”

Sounds like something we definitely believe in, yes?

Hope to “see you” March 10. Here’s the link for free virtual tickets, and the overall page about the award. The past Scott Medal recipients list is here.