The American Horticultural Society will hold its 19th annual gala, “Garden Delights: An Evening by the River,” on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the society’s headquarters at River Farm.

The event begins at 6 p.m. This year’s honorary chair is Kurt Bluemel, a renowned plantsman, nurseryman and designer who has championed the use of ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials in the American landscape.

His 40-year-old landscape design company, Kurt Bluemel, Inc., works with Fortune 500 companies, zoos, theme parks and businesses across the United States and overseas. Trained in Germany and Switzerland, Bluemel is past president of the Perennial Plant Association and lectures to gardening groups and organizations around the world.

The evening will include a formal dinner, live music, a silent auction and an online auction. Attire is black-tie optional. Advance reservations only; tables for 10 and individual tickets are available.

Tickets cost $275 per individual or $2,500 per table for 10 people. All proceeds from the gala benefit the stewardship of River Farm and the American Horticultural Society’s outreach and educational programs.

For more information about the gala or to purchase tickets, please contact Joanne Sawczuk at 703-768-5700, ext. 132, or by email at jsawczuk@ahs.org.

Founded in 1922, the American Horticultural Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to making America a nation of gardeners, a land of gardens.