2019 National Convention


The Daffodil Society of Minnesota is excited to invite all daffodil lovers to visit Minnesota on May 2 – 5, 2019, to enjoy the American Daffodil Society’s annual National Convention and Daffodil Show. But don’t come just for the convention – plan to come early or stay longer to enjoy the many sights and experiences available!

Hotel Reservations | Transportation Options | Breakfast Options | Convention Registration | Convention Sponsors |
Daffodil Show Schedule | Convention Logo Apparel

Schedule of Events for Convention | Post Convention Tour

Hotel Reservations

Our Convention hotel is the Hilton Hotel Minneapolis/Bloomington located in Bloomington, MN; southwest corner of I-494 and France Avenue. Situated in the thriving Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, MN, Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington offers easy access to shopping, dining, entertainment and the Twin Cities business community. This modern hotel, with a glistening glass and brick exterior, provides complimentary shuttle to nearby MSP Airport as well as to some of Minneapolis’ finest shopping.

Hilton Hotel Minneapolis/Bloomington
3900 American Blvd. West
Bloomington, MN 55437 United States
Phone: (952) 893-9500

To make a reservation, call 1-844-856-8554 using Group Code: “ADS” or “American Daffodil Society”, or click on our convenient ONLINE RESERVATION Link.

  • Room Rate is $105 for a king or $110 for two queens, plus taxes
  • Rates guaranteed until April 5, 2019 or until block is sold out
  • Take a free shuttle from the airport
  • Complimentary on-site parking
  • Complimentary wireless internet for our guests

Transportation Options

The Hilton Hotel Minneapolis/Bloomington is located at 3900 American Blvd, WEST, Bloomington, MN (southwest corner of I-494 and France Avenue). There is another Hilton hotel very close to the airport, that is at 3800 American Boulevard EAST. If you are driving with a GPS or Google maps, taking an Uber or other transport from the airport, please request the correct hotel!

Flying? If you plan to fly, there is a FREE shuttle to and from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. However, it is strongly recommended that you reserve your shuttle ride in advance. Once you make your plane and hotel reservations, call the hotel directly at 952-893-9500. Tell them the airline, flight #, and when the plane is scheduled to land. (They need the airline information in order to know at which of two terminals to pick you up!) You should also reserve your return trip to the airport. The free shuttle runs between 6:00 am and 11:30 pm, and the hotel is only 7 miles from the airport. Our airport is a Delta hub, and is also served by many other airlines.

Driving? If you plan to drive, parking is free, in both a surface lot and a covered parking garage connected directly behind the hotel.

Breakfast Options

All breakfasts are on your own. Options within the hotel include the hotel’s restaurant or a “grab & go” next to the front desk (coffee/tea, fruit smoothies, breakfast sandwiches). There is also a Denny’s Restaurant directly across the street from the hotel. Additionally, each guest room has a refrigerator, and of course, in-room coffee.

2019 Convention Registration Form!

The Registration Form for the 2019 National Convention in Bloomington, MN can be downloaded in either MS Word or PDF format. Please complete a separate form for each attendee and mail your completed form, including check, to our Registrar’s address indicated at the bottom of the form. -OR- Email your completed registration form to title= and pay online at the ADS Webstore.

April 1, 2019 is the cut-off for the discounted early-bird convention registration. The deadline for registration is Monday, April 15! There will be no onsite registration. Cancellations will be handled according to the ADS guidelines.

Become a Sponsor for the 2019 National Convention!

Become an ADS National Convention and Show Sponsor and help us provide education related to daffodils and support our upcoming convention in Bloomington, Minnesota on May 2 – 5, 2019. Plants are the backbone of all life on Earth and an essential resource for human well-being. The appreciation of beautiful flowers such as the daffodil can provide an all-important connection to nature. As a Convention Sponsor, you will help us highlight the daffodil in the Minneapolis/Bloomington area on a national stage.

How can you become Sponsor?

  • Use your Credit Card on the ADS WebStore and contact Margaret Macneale at title=.

THANK YOU National Convention Sponsors!

The 2019 National Daffodil Convention is supported by donations, sponsorships and convention fees obtained from our membership and other supportive organizations and individuals. The American Daffodil Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all contributions to the ADS are tax deductible. Financial support for our conventions is important to our mission of encouraging widespread interest in daffodils, research into daffodils, and education of the general public.

2019 National Daffodil Show Schedule

2019 ADS National Daffodil Show Schedule

Convention Logo Apparel

We are offering two different Logo Apparel options at the 2019 National Convention! The first is a high quality, cotton white t-shirt printed with the convention logo, for only $15. This must be pre-ordered via the Convention Registration form.

We have also worked with Lands’ End to offer clothing, canvas bags, and many other items, to be embroidered with the convention logo! Lands’ End has everything from polo shirts to fleece jackets and vests, to sturdy canvas bags. All you need to do is peruse the Lands’ End website, then contact Lands’ End Business Outfitters (1-800-587-1541 or https://business.landsend.com/), select your item(s), and request logo # 1584327. Please contact the Convention Chair Margaret Macneale if you have questions about clothing options.

Convention Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 2

  • 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – The morning begins with Judging School 1 (Please reference our ADS Judging School 1 Form for additional information).
  • 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Exec/Finance Meeting, Washington meeting room (2nd floor)
  • Flower staging begins in the early afternoon and continues throughout the night. Photography entries will also be accepted during the afternoon and evening.
  • Make some time to check out the Boutique! Kathy Julius is gathering great daffodilia to tempt you! (Cash or check only – there is an ATM in the hotel.)
  • 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm – The Boutique is OPEN. (Boutique hours are subject to change)
  • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – First time convention attendees and mentors should plan to attend a reception just for them. If you are a first timer, or would like to ‘mentor’ a first-timer, be sure to indicate that on the convention registration form!

Friday, May 3

  • 12:00 am – 9:30 am – Daffodil show staging
  • 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm – The Boutique is OPEN. (Boutique hours are subject to change)
  • 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Daffodil Show is OPEN to the Public.
  • Those not involved in judging will breakfast on your own, and then be treated to an Optional Tour featuring some of the best of the Minneapolis Regional Parks system. (A box lunch from the hotel will be included in the optional tour price.)

    The tour will start with the renowned Minnehaha Falls Park, featuring a spectacular waterfall. The park has easy walking trails allowing you to view the falls from multiple vantage points. And within easy walking distance you can also enjoy the Longfellow Gardens, built on a “land-bridge” on top of a major highway.
  • After departing Minnehaha Falls Park, you will travel to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, newly renovated and expanded.

    The garden is a partnership between the Minneapolis Park Board and the Walker Art Center and showcases more than 40 works from the Walker’s collections, including the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry. You will have time to wander among the giant sculptures, and if you wish you can cross a pedestrian bridge and explore Loring Park, a lake and garden respite at the edge of downtown Minneapolis.
  • After the Sculpture Garden and Loring Park, your final stop will be the Mississippi River and its Stone Arch Bridge and adjacent Mill Ruins Park.

    The bridge was originally a railroad bridge and is now limited to pedestrians. Walk out on the bridge for a spectacular view of the roaring Mississippi River, and imagine the city’s early days as a milling center, birthplace of Pillsbury and General Mills corporations.
  • 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Outgoing Board Meeting
  • The Board Meeting will be followed by a social reception/cash bar, dinner, Annual Meeting. The evening is capped off by the Show Awards presentations!

Saturday, May 4

  • Breakfast on your own.
  • 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – The Boutique is OPEN.
  • 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Daffodil Show is OPEN to the Public.
  • 9:00 am – 10:00 am – Our first morning speaker panel will consist of Dave Hardy of Esker Farm Daffodils in Northern Ireland, Harold Koopowitz of Santa Ana, CA, Deb Wheeler of Oakdale, MN, and Margaret Macneale of Golden Valley, MN. They will share their experiences of packing and transporting blooms long distances to shows (Dave and Harold), and refrigerating blooms to hold them several weeks (Deb and Margaret).
  • 10:15 am – 11:15 am – Our second morning session is entitled “Director’s Final Cut – Learn the Real Back Story”. Ask your Board of Directors. They’re telling all! This is a first-ever event for convention attendees to informally meet ADS Board members and learn more about what the various Board positions entail. It will also give existing Board members an opportunity to learn about the interests and skills of convention attendees.
  • We will lunch at the hotel and then head to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

    At the Arboretum, you will have several hours to explore numerous gardens and collections near the main building, and/or you can sign up for a guided ride on the Trumpet Creeper Tram at only $5. For about an hour, the tram follows the “3 Mile Drive” through the Arboretum, and gives visitors a fabulous overview of the Arboretum. You would still have time to explore the gardens close by before or after the tram. If you are interested in the tram, sign up on the convention registration form – only $5. If there is enough interest, we will reserve an entire tram (maximum 40 people). Otherwise we will refund your pre-paid $5, and you can purchase a tram ticket on one of the regularly scheduled trams, upon arrival at the Arboretum. And don’t miss the Arboretum’s fabulous gift shop!
  • As we drive to and from the Arboretum, you will catch a glimpse of Prince’s Paisley Park. It is open for tours, so if you are interested before or after the convention, you could head out there.
  • Upon return to the hotel, the bar will open and the ADS Bulb Auction will begin! Frederica Lawlor is coordinating this wonderful fundraiser for the ADS, featuring bulbs from far and wide. Plan to participate and pick up some beauties. Or just come and watch the fun! The cash bar will be open throughout the auction and reception, followed by dinner.
  • Following dinner, we will be treated to a talk by Mike Heger, a Minnesotan with a varied and fascinating horticultural career. Mr. Heger will give a presentation entitled “The Role of Specialty Plant Societies: Past and Into the Future”. Mike with discuss the role groups such as the ADS and DSM have played in his own horticultural career, and share some thoughts relative to the future of specialty plant societies.

    Mike Heger is one of the founding members of our local group (1977), the Daffodil Society of Minnesota, and remains a member to this day. In his early work life, Mike was on staff at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for 15 years, which we will have seen that afternoon. Following his years at the Arboretum, Mike and his wife Jean opened Ambergate Gardens, a nursery specializing in unusual perennials for northern climates. During those years, Mike also co-authored “Growing Perennials in Cold Climates”, a veritable “bible” for northern gardeners. There is so much to Mike’s career that we are still refining what he will talk about, but it is guaranteed to be fascinating! Learn more about Mike Heger at Ambergate Horticultural Consulting.

  • Following our Dinner Speaker we will announce the 2019 Gold and Silver Medal honorees.
  • Then, sadly, we will tear down the Daffodil Show.

Sunday, May 5

  • Breakfast on your own.
  • 7:45 am – 9:00 am – RVP/RD breakfast meeting, Private Dining Room, Bloomington Chophouse
  • 9:00 am – 10:00 am – Judges Refresher: “Daffodil Jeopardy Game”
    Don’t let your daffodil judging skills be in jeopardy! Your host will be — no, not, Alex Trebek — Becky Fox Matthews of Brentwood, TN. Contestants need not apply in advance and non-judges are also welcome to attend. Everyone can play along! Be sure to register in advance via the Convention Registration Form, if you want to receive credit.
  • Pick up your box lunch and hop on the buses for a day of touring. First stop, “Wonderland Garden” by daffodil lover Jenn Lanz in Newport, MN. Jenn and her family have turned their compact space into an Alice in Wonderland-themed retreat. They have used every square inch of the property for gardens, progressing through the seasons with daffodils, martagon lilies, and daylilies, among other treasures. We expect to spend enough time there that many will opt to have their box lunch at Jenn’s.
  • From there we will travel in to Wisconsin to a farm outside of Ellsworth, WI. At the edge of the fields you will find rows and rows of daffodils. Michael Berrigan (immediate past ADS President) has moved most of his daffodils here, adding to those planted years ago by our late member Denis Daley. The farm is owned by Denis’s college roommate, and we are lucky to be able to grow daffodils next to a babbling brook.
  • After the two daffodil stops, we will head up river to Afton, MN. Afton is located on a small bay where Valley Creek empties into the St. Croix River several miles north of the confluence with the Mississippi River. Afton was platted in 1855, and named for the poem ‘Sweet Afton’ by Robert Burns. A post office has been in operation at Afton since 1857.
  • The main stop in Afton will be Squire House Gardens, a delightful small garden and gift shop inspired by those the owners visited in Britain. Indulge all of your senses, then cross the street and pick up an ice cream treat at Selma’s Ice Cream (a “quaint parlor for classic frozen treats”).
  • While returning to the hotel, the Incoming Board will have its meeting on a designated “Board Meeting Bus”.
  • Jessica Helgen-Bee SquadFollowing a social reception and dinner, our keynote speaker will be Jessica Helgen from the University of Minnesota Bee Research Lab. Ms. Helgen will give a presentation entitled “Secrets of the Hive – Understanding Honey Bee Communication”.

    Jessica is a founding member of the “Bee Squad”, and loves meeting beekeepers from Minnesota and around the world! She fell in love with beekeeping on a study abroad trip to southern India in college. After graduating from St. Olaf College in 2006 with a B.A. in Biology, she started working for the UMN Bee Lab, then returned to India for a Fulbright fellowship to study Asian honey bees (Apis cerana). Jessica is currently coordinating the Mentoring Apiary program, which provides hands-on training to hobby beekeepers. She is most proud of convincing new beekeepers to try glove-less beekeeping!

  • The evening will conclude with invitations to the 2019 Fall Forum, the 2020 ADS convention in Dallas, TX and the 2020 World Convention in Australia, with a New Zealand add-on trip.

Pre/Post Convention Sites

Come Early / Stay After…It would be a shame for you to come all the way to Minnesota without enjoying more of our many treasures. Plan to come early or stay after the ADS convention! There is so much beautiful scenery, history, theatre, music, and arts to enjoy in Minnesota. Here are some of the many options for your further exploration.

Sites within the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area.

Sites beyond the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area.

  • Scenic Highway 61 – If you are driving from the east or south, consider taking Highway 61 along the Mississippi River. You will pass some of the most beautiful scenery around. The Mississippi River is a flyway for migrating birds and features Bald Eagle nesting. Stop in the historic river town of Red Wing, Minnesota and check out the Red Wing shoe store and the Red Wing Pottery operations. In Winona, Minnesota visit the Winona Woolen Mills for treasures.
  • If you have time to explore southern Minnesota, consider taking in the beautiful “bluffs” area around Lanesboro, then drive over to Austin to visit the SPAM Museum! Remember the SPAM cans on your tables at the 2018 convention?
  • Northwest of Minneapolis, about an hour and a half up I-94, you will find Munsinger/Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud.
  • What about heading NORTH? Lake Superior awaits you, as well as many Minnesota State Parks. Just 2 1/2 hours up I-35 lies Duluth, Minnesota. Explore this port city, then head up the “north shore” of Lake Superior to discover waterfall after waterfall, as they tumble from heights above into the largest of the Great Lakes. There are eight state parks along the way with easy-to-moderate trails to view waterfalls and/or Lake Superior. Two popular ones are Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse.

Museum Options in Twin Cities Area

  • Bell Museum of Natural History – opened originally in 1872, and now in its new home on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, this treasure unites science, art, and the environment. A must-see!
  • Science Museum of Minnesota – amazing place, very interactive. In downtown St. Paul, not far from Minnesota History Center.
  • Minnesota History Center – run by Minnesota Historical Society. In downtown St. Paul, not far from the Science Museum of MN.
  • Minnesota’s State Capital – recently reopened after a multi-year renovation, also run by the Minnesota Historical Society. In St. Paul, across an expansive highway from the Minnesota History Center.
  • Mill City Museum – In downtown Minneapolis on the riverfront, also run by the Minnesota Historical Society. Great history of Minneapolis’s early days as a milling center (think Pillsbury and General Mills), very interactive.
  • The Bakken Museum – In a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis – STEM at its best!
  • Twin Cities Model Railroading Museum – In St. Paul – great fun for adult “kids”!
  • Minneapolis Institute of Art (aka “Mia”) – In Minneapolis near downtown.
  • Weisman Art Museum – On campus of University of MN in Minneapolis. Art lovers rave.
  • Walker Art Center – On edge of downtown Minneapolis – more art and great exhibits.
  • American Swedish Institute – In residential area of Minneapolis – Swedish heritage galore.
  • Museum of Russian Art – In “south Minneapolis”, small, but fabulous.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2019 ADS National Convention and hope you will extend your stay to enjoy some of Minnesota’s delights!

Margaret Macneale, title=
2019 National Convention Chair