2024 National Convention

The Mid-Atlantic Region requests the pleasure of your company to attend the 70th Anniversary American Daffodil Society Convention, from April 10 – 13, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Dulles, in Herndon, Virginia. With more members than any of the other Regions, and a long history of being home to fabled hybridizers, exhibitors, and ADS leaders, this is designed and destined to be a Convention of note. The last Convention in this area boasted a record 4800 blooms, possibly the largest show ever. It is planned to be the perfect stand-alone event and is also the ideal venue to commence the World Tour, starting days afterwards.

We will have knowledgeable and entertaining speakers, not to be missed tour days, a fabulous Boutique, delicious meals, and most importantly, camaraderie with old and new friends. We hope to see you there.

The ADS National Show consists of Horticulture, Design, and Photography divisions, each organized by a team of experts, and open to the public. Free of charge, the hours are Thursday April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Friday April 12, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hotel Reservations | Transportation to Hotel
Convention Registration | National Daffodil Show
National Photography Show | NGC Accredited Flower Show
Schedule of Events

The Hyatt Regency Dulles is a renovated, extremely comfortable, affordable, and accommodating venue located minutes from Dulles International Airport. Equipped with a pool, fitness center, fine and casual dining, room service, handicap access, and wonderful meeting rooms, it also offers a complimentary airport shuttle that operates on a set schedule. A complimentary breakfast for up to 2 occupants of each room is included in the room rate.

Make your Hotel Reservation Today!

Hyatt Regency Dulles
2300 Dulles Corner Blvd
Herndon, Virginia 20171
Phone: (703) 713-1234

To make a reservation, click on this secure and convenient ONLINE RESERVATION Link or call 877-803-7534 (toll free) between the hours of 7:00am-11:00pm EST. Please use Group Code: G-ADAS when making call-in reservations. Meeting our room minimum pays for the showroom and meeting space, so please be sure to include the code so you are included in our room count.

Room Rate is $149 for one king or two queen beds, plus taxes for single and double occupancy, $159 plus taxes for triple occupancy, and $169 plus taxes for quad occupancy. The spacious rooms include the sleeping area and a sitting area with a couch. Room rates apply 2 days before and after the Convention. Room rate includes breakfast for up to (2) people per room per day. Additional breakfast buffets can be purchased in the restaurant at the prevailing rate. Up to (2) breakfast buffet coupons per day will be provided to guests upon check-in and the coupons are to be redeemed in the hotel restaurant.
All guest room reservations must be made on or before the cut-off date of March 26, 2024. After that date, rooms will be available on an as available basis. If you encounter any problems while reserving your room, please contact Kathy Welsh at or call 703-244-4076.
Each guest will be asked for a credit card at time of check-in to establish credit for any incidental charges incurred during their stay. Upon check in, the credit card will be preauthorized for $50.00 for each day of their stay. This is required at check-in day of arrival. This will be refunded at check-out time if not utilized. If using a debit card, the funds are held for 7 – 10 business days by most banking institutions. Communication to attendees prior to arrival will assure a smooth and timely check-in.
As a reminder, check in time is 3:00pm and check out time is 12:00pm.  Luggage can be stored on a complimentary basis, but limited storage is available at the front desk for those guests’ attending functions on the day of departure so that they may also check out by 12:00pm to avoid late checkout charges. Rate for Early Check in before noon ($30.00 plus taxes) and/or Late Check out (2 pm-$50 plus taxes, 4 pm- $75 plus taxes, 5pm-full day rate) is available if requested.
The hotel offers complimentary self-parking for the day attendees and overnight guests with the group only. For overnight guests, a tag will be provided upon check-in to place on your rear-view mirror. Day attendees will not need a tag.

Transportation to Hotel!

The Hyatt Regency Dulles offers a complimentary airport shuttle from Dulles International Airport that operates on a set schedule. The shuttle departs from the hotel every 30 minutes from 6AM to 11:30PM. For the hours of 11:30pm – 5:30am the airport shuttle only runs upon request so please call the hotel at 703-713-1234 for any airport pick up during these hours.

Our hotel is located 27.3 miles from Ronald Reagan Airport, and can be reached by taxi, Uber, Lyft and other ride sharing services, private car, bus, and by Metro. The drive time varies, but is generally around 35 minutes. Coordinating and sharing rides from this airport is recommended. (If you plan to fly into Reagan National, rather than Washington Dulles, please provide your flight information to the registrar so we can help you coordinate your ride to the hotel.)

If you are driving, parking is available at the hotel at no charge while you are staying at the hotel. If you plan to drive and leave your car at the hotel during the world convention, the cost is $7.95 per day, and reservations must be made through the website: www.onestopparking.com These spots are limited, so make that reservation as soon as possible. This is an attractive option for those who are driving and flying to the World Tour. Long-term parking of various types are available at Dulles Airport as well.

2024 Convention Registration Form!

TUESDAY MAR 26 was the cut-off date for all registrations!

There will be no on-site Registrations.
Thank you for registering and participating in this
70th Anniversary daffodil event.

Convention Registration Policies:

Registration cancellation policy; Full or partial refunds will be handled on a one-on-one basis.

Late arrival at the 2024 ADS National Convention; If notification is received at least 2 weeks in advance of the Convention, then the cost of meals missed may be refunded. Similarly, if when registering (at least two weeks ahead of the Convention) the attendee informs the Registrar that his/her arrival will be late, then the cost of meals missed will be subtracted from the Registration Fee.

Early departure from the 2024 ADS National Convention; Requests for partial refund of fees due to early departure will be considered on a case-by-case basis. A refund for meals not taken because of an emergency, early departure will only be granted when there will be a Convention surplus, since the Convention is obligated to pay the cost of these meals to the hotel. The cost of meals to be missed may also be subtracted from the Registration Fee, if a guest notifies us that he/she will need to leave early, and that notification is given seven or more days before the start of the Convention.

National Daffodil Show!

The ADS National Convention would not be complete without an outstanding daffodil show! The American Daffodil Society National Show will feature Horticulture, Design, and Photography divisions, each organized by a team of experts, and open to the public. Free of charge, the PUBLIC OPEN HOURS are Thursday April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Friday April 12, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Please download and review the Daffodil Show Schedule that will be printed and distributed to registrants at the convention:

2024 ADS National Show Schedule

We will also feature the following two local collection classes in the Horticulture Division that will offer outstanding awards!

The 70th Anniversary Collection – A collection of 7 different standard cultivars from 7 different RHS divisions. Name, division, and color code to appear on the labeling. The collection is staged 7 blooms across. The winner will receive a $50 gift card to the boutique.
The International Collection – Five different Standard cultivars from five different countries. Name, division, and country of origin to appear on the labeling. Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are recognized as different countries. “Eligible for the Purple Ribbon.” The winner will receive a $50 gift card to the boutique.

National Photography Show!

Our Photography Show celebrates the 70th anniversary of the ADS (1954 to 2024). Special subdivided classes for those years are P-2c and P-3a. We encourage members and the public to contribute images broadening our understanding of the daffodil, enhancing our knowledge of the flower and the people who grow them, using the rapidly evolving art and technology of photography and accepted principles of two-dimensional design.

Judging will be conducted by a panel of photography and ADS judges selected by the Photography Chairs. Photos will be judged by the panel on originality, composition, technical excellence, overall impact, and artistic merit using the 4Cs —Creativity, Craft, Composition, and Content.

Download the “70th Anniversary” Photography Division of the Show Schedule & Entry Cards:

Photography Division – 2024 ADS National Show Schedule
Photography Division – 2024 Show Entry Cards

Please contact Jennifer Kochard at email with any questions about the Photography Show.

National Garden Clubs Accredited Flower Show!

Enter a design and have more fun playing with your blooms by using your creativity to celebrate our favorite flower. Entries are open to everyone! There will be six classes of four designs each. There will be classes to appeal to all levels of expertise. The big requirement is that daffodils must dominate each design. And even better, you don’t have to worry if your daffodil is not your best bloom. The Design Section meets the requirements of a National Garden Clubs Inc. Standard Flower Show and will be judged by NGC Accredited Flower Show Judges.

Download the “70 Years of American Daffodil Society” Design Division of the Show Schedule:

Design Division – 2024 ADS National Show Schedule

Design Chairman: Mary Anne Barton or or call 703-273-8641 (leave voice mail). Please contact Mary Anne Barton with questions – about classes, staging, need for daffs for your arrangement, how to enter, anything related to the Design Division in the daffodil show!

Schedule of Events!

All program times are subject to modification.
Please check back often for updates.

Tuesday, April 9

5:00 pm (Layton) – ADS Judging School III. Flower Identification room open.

Wednesday, April 10

7:00 am (Layton) – Flower ID room open for ADS Judging School III.
8:15 am (Layton) – ADS Judging School III begins. (Please reference our ADS Judging School III Registration Form for additional information).
2:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Pre-Function area)– Convention Registration Open.
9:00 am – 2:00 pm (Luray Ballroom) – Showroom and Staging set-up.
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Pre-Function area) – Submit entries for the National Photography Show.
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (Potomac Boardroom) – Exec/Finance Meeting.
3:00 pm – (Luray Ballroom) Horticulture and Design staging begins and continues throughout the night.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm (Flights Bistro- Hotel Lobby) – Newcomer’s Reception.
Dinner on your own or pizza in the staging area.(Luray A/B/C)

Thursday, April 11

12:00 am – 8:30 am (Luray Ballroom) – Daffodil Show Staging during early morning hours.
8:30 am – 9:30 am (Layton) – Horticulture Judges & Clerks Coffee & Instructions.
9:00 am – 11:00 am (Pre-Function area) – Convention Registration Open.
9:30 am (Luray Ballroom) – Horticultural Judging Begins.
10:00 am – Meet in Hotel LobbyOptional half day tour of Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center departs by charter bus from the Hyatt Regency Dulles.

For those not judging, clerking, or otherwise helping with the daffodil show we are offering an optional half-day tour of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport which is the companion facility to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of historically significant air and spacecraft, including the space capsule Challenger, along with thousands of small artifacts, are on display in an open, hangar-like setting. Other features of the Center include the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, the Airbus IMAX Theater, and the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar, where visitors can watch museum specialists at work restoring artifacts. The museum has its own cafeteria, so lunch is on your own. The fee to attend is to cover transportation to and from the facility.
10:00 am – Photography Judging Begins.
11:30 am – Design Judging Begins.
1:00 pm – (Layton) Luncheon for all Show Judges & Clerks, and Photography Show Judges Only.
2:00 pm (Luray Ballroom) – Daffodil, Design, and Photography Shows OPENS TO THE PUBLIC.
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Chesapeake Boardroom) – Boutique OPEN. Come early for the best selection of merchandise which will feature artwork by Rebecca Brown, daffodil memorabilia and antiques by Scott Bally, and a collection of daffodil items from around the globe assembled by our boutique committee. Don’t forget your checkbook!
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm (Rockbridge) – ADS Outgoing Board Meeting.
5:00 pm (Rockbridge) – Reception/Cash bar.
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Rockbridge) – ADS LIVE VERBAL AUCTION
Our Auctioneer will be Steve Hampson from California. Grab your favorite libation and join us for a lively and fun auction of some very desirable daffodil bulbs! This auction will include a variety of seedlings still under number, newly registered rare bulbs, and exquisite artwork. ADS trusts you will be very generous in all your bids as you support our work as a nonprofit, educational organization!
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Pre-Function area) – Convention Registration – Last Chance.
7:00 pm (Luray A/B/C) – Dinner and our General Membership Meeting when we announce the 2024 Gold and Silver Medal honorees. The evening is capped off by the Show Awards presentations!

Friday, April 12

The day begins with your complimentary breakfast.
8:00 am – 9:15 am (Luray A/B/C) – Hybridizer’s Discussion ~ organized and moderated by ADS National Chair for Hybridizing, Elise Havens.
A Hybridizers’ discussion, complete with a hybridizers’ panel is planned to discuss the various reasons for our goals and why diversity (i.e. upper divisions) is important; also some wise self-imposed rules for selecting seedlings and registering names. Ideas from newer as well as seasoned hybridizers will be included.
8:30 am – 10:30 am (Chesapeake Boardroom) – Boutique OPEN. Come early for the best selection of merchandise which will feature artwork by Rebecca Brown, daffodil memorabilia and antiques by Scott Bally, and a collection of daffodil items from around the globe assembled by our boutique committee. Don’t forget your checkbook!

Your choice to attend ONE of the following two presentations.

9:30 am – 10:30 am (Layton) – “History and Historics” presented by Ian Tyler.
Ian Tyler has been growing Daffodils for over 40 years, and shown and judged them for over 38 years, he is righty called a “daffodil nut”! Friends call him Daff!

Ian’s interest in Historic Daffodils was started over 20 years ago when taken to a field containing some daffodils that were thought to be lost forever! This sparked his interest and the rest is history. His presentation “History and Historics” is an entry level program showing many of the common cultivars in the limelight, as they don’t get into the spotlight very often! He brings history into the pictures in the early years to help you get a better understanding of the time they have been around.
9:30 am – 10:30 am (Rockbridge)– “Wild Daffodils in Spain and France” presented by Brent Heath.
Brent Heath’s family has been in the bulb business for many years and he has been a great supporter of the American Daffodil Society. Brent and Becky Heath have taken several trips to Northern Spain and the French Pyrenees in search of wild daffodils. Their trips were led by Are Peterse, whose experience helped them to locate a number of species. Brent will share photos and stories of their trips.
11:00 am – Buses depart Hyatt Regency Dulles Hotel for afternoon of garden tours.
11:30 am – Our first stop is a tour of the Kathy Welsh Garden. Kathy has lived at her 1 acre Oakton, Virginia home for 30 years. Her collection of daffodils includes approximately 1000 cultivars, species and seedlings. Most of Kathy’s daffodils are grown in raised beds in her side yard, but some are intertwined in her fenced perennial beds which also include large collections of hosta and lilies. A small self-built pond and sitting area allow a welcome area to relax after a long day of working in the yard. We will tour and eat lunch at Kathy’s so pray for good weather!

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Board buses – staggered departures.
2:00pm – 2:30 pm – After lunch we will have a special private tour of Bunny Mellon’s inspirational garden, Oak Spring. Art collector, philanthropist, wife of Paul Mellon, Mrs. Mellon was a passionate life- long gardener whose resume includes the design of the White House Rose Garden. This jewel of a very personal garden is a testament to her famous style, and the ADS has been given a unique opportunity to visit. The Director of the garden plans to display some very rare books and daffodil prints for our visit.

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Staggered departure
5:30 pm – After touring gardens, buses arrive at Hyatt Regency Dulles Hotel.
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Chesapeake Boardroom) – Boutique OPEN (Last chance to purchase merchandise).
6:00 pm (Luray A/B/C) – Cash Bar followed by Dinner and Guest Speakers.
On Friday evening, three well known, greatly respected Daffodil women will convene on stage to share their common and unique perspectives. The ADS’s own Oprah, Barbara Walters, and Diane Sawyer, Jaydee Ager, will anchor the discussion in her own inimitable savvy and witty style. Jaydee, lifelong Georgia native, Bon vivant, and author of an upcoming autobiography, will also be celebrating her 50th Anniversary since attending her first Convention.
Elise Havens and Jules Hardy will respond to Jaydee’s insightful queries from different but related experiences.

Elise is the reigning American Queen of Daffodil hybridization, with over 300 cultivars registered in conjunction with her father, Grant Mitsch, and husband, Richard Havens. An ADS Gold Medal Award winner, frequent Pannill Award breeder, ADS Judge, inspiration for the Havens Award, and engaging speaker, she always has fascinating stories to share.

Jules Hardy, although newer to daffodils, is also a co-proprietor along with her husband, Dave, of a daffodil business purchased from Nial Watson. She is an ambassador from Northern Ireland who represents the future of hybridization and the hope we all share to be able to purchase outstanding varieties to grow and show in the future.

This promises to be a long-remembered evening.
Upon conclusion of our dinner and panel discussion, there will be a brief intermission for hybridizers to retrieve requested pollen and blooms, and then we will regrettably dismantle the Daffodil Show.

Saturday, April 13

The day begins with your complimentary breakfast.
8:00 am – 9:15 am (Luray A/B/C) – “Easing Confusion During Voting for Final Awards” presented by Anne Donnell Smith and Julie Minch.
Anne Donnell Smith and Julie Minch of the Maryland Daffodil Society will cover ahead-of-time preparations, clerking activities during actual judging, and final voting organization. All are welcome to attend this Judges Refresher presentation. Judges requesting credit please register and pay $5 fee; free for all others.
9:30 am – 10:30 am (Luray A/B/C) – “Pathway to Successful Daffodil Exhibits” presented by Lina Huesmann, Kate Carney and Steve Hampson.
Lina and Kate share their knowledge of grooming and staging miniature daffodils. How to pick, store and transport miniature daffodils for show entries. Lina was Kate’s original mentor and teacher guiding Kate to her first mini blue ribbon. Now both like to help others do the same and hope to share their wisdom from years of exhibiting.

Like Lina and Kate, Steve Hampson shares his knowledge of picking, storing, transporting, grooming and staging daffodils for show entries, but with Standards instead of miniature daffodils.

Lina Huesmann, born in the Philippines, never saw a daffodil until she with her husband Bob traveled to his grandmother’s home who had dozens. Then they both went to the 1996 ADS Convention in Baltimore and became interested in this flower. Bob likes the standards while Lina deals with the mini’s. They entered their first show in the late 1990’s when the WDS was at The National Wildlife Center in Tysons, VA. Lina proved she has an eye for collections, winning a Lavender Ribbon at that first show. She and Bob live in a 1/3-acre suburban home in Bethesda, Maryland. But they produce some amazing blooms and win top ribbons, proving you don’t need acres of land to compete.

Kate Carney and her husband Mitch live an hour west of Washington D.C. on a 5-acre farm called South Mountain Flower Farm, so named when they sold flower bouquets and heirloom tomatoes at the Alexandria, Virginia farmer’s market in the 1990’s. Mitch was first to catch the daffodil “bug” showing his first flower at that same WDS show as Lina and Bob. It was at her first-the 2000 World Convention in Portland Oregon where Kate first saw miniatures in a new light. Watching Steve Vinisky stage a Watrous, she was enamored. She decided to join Mitch in exhibiting daffodils with an emphasis on miniatures and collections. Now she is the ADS Miniature’s Chairman.

Steve Hampson began buying, planting, and growing daffodils when in grade school on Long Island but didn’t become serious about them until he met Dianne Mrak in Pittsburgh in the early 1990 when the Daffodil and Hosta Society of Western Pennsylvania was formed. Of course, joining a daffodil society led to showing them, and he was more than thrilled when he won his first Gold Ribbon a few years later. Since moving to Southern California about twenty years ago, Steve has become an ADS accredited judge. He has continued to successfully show at his local society (the Northern California Daffodil Society, which is a six-hour drive from home!), as well as several National Shows, concentrating on the larger collections. At his 1/3-acre suburban property, he is continually vying for garden and refrigerator space with his husband, Harold Koopowitz, who breeds, grows, and shows exquisite miniature daffodils.
11:00 am – Buses depart Hyatt Regency Dulles Hotel for afternoon garden tours.
11:45 am – Our tours begin at the home of Karen Cogar. Karen’s garden is approximately 1 1/2 acres, located in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s a naturalistic, layered garden with many different perennials, shrubs, and trees with many daffodils throughout, and also featured in raised beds. A recent addition is a glasshouse imported from England.

1:15 pm – 1:30 pm – Following our time at Karen’s we will board the buses and enjoy a boxed lunch on our way to Dumbarton Oaks, a historic garden designed by Beatrice Farrand, and hidden in the heart of Georgetown. The Bliss family hired her in 1920, and they spent thirty years collaborating on the elegant but naturalistic landscape. Dumbarton Oaks is a world class garden on a grand estate. It is particularly famous for it’s incredible beauty in Spring. Recent renovations and additions of many daffodils make it a must see tour destination for the 2024 Convention.

4:00 pm – Buses depart for Hyatt Regency Dulles Hotel.
5:00 pm (Chesapeake Boardroom)– ADS Incoming Board Meeting followed by RD & RVP meeting.
6:00 pm (Layton and Rockridge) – Cocktail reception and dinner, followed by Invite to 2025 Convention.

Sunday, April 14

Optional tour to Riverside on the Potomac: Prices TBD. We will depart the hotel at 10:30am and will return no later than 2:00pm. Lunch and transportation will be provided. Transport will be via car or bus depending on the number of people interested. Please email the registrar, Sarah Welsh at if you are interested.
Riverside on the Potomac is the home and venue of Travis and Suzi Worsham. Riverside is nestled on 80 acres, with sweeping views of manicured lawns, seasonal gardens, ponds, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Potomac River.

Residence and the Historic Bank Barn are circa 1750, with 1849 and 2017 additions to the original house. The first sanctioned ferry on the Potomac River by the Virginia General Assembly in 1757 was on this property, named Clapham’s Ferry, after the original land grant owner. The property is registered with the National Trust for Historic Places and also The Virginia Landmark Trust. The historic bank barn is the largest restored bank barn in Virginia.

Suzi (with help) has planted over 30,000 daffodils for April weddings and for the Worsham family’s love of daffodils! Suzi’s father was a passionate gardener, instilled his passion to Suzi, and he moved to their home in Virginia when he was 100 years old, still gardening until he passed at 106 1/2! He enjoyed meeting members of ADS and WDS!

Suzi and Travis are excited that you will be visiting their historic home and gardens.

Join us in April of 2024 to explore new horizons with the
American Daffodil Society in the Middle Atlantic Region.

Co-Chairs Kathy Welsh & Karen Cogar,
2024 National Convention Committee