Aug 31, 2006

PPA Announces Awards, Election WinnersSource: Perennial Plant Association

The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) announced the election of two officers to its board of directors at its annual symposium in July. Also taking place at the meeting, the organization presented its 2006 Award of Merit, the PPA’s 2006 Special Awards and its Landscape Design Awards.

The PPA’s newly elected central region director is Martha Smith, a University of Illinois cooperative extension specialist, Macomb, Ill. Nanci Allen, Bow, Wash., was elected to a second term as western region director. She is also the chairperson of the PPA Research Committee.

Temple University’s Stephanie Cohen was the recipient of the 2006 Award of Merit. Each year, this award recognizes an individual, who through growing, retailing, teaching or designing, has contributed to the advancement of the perennial industry.

The PPA’s 2006 Special Awards were presented to:

Grower Award – Alain Baril, Plant Select, St. Paul D’Abbotsford, QC, Canada
Retail Sales Award – Penny and Roger Preuss, Equinox Valley Nursery, Manchester, Vt.
Golden Media Promoter Award – Larry Hodgson, Sainte-Foy, QC, Canada
International Contributor Award – Piet Oudolf, Kwekerij Oudolf, Hummelo, The Netherlands
Academic Award – Mark Bridgen, Cornell University’s Long Island Research Center, Riverhead, N.Y.
Service Award – George Pealer, Millcreek Gardens, Ostrander, Ohio
Young Professional Award – Mark Denee, Epic Plant Company, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada

Seventeen PPA members received Landscape Design Awards – 14 Merit Awards and three Honor Awards were granted for excellent designs. The Merit Awards were presented to Joanne Kostecky Garden Design, Allentown Pa. (six awards); David King, Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville, Md.; Tom Laviolette, Catharines, ON, Canada; John M. Staab, Brickman Group, Long Grove, Ill.; Sandra Youssef Clinton, Clinton and Associates Landscape Design, Hyattsville, Md.; Paul Steinkamp, Helderlede Farm, Altamont, N.Y.; Cathy Bell and Jim Slezniski, Goldner Walsh Nursery, Pontiac, Mich.; and Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Ore.

Honor Awards were presented to James R. Golden, Two Creeks Planting Design, Stockton, N.J.; Joan Ziegler, Ziegler Design Associates, Middleton, Wis.; and Ball Horticultural Company, West Chicago, Ill.

Information on the 2007 Landscape Design Awards program is available at www.perennialplant.org.