Green Works, the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association12-04-17 | Feature
Green Works, the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association
The VNLA presented their annual Industry Awards at the Winter Meeting on February 7. The winners were (from left) Cynthia Knauf, Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design – Large Scale Residential Design – Excellence Award; Brian Pellerin, Distinctive Landscaping – Small Scale Residential Design/Build – Excellence Award; Charlie Proutt, Distinctive Landscaping – Large Scale Residential Design/Build – Excellence Award; Christian D'Andrea, Distinctive Landscaping – Commerical Design/Build – Excellence Award; Josh Cohen, The Grass Gauchos – Commercial Build, Merit Award; Caroline Dudek, Landshapes – Small Scale Residential Design/Build – Merit Award; and Nate Carr, Church Hill Landscapes, Inc. – Small Scale Residential Design/Build – Honor Award. Not pictured: Jack Rossi, Jack Rossi Landscape Architecture – Commercial Design – Honor Award.
Matthew de Wolff, Gardeners' Supply Company, Williston, Vermont, was presented with the Allen B. Crane Horticultural Employee Acknowledgement Award. for exemplary leadership and his ability to grow and excel in the workplace and beyond.
The $500 Vermont Technical College (VTC) Student Merit Award for 2017 was given to David Howes, a sophomore earning his Associate of Applied Science degree in landscape design and sustainable horticulture. He has been on the dean's list each semester since starting at VTC, beginning in the Vermont Academy of Science and Technology program, an academic honors program for high school seniors. Howes first became interested in landscape design and horticulture when he started working for Mad River Property Management in 2014. He aspires to run a business where he manages mowing and landscape installation crews while incorporating design projects.
The $500 University of Vermont (UVM) Student Merit Award for 2017 was presented to Rowan Payne-Meyer who is a senior and a major in sustainable landscape horticulture at UVM. Payne-Meyer comes from Putney, Vermont where he has worked in the family business, Creative Landscapes, since 2011. He has been on the dean's list for 3 semesters, and has started a research project looking at cold hardiness and disease susceptibility of 14 different commercially available cultivars of Oakleaf Hydrangea on campus.
Also at the Winter Meeting, Lori King, Claussen's Florist, Greenhouse and Perennial Farm, Colchester, Vermont, received the Horticultural Achievement Award, which is the most prestigious and distinguished honor that can be received from Green Works/VNLA. and given to individuals connected to the horticultural industry in Vermont, who are over 40 years of age and whose accomplishments have advanced the industry educationally, by plant development or growing, through literature, or through outstanding personal effort.
Dan Redondo, Vermont Wetland Plant Supply, Orwell, Vermont, received the Environmental Awareness Award in recognition of his implementation of environmentally sound practices. His commitment to sustainability is evident by his cleaning and stripping harvested plants of foreign material, and not using any pesticides or herbicides.
David Burton, diStefano Landscaping, Jericho, Vermont, was presented with the NENA Young Nursery Professional of the Year Award, established by the New England Nursery Association. its purpose is to reward, to honor and to encourage participation, achievement and growth by an individual who is involved in a related horticultural industry and has not reached the age of 40 years, who has shown involvement in his or her state and/or regional nurserymen's association, has contributed to the growth and success of their company of employment and has portrayed an image to the public of what our products and services can do for them.
The Retailer of the Year Award was given to Carol and Mike MacLeod of Evergreen Gardens, Waterbury Center, Vermont. This honor is presented annually to a retail garden center or greenhouse operation that stands apart for their excellence.
The Vermont Flower Show is produced by the VNLA and built and implemented by its members. The 10,000 square foot Grand Garden Display had a "Neverland" theme in 2017. In addition, the show featured over 100 vendors, 40 seminars, and more.
