AWARDS
The Worcester County Horticultural Society’s Awards recognize and celebrate horticultural contributions made by professionals, amateurs, and community groups throughout New England. Our Community Greening Awards honor the efforts of individuals and groups to improve their communities. The Silver Medal, Cary Award, and Alice Milton Award for Excellence in Horticulture Design celebrate a lifetime commitment to the mission of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, or excellence in horticulture or design. Two awards, the Annual Volunteer Award, and the Distinguished Service Award, honor the countless contributions of WCHS volunteers. Each award is described below. Nominations for Community Greening Awards are welcomed annually through September 30; nominations for individual awards are solicited from WCHS trustees and horticultural professionals.
Each year, up to four individuals or organizations, one from each of the following categories, receive a one-year membership to New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, a Certificate of Greening, professional hand pruners, and recognition at our Annual Meeting in June.
The Silver Medal is presented to a person or affiliate who has demonstrated exceptional service to the Worcester County Horticultural Society over many years. Nominations are made each year by the Awards Committee and passed on to the Governance Committee to be presented and voted on by the Board of Trustees. Silver Medal recipients will be recognized at the WCHS annual meeting.
In 2024, the Silver Medal, the organization’s highest honor, was awarded to Frank Bissett. Bissett’s contributions to New England Botanic Garden are hard to overstate. He has been involved with the organization since the botanic garden was first established at Tower Hill and has contributed his time and talents in a variety of indispensable volunteer capacities over the years, tackling almost anything in his more than 5,000 hours of service. He is valued by staff for his deep knowledge of the organization and its history and is also a member of the Garden’s John Green Society.
The Alice Milton Award is presented to a person for a lifetime achievement of excellence in horticulture design. Nominations will be solicited from the professional horticulture community and selected by the Awards Committee. Recipients will receive a monetary award and a certificate of recognition, and will be invited to serve as guest speaker at the Annual Meeting. The Alice Milton Award will be presented every other year on alternate years with the Cary Award.
2024 Alice Milton Award Winner, Julie Moir Messervy
Messervy is the founder and principal designer of JMMDS, a landscape design studio with a commitment to sustainable and environmentally sensitive design. An author and lecturer with over three decades of experience and nine books to her name, Messervy leads the industry in landscape and garden design theory and practice.
The Cary Award, named in honor of Shrewsbury plantsman Ed Cary, is presented to a person for demonstrated excellence in the varied field of horticulture. Recipients have an established reputation as educators, landscape professionals, plant breeders, nursery professionals, or horticulture researchers, with a special emphasis on sustainable horticulture.
The Cary Award has a long history with the Worcester County Horticultural Society, but it didn’t always honor people. For roughly two decades, the region’s top horticulturists convened to name an annual Cary Award winning plant—outstanding trees, shrubs, and perennials that are well-suited to New England gardens. In 2020, WCHS made a significant shift in the focus of the Cary Award, aiming to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of individuals in the field of horticulture. Now this top honor is given to people who have dedicated their careers to advancing the art and science of horticulture. The Cary Award Selection Committee named its first honoree in 2023.
2023 Cary Award Winner, Wayne Mezitt
Wayne Mezitt, of Hopkinton, MA, is a nationally renowned plantsman, known for his leadership of Weston Nurseries, a fourth-generation, family-owned nursery celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Mezitt is also an author and owner of personalized horticultural advisory service, Hort-Sense. Throughout his career, he has lent his expertise to the boards of distinguished organizations including the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, AmericanHort, Horticultural Research Institute, the Worcester County Horticultural Society, and more. He has been invited to contribute articles to the Boston Globe, Fine Gardening, and Yankee Magazine, and, with his wife Beth, recently released a new book, For the Love of Gardening. Mezitt accepted the Cary Award during the Worcester County Horticultural Society’s 182nd annual meeting on June 15.
Cary Award Winning Plants
From 1997-2019, the Cary Award highlighted landscape plants with proven performance across New England. All plants chosen share key qualities that make them outstanding plants for New England gardens. They are reliably hardy to Zone 4, they have exceptional pest and disease resistance, they are adaptable to a range of cultural conditions, and they are generally available for home gardeners and landscape professionals to purchase from local garden centers and nurseries. Click here for the complete list of Cary Award-winning plants.
Cary Award Selection & Nominations
Cary Award nominations will be solicited from the professional horticulture community and selected by the Cary Award Committee. Recipients will receive a monetary award and a certificate of recognition and will be invited to serve as guest speaker at the Annual Meeting. The Cary Award will be presented every other year on alternate years with the Alice B. Milton Award.
Presented to volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding service to WCHS. Nominations will come from staff and will be reviewed and chosen by the Awards Committee in conjunction with the Volunteer Coordinator. Recipients of these awards will be honored at the Annual Meeting. Recipients will receive a certificate of appreciation and lunch with the CEO. These awards will be awarded each year to a volunteer or a connected group of volunteers.
Each year, 250 people give their time to support horticultural work, educational programs, events, and more. Joyce Hyde of Shrewsbury received the 2024 Annual Volunteer Award. Hyde has dedicated roughly 280 hours in only two years’ time volunteering with the Garden. Her positivity and ability to connect with guests is valued by staff when she serves in support roles in the Garden’s Visitors Center. In addition to greeting and wayfinding, Hyde has supported programs, events, and the horticulture team.
This award recognizes volunteers who have contributed at least 10 years and 2,000 hours of service to WCHS. Recipients of these awards will be honored at the Annual Meeting. Recipients will receive a certificate of appreciation and a nameplate with their name on it will be hung on the Distinguished Volunteer Service Award plaque which is located to the right of the Limonaia entrance. This award will be given as volunteers reach the 10 year, 2,000 hours of service goals.