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 B. 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.   

Nominate someone for a 2024 Community Greening Award. 

The 2023 Community Greening Award have been announced. Click here to view the winners.

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. 

For 2023, the Silver Medal, one of the organization’s highest honors, was posthumously awarded to Barbara Morse, an Acton resident and longtime member of the WCHS Board of Trustees. Morse was instrumental in efforts to bring more families to the botanic garden through development of The Ramble, a unique space designed specifically for children to explore nature and learn.  

The Alice B. 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 B. Milton Award will be presented every other year on alternate years with the Cary Award.   

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. Eileen Clark of Holden and Kathleen Devericks of Northborough received the 2023 Annual Volunteer Awards. Clark, who began volunteering in 2014, has given 1,200 volunteer hours to the Garden, supporting the team in a variety of invaluable capacities including mentoring new volunteers. Devericks began volunteering at the Garden in 2019 and has given 440 hours through hands-on work in the gardens and as a Garden Explainer, welcoming visitors and sharing information about plants.  

 

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.