2011 Plant Select Partner Awards Announced

Plant Select, a collaborative effort with Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and regional and national horticultural professionals, is pleased to announce the 2011 Partner award winners.

Plant Select is a regional plant introduction program that works with growers, retail garden centers and more than 75 public gardens across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana to produce, distribute and display resilient and beautiful plants for regional gardens and landscapes. The awards were given out at the annual meeting for Demonstration Gardens recently at Denver Botanic Gardens. All winners are from Colorado, unless otherwise noted.

Individual Partner Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to Plant Select through their involvement, participation or actions. The 2011 Individual Partner winners are:
• Al Gerace of Welby Gardens, Denver
• Gene Pielin of Gulley Greenhouse, Fort Collins
• Harriett McMillan of Echter’s Garden Center, Arvada

Organizational Partner Award recognizes a company or organization which has made a significant contribution toward the mission and vision of Plant Select. The 2011 Organizational Partner winner is Little Valley Wholesale Nursery in Brighton.

Showcase Garden Award acknowledges the efforts and achievements of a public garden toward education and promotion of the mission and goals of Plant Select. The 2011 Showcase Garden winners are:
• CSU Extension – Jefferson County in Golden
• CSU Extension – Adams County in Brighton
• Natrona County Agricultural & Resource Learning Center in Casper, Wyo.

Golden Shovel Award acknowledges a Demonstration Garden partner that exhibits superior design and use of Plant Select plants while providing excellent educational opportunities to visitors. The 2011 Golden shovel award winner is Conservation Gardens at Northern Water, Berthoud.

Past winners include:
Individual Partners
Jim Klett
Andrew Pierce
Jim Henrich
Gayle Weinstein
Panayoti Kelaidis
Gary Epstein
David Winger

Organizational Partners
Welby Gardens, Denver
Gulley Greenhouse, Fort Collins
Denver Master Gardeners, Denver

Showcase Demonstration Gardens Award
Colorado State University Annual Flower Trial Garden, Fort Collins
Colorado Springs Utilities Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, Colorado Springs
Conservation Gardens at Northern Water, Berthoud
Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver
Gardens at Kendrick Lake, City of Lakewood
Broomfield Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, Broomfield
Denver City & County Building Water Conservation Garden, Denver
The Heritage Golf Course at Westmoor, Westminster
SE Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo
Nature & Raptor Center of Pueblo, Pueblo
Carnegie Public Demonstration Garden, Colorado Springs

Golden Shovel Award
Gardens at Kendrick Lake, City of Lakewood
Colorado Springs Utilities Xeriscape Garden, Colorado Springs

More information about the Plant Select Demonstration Garden program can be found at http://plantselect.org/demonstration-gardens/. Images of many of the award winners are available in the Press Area of www.plantselect.org. Use the password “salvia” to access.

For additional information, contact Pat Hayward, executive director of Plant Select at (970) 481-3429 or director@plantselect.org.

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