Individual State Awards

Life Award
Todd Bachman, Bachman’s Floral, Home & Garden, Minneapolis, posthumous

A state and national leader in horticulture and business for many years, Todd served as chairman of the board and CEO of Bachman’s Inc. and was active in industry and research groups, including endowing a chair in horticultural marketing at the University of Minnesota. A humble leader who helped build consensus among people, he died in summer 2008. “His quiet leadership produced a steady stream of results and progress for the organizations for which he volunteered,” says Van Cooley, past president of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.

Distinguished Service Award
Carol Graner, Rochester Garden Club

A member and leader of the Rochester Garden Club since the 1970s, Carol’s involvements include decorating the Mayowood Mansion at Christmas and helping with her club’s annual plant sale. A Master Gardener, Carol has shared her love of gardening as a flower show judge for more than 25 years and helped to start a garden club in Plainview.

Ginni Cormack, Rochester Garden Club

Ginni joined the Rochester Garden Club in 1995 and has served on many club committees. She joined the flower show committee to learn more about flower arranging, and she has been active promoting the club and flower shows since then. She was awarded the MSHS Merit Award in 2003.

Bronze Award
Neil Anderson, University of Minnesota

It’s difficult to summarize all Neil Anderson has done for Minnesota horticulture in a few words. A tireless researcher in the area of flowering perennials (you likely have a plant Anderson worked on in your yard), he is an associate professor of flower breeding and genetics at the University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Science Department. Currently, he also directs the Invasion Biology Research Consortium, which coordinates research on invasive species (plants and animals). He has also been instrumental in the U’s annual bedding plants trials and helps make the trial results public through the U’s Florifacts Web site (www.florifacts.umn.edu).

Bruce Beresford Educator's Award
Bob Marzolf, Forest Lake High School, FFA

Bob Marzolf, the Forest Lake FFA advisor and Agricultural Education department chair, has taught for 31 years. He was district department chair when the Forest Lake agriculture program was named Minnesota’s Outstanding Agriculture Program in 1998, has served as president of the Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators, and has been an influential voice for agricultural education at the Capitol. He also was 2007 Minnesota Farm Bureau Advisor of the Year and 2010 Minnesota VFW Teacher of the Year.

Bob Churilla Golden Rose Volunteer Recognition Award
Marty Bergland, Watertown

MSHS is lucky to have an enthusiastic and able volunteer like Marty Bergland. In addition to volunteering at almost every event, Marty served as a speaker at the Minneapolis Farmers’ Market, representing MSHS to the growers and customers. Marty also assisted with the MSHS Garden-in-a-Box program and is a frequent instructor in MSHS classes.

Subhed: Garden Club Awards

Garden Club Member of the Year Award
Dolores Schwartz, Parkway Garden Club, St. Paul
A charter member of the Parkway Garden Club (founded in 1957), Dolores has contributed significantly to the success of the club. She continually recruits new members, and was instrumental in the club’s decision to use the proceeds from its plant sale for a scholarship fund. An active member of the MSHS Judging and Exhibiting Committee, she has taught at MSHS Judging Schools throughout the state. A Minnesota State Fair flower show judge and exhibitor, Dolores is a generous teacher of flower arranging.

Garden Club of the Year Award
Floratennial Garden Club, Comfrey

The Floratennial Garden Club promotes gardening in the community on many levels. Its 14 members share their expertise by volunteering for other community organizations and events. The club annually plants a tree in the community, and it plants and maintains city flowerbeds and plantings at Brickstone Manor, an assisted living facility. The club also provides a subscription to Northern Gardener magazine to the local library.

Subhed: Greening Awards

Community Garden Award
The Million Acorn Challenge, Great River Greening, St. Paul

The Million Acorn Challenge provided an opportunity for young people to learn about their natural heritage, become environmental stewards, and enjoy outdoor fun. The campaign’s goal was to plant one million acorns and implement 100 oak forest and savanna restoration projects. In 2009, youth groups gathered to celebrate the third and final year of the project, which empowers youth to take their education into their own hands.

Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association Award
Prairie Adult Care's Accessible Community Garden, Minneapolis

The Accessible Community Garden at Prairie Adult Care in southwest Minneapolis is a therapeutic outlet for participants and volunteers. Produce from the garden is donated to the local food shelf. The garden has revitalized a public green space by replacing sod with trees and natural plantings that attract bird, butterflies and bees.

St. Paul Garden Club Award
Sabathani Community Center Community Garden, Minneapolis

They aren’t visible from the street, but just north of Minneapolis’ Sabathani Community Center, garden plots will soon be bursting with vegetables. Launched in 2007, the program aims to build community, help families stretch their food dollars through vegetable gardens and offers information about nutrition and healthy eating. Most of the programs plants and seeds are donated, many from the MSHS Minnesota Green program.

Joseph Priley Award
Peg Hansen, Trudie Schaefer and Terry Yockey, Discovery Garden, Red Wing

Peg Hansen, Trudie Schaefer, and Terry Yockey of the Goodhue County Horticultural Society helped bring a Discovery Garden to Red Wing. The women worked with the Universal Playground Project committee and city leaders to research sensory gardens and design and create the garden, which includes eight accessible garden beds, each with different theme or color scheme. They even donated plants from their own gardens to help keep costs low. The garden is a hands-on place where all children and adults can see, touch, and smell plants and flowers.

Youth and the Environment Award
Na-way-ee Center School: Indigenous Garden Project, Minneapolis

The Na-way-ee Center School’s Garden Project has increased student enrollment and retention in summer school, promoted interest in and consumption of healthy foods, developed partnerships and greatly enhanced the block where Center School is located, in the heart of the Phillips Neighborhood. It also teaches life skills, improves academics, and encourages environmental stewardship.

President’s Award
Bachman’s Floral, Home & Garden, Minneapolis

Bachman’s generous donations have beautified many Minnesota communities. Donated flowers from Bachman’s displays at the Macy’s Annual Spring Flower Show are distributed to Minnesota Green groups, which replant them and keep them blooming. Bachman’s also donates directly to Minnesota Green for the community gardeners to use in community gardens through the metro area.

Governor's Certificate of Commendation
Bob and Debby Wolk, Minneapolis

To mark their 50th wedding anniversary, Bob and Debby Wolk decided to give a rain garden to each of the neighbors on their block. (See article in the November/December 2009 issue for more details.) The gardens add beauty to the neighborhood, provide habitat for birds and butterflies, and will improve storm water quality, reduce runoff, and help keep nearby creeks and lakes cleaner.

Outdoor Classroom, Deephaven Elementary School
The Deephaven Elementary Parent Teacher Organization planned and built an Outdoor Classroom in the school’s neglected and overgrown courtyard. The garden is not only beautiful, but it will be a place for students to learn more about math and science and teachers incorporate the garden into their lesson plans.

View the list of 2008 award winners
View the list of 2007 award winners
View the list of 2006 award winners