Awards
The 2025 / 2026 VNLA Award Winners
Horticultural Achievement Award
This award is given to individuals connected to the horticulture industry in Vermont who are over 35 years of age and whose accomplishments have advanced our industry educationally, by plant development or growing, through literature, or through outstanding personal effort. This award is the most prestigious and distinguished that can be received from the VNLA/Green Works.
Sally and Tobi von Trapp
Waitsfield, VT
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Sally and Tobi von Trapp began their journey 1980 when they opened a modest farm and greenhouse. They had 3 kids under age five and no real business plan. For ten years Tobi operated a 2-acre vegetable garden and sold produce to restaurants. Tobi was going to feed Vermont," Sally shared this past summer at a VNLA tour in July.
Sally’s love for flowers, as well as her horticultural degree, convinced Tobi that flowers were the next step. They then shifted to annual and perennials production over 30 plus years ago, back when the gardening public did not know much about perennials – imagine that! Tobi prepared an adjacent hayfield, prepped the soil with green manures – no compost, fertilizer, or mulch - and the gardens were created. Tobi and Sally have adopted their own low-maintenance garden approach which year after year has produced stunning gardens. Tobi shared this summer: "This (garden) was my laboratory, my test combinations. I thought people would never get a sense of what I was selling otherwise," he explained. "I wanted people to be overwhelmed by beauty -- we are in the beauty business. Beauty is my calling," Over the years, adding the cultivation of specialty plants, such as agapanthus, clivias, and anemones, became a passion at von Trapps, which they still cultivate today.
This summer, Sally and Tobi reminisced about their lifelong business and the risks they undertook: Sally summed it up, "I said to Tobi, 'we're always 10 years ahead of the times.' He answered, 'Yes we are. Every time.' 'but it all worked out for the best,'" By 2021 the business had expanded to 13,600 square feet of space in 6 greenhouses. That Labor Day, after 41 years, they decided to close their business. What came next? Their daughter, Emily von Trapp, began using the space 13 years ago to grow 3,000 tulips in fall, overwinter them and force bloom for her cut flower business, which she was launching. This past Fall von Trapp Flowers started 200,000 specialty bulbs. Her bouquets can be found at 14 markets around VT. What a way to pass the torch!
Always, learning along the way, Sally and Tobi have shared their knowledge and love for plants with thousands of people over these many years. Since the business has closed, they continue to advance our industry educationally by opening their unique and exquisite gardens every summer to the public, graciously sharing their knowledge, passion, and expertise. The von Trapp gardens are legendary and visited by hundreds of people every summer. Sally and Tobi have served our industry with outstanding personal effort for over 45 years. We are overjoyed to extend this award to them.
Environmental Awareness Award
This award is given in recognition of an individual that has implemented an environmentally sound practice that contributes to the protection of our environment.
Wasted
Williston, VT
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This year’s 2025 Environmental Awareness Award goes to the company that is known for its bright orange portable toilets and more – Wasted located in Williston, VT. By now you can spot these orange beacons in Vermont, Boston, and in Cape Cod, MA. We discovered even more about Wasted when they signed on as an exhibitor at the 2025 Vermont Flower Show this past year. They service construction sites, events, municipalities, and emergency rentals.
The Wasted* founders, Taylor Zehren & Thor Retzlaff, came together in 2019 through a series of mountaineering expeditions in the backcountry of the Arctic, Patagonia, Nepal, and in their backyard of Lake Tahoe. On these adventures, they were exposed to the human waste crisis happening in our pristine natural ecosystems — where untreated waste was leaking from pits into the surrounding environment. Their brainstorm – they decided to start one!
Inspired to leave these awe-inspiring places better than they found them, they hatched a plan to tackle the can and spent a two-year search looking for sustainable sanitation. Surveying, installing, servicing, disassembling, and reassembling toilets, they strove to understand the problem and recognize a viable solution.
In search of a solution, they understood scale was required, and quickly but the problem was far greater than they had ever imagined: in our portable sanitation infrastructure, 32 billion gallons of water is being wasted, and over 6 billion gallons of human waste is being unsustainably treated.
They also learned that our waste carries the nutrients needed to grow food — nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — and that if we can keep pee and poo separate, we can transform our waste into fertilizer. Out of those core insights, Wasted* was born.
Wasted has made it their mission to change how waste is collected, and they have now turned it into a safe and reusable resource. Wasted now takes our pee and poo, separates out the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and transforms into fertilizer they now sell called “Wee Bloom”, a safe, effective, and recycled product. They also sell biodegradable bamboo toilet paper and pollinator kits.
The earth is literally a better place due to Wasted and they certainly deserve the VNLA’s 2025 Environmental Awareness Award!
Retailer of the Year Award
This award was established in 2012 and will be presented annually to a retail garden center or greenhouse operation that stands apart for their excellence in any or all of the following categories: customer service, quality of plant material, knowledge of staff, creativity and innovations in marketing and presentation of retail space, and overall customer experience and satisfaction.
Glebe Mountain Gardens & Landscaping
Martha & Curtis Cowles
Londonderry, VT
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Glebe Mountain Gardens & Landscaping, located in Londonderry, VT, was the brainstorm of Curt and Martha Cowles (Coles) back in 1995. With the help of friends and family the garden center was built and opened in 1996 just when their daughter, Emily, was only10 days old. Talk about a challenge! Curt is a VT Certified Horticulturist and has served on the VNLA board of directors.
Glebe Mountain prides itself on excellent customer service, diligent plant care, a knowledgeable and friendly staff. They offer a full-service garden center, landscaping installation and maintenance services, and operate a holiday shop in December.
New to their repertoire, in collaboration with family members, they launched Twisted Horn Brewery to their establishment and is generally opened on the weekends. Their goal: to serve the craft beer enthusiasts in Londonderry and beyond!
Here are just a few “customer reviews” we would like to share with you:
Best garden center around
We have used Glebe for mowing and landscape work and have bought perennials and plants from their store. We relied on them to maintain our second home and they never failed to provide great service. Their service is great, the owners take a personal interest, and their pricing was more than competitive. We sold the house and we told the new buyers that they should continue to use Glebe.
Great place. Beautiful selection. Friendly and very knowledgeable staff.
We have been buying every one of our Christmas wreaths from these folks starting back in 2012. We have made it a tradition. Handmade and lasting beauty. Wife won't let me take them down until March. The staff has always been friendly, and they remember us from the previous years that we have visited.
VNLA Young Nursery Professional of the Year Award
The Young Nursery Professional of the Year award is an annual award established by the New England Nursery Association and has been adopted by the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association in 2019. 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 nursery association, who has contributed to the growth and success of their company, and who has portrayed an image to the public of what our products and services can do for them.
** NOTE: This award recipient is selected in December of each year for next year's award. All other VNLA/Green Works award nominees are selected by December of each year for the previous year. All recipients are honored at the VNLA/Green Works annual meeting held in February of each year.
Guinnevere Hand-Boniakowski
Perseid Gardens
Bristol, VT
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Guinnevere Hand-Boniakowski is the owner of Perseid Gardens, established in 2013 and based in Bristol, Vermont.
Growing up in Rutland County, her first gardening jobs began in high school gardening in Bennington County. She has worked in horticultural in Virginia, New York, California, Hawaii, and eventually returned to Vermont in 2008 to work as a crew lead for Colby Hill Landscaping. She achieved her Master Gardener certification in 2010 and has been working in the industry for 20+ years. Over the course of her career, she says that her favorite projects involve consulting with landscape architects and crews to orchestrate installations, with the intention of her being a long-term caretaker of these green spaces. Experiencing and stewarding these landscapes as they evolve over many years is most of what she does now, and as she says, "it's one helluva teacher."
Her commitment to long-term relationships with the sites she works on is likely no surprise to the folks in the VNLA community who have worked with her on The VT Flower Show. Guinnevere has been a part of the grand garden display design for two shows and brings collaboration, enthusiasm, and affection for her community to every meeting and day of work. She says she cannot say enough good things about the people and energy and what she has gained from her involvement. To Guinnevere, the VNLA would like to say the same, and thank you.
Allen B. Crane Horticultural Employee Acknowledgement Award
Allen B. Crane
This award will be presented annually and is being sponsored by Claussen’s Florist & Greenhouse in honor of Allen B. Crane, head grower there for over 42 years. Allen was “a great friend, wonderful colleague and an incredible grower”. Allen passed away in 2013 after a yearlong battle with cancer. This award is being established in Allen’s honor to recognize the employees that make a difference in the horticultural industry. A cash prize will be awarded to the recipient in the amount of $275. Nominees must meet the following criteria: they should be an employee of a member business with a minimum of 5 years employment with that business; nominees must be employed in the horticultural industry, which could also include the field of education; and nominees should be exemplary leaders and display an ability to grow and excel in the workplace and beyond.
Karen Krajacic
Rocky Dale Gardens
Bristol, VT
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It is with great admiration and sincere appreciation that I nominate Karen Krajacic for the Allen
B. Crane Horticultural Employee Acknowledgement Award.
Dedication and enthusiasm are qualities commonly found in the horticultural industry. Most of us are deeply passionate about what we do and take pride in the tangible, rewarding work of growing plants. What sets Karen apart, however, is not simply her dedication, but the remarkable
way she shares her knowledge, experience, and passion with others.
Karen engages customers with openness, kindness, and honesty, creating an environment of trust and confidence. Returning customers frequently ask for her by name—a testament to the relationships she has built and the credibility she has earned. She does more than provide assistance; she educates, encourages, and empowers our customers to succeed. Her extensive knowledge has made her the “information hub” of our sales floor. On any given day, she can be found keeping plants properly hydrated, answering a wide range of customer questions, troubleshooting plant concerns, and seamlessly managing sales at the register—sometimes all at once. This is no small task, and she handles it with professionalism
and grace.
Beyond her excellence on the sales floor, Karen has taken on the additional responsibility of managing our greenhouse. She has become highly proficient in plant propagation as well as pest and disease management—skills that are essential to maintaining the health and quality of our inventory. In a small nursery like Rocky Dale Gardens, flexibility, teamwork, and the ability to multitask are vital. Karen exemplifies all of these qualities and performs each role with exceptional competence and commitment.
Karen Krajacic truly makes a difference in our business, in the lives of our customers, and in the horticultural community we serve. She embodies the spirit of the Allen B. Crane Horticultural Employee Acknowledgement Award, and I am proud to nominate her for this well-deserved recognition. Sincerely, Ed Burke, Owner, Rocky Dale Gardens
Student Merit Awards
This award is presented to college nominees for students who are pursuing education/careers in the horticulture related fields and have shown academic excellence. This is a $500 award.
University of Vermont - 2026
Morgan Jablonski
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Morgan Jablonski is an Agroecology major and a senior at UVM. Morgan come from a small town in the Hudson River Valley called, “Poughquag”. Right nearby is Barton Orchards which is where Morgan spent a great deal of her time as a child, working the concession stand churning out cider donuts. However, her favorite time was assisting with apple sales.
Morgan’s “ah-ha” moment came from taking two cooking classes in high school. She loved learning about the connection between food and people. This appreciation extended to her own family at mealtime as well. Morgan knew that she wanted to understand the process of growing a plant from seed all the way through its preparation for use in a meal shared with others.
As a sophomore, Morgan has worked at the Burlington Farmers Market, helping with the set-up and breakdown of the market each weekend in summer. She also worked as a busser and host at American Flatbread.
The past two summers, Morgan has worked at the UVM Catamount Educational Farm and has taken on a variety of tasks including seeding in the greenhouses, sorting produce in the walk-in cooler, to pruning apple trees in the orchard.
This semester, Morgan is working in the UVM Greenhouses also doing numerous and varied tasks to assist in the management and maintenance of the plant collections, watering, fertilizing, scouting for pests and assisting with plant sales.
Two highlights of Morgan’s academic career included the summer of 2023 when she was selected as a fellow in the National Science Foundation’s Research Education for Undergraduates that studied the “Geographic, Socio-economic and Cultural Factors Shaping Crop Diversity and Livelihood Outcomes in East Africa. This research was presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, titled, “Seed Sourcing and Crop Diversity in Uganda: Associations with Proximity to a Community Seed Bank”. A second highlight was a study abroad in Costa Rica where Morgan worked with a women-led agroecology and food sovereignty organization as part of her curriculum.
At UVM, Morgan was selected as a fellow in the Agroecology Learning Community which is part of UVM’s Institute for Agroecology. In this program Morgan developed her leadership skills by organizing a team of her peers in conducting an agroecological assessment of Jericho Settlers Farm in Vermont.
Morgan’s most recent achievement has been to start an “Agriculture Club” at UVM. This club focuses on events connected to the Catamount Farm as well as doing collaborative projects with other groups on campus like the Horticulture Club and the Fermentation Club. The Ag. Club also works with the Intervale Community Farm and the Vermont Food Bank.
Harrison Loyd
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Harrison Loyd is a senior majoring in Landscape Design with a minor in Studio Art at UVM. He grew up in Guilford, CT which is just outside New Haven. While there, he worked alongside his father doing various jobs in tree care, landscaping and construction.
Harry combined his love for nature and art by declaring his current major and minor at UVM and has never regretted this.
Harry has worked for Bartlett Tree Experts in Connecticut in 2023, with Matt Leonetti at Morning Dew Landscaping in 2024 and last summer at Common Roots Farm in South Burlington where he helped to manage their Farm-to-Table program. Harry finished up his summer interning with Ambler Designs in Stowe.
At UVM last fall, Harry worked along his academic advisor, Dr. Fortino Acosta on a “Vision Montpelier” project which received a 1st Place Award for “best landscape design” and “best design for a sustainable community”. Additionally, Harry participated in a National Society of Civil Engineering competition for repurposing an office building and creating apartments from it. His team ended up with a 1st place award for their poster design.
Outside of the classroom Harry has been on the UVM Men’s D2 Rugby Team. He and his teammates were U.S. National Champions in 2025!
After graduating, Harry plans to travel by rail and backpack across Europe and also participate in WWOOFing in the Swiss Alps. (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)
On his return to the US, Harry hopes to secure a position at an urban landscape architecture firm in NY or Boston, but he is open to pursuing a MLA if he finds that it will be needed for this “next step” in his career.
Past Award Winners
Horticultural Achievement Award
2024 Peter Hausermann
2023 Kristina MacKulin
2022 Leslie and Peter Van Berkum, Van Berkum Nursery
2021 Carol and Mike MacLeod, Evergreen Gardens of VT
2020 Vincent J. Comai, Burlington City Arborist
2019 Ralph Fitz-Gerald, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2018 Ed Burke, Rocky Dale Gardens
2017 Joan Lynch, The Inner Garden
2016 Lori King, Claussen's Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm
2015 Paul Wieczoreck, Champlain Valley Landscaping/Lincoln Hill Nursery
2014 David Loysen, Shaw Hill Nursery
2013 Leo Roberts, Horsfords Garden & Nursery
2012 Don and Lela Avery, Cady's Falls Nursery
2011 Charles Siegchrist - Barber Farm, Inc.
2010 Christopher Conant - Claussen's Florist & Greenhouse
2009 Amy Rose-White, Rocky Dale Gardens
2008 Paul Sokal and Louise Giovanella, Addison Gardens
2007 John and Patti Padua, Cobble Creek Nursery
2006 Thomas F. Wright, Homestead Landscaping
2005 Dan G. Nash, Nash’s Treescape
2004 Dr. Leonard Perry, UVM
2003 Bill Countryman, Countryman Peony Farm
2002 Charlie Proutt, Horsford’s Nursery
2001 Holly Weir & Bill Pollard, Rocky Dale Gardens
2000 Greg Williams
1998 Joan Hulbert, Smallwood Nursery
1997 William Horsford
1996 Dennis Bruckel, Grand Isle Nursery
1995 Richard Salter
1994 Elmer Brown, The E.C. Brown Nursery
1993 Norman & Dorothy Pellett
1992 Lewis & Nancy Hill
1991 Richard Stevens, Sr.
Environmental Awareness Award
2024 Marijke Niles Perennial Gardens Plus
2023 Holly Greenleaf, Greenleaf Design, LLC
2022 Red Wagon Plants
2021 Prides Corner Farms
2020 Nan Jenks-Jay and Carl Phelps, Miller Hill Farm, Nursery & Gardens
2019 David Fried, Elmore Roots Fruit Tree Nursery
2018 Dan Goossen & Jen Baer, Green Mountain Compost District
2017 Nate Carr, Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.
2016 Dan Redondo, Vermont Wetland Plant Supply, Inc.
2015 Liz and Jake Guest, Killdeer Farm
2014 Rebecca Lindenmeyr, Linden L.A.N.D. Group
2013 Sarah Salatino, Full Circle Gardens
2012 Chris Conant, Claussen's Florist & Greenhouse
2011 Sarah Holland - River's Bend Garden Design
2009 Charlie Proutt and Eileen Schilling, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2008 Tom Stearns, High Mowing Organic Seeds
2007 Karl Hammer, Vermont Compost Company
2006 Anne Mueller, Arcana Gardens and Greenhouses
2004 Common Ground Student Run Educational Farm
2002 Paul Sachs, North Country Organics
2001 Paul Sokal, Addison Gardens
2000 Adam Sherman
1997 Will & Judy Stevens, Golden Russet Farm
1996 Don Avery, Cady’s Falls Nursery
1995 SVCEC Horticulture Program
1994 Jim & Mary Musty, J. M. Landscaping
1993 Nancy Volatile Wood
1991 Andrea Morgante Landscape Services
Retailer of the Year Award
2024 Golden Russet Farm
2023 Peet Farm Greenhouse
2022 Full Circle Gardens
2021 J.M. Landscaping, Nursery & Garden Center
2020 Greenhaven Gardens & Nursery
2019 Claussen's Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm
2018 Gardener's Supply Company Garden Centers
2017 Eileen Schilling and Charlie Proutt, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2016 Carol and Mike MacLeod, Evergreen Gardens
2015 Ed Burke, Rocky Dale Gardens
2014 Karen and Jack Manix, Walker Farm
2013 Tobi and Sally von Trapp, von Trapp Greenhouse
2012 Julie Rubaud, Red Wagon Plants
Young Nursery Professional of the Year Award*
2025 Danielle Norris, Greenhaven Gardens & Nursery
2024 Linzy Vos, Rocky Dale Gardens
2023 Aaron Smith, S & D Landscapes LLC
2022 Pat Toporowski, Vermont Stone & Horticulture
2021 Dave Berg, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2020 Michelle Blow, UVM Greenhouse Facilities
2019 Kristin Sprenkle, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2018 Ashley Robinson, Landscape Designer
2017 David Burton, diStefano Landscaping, Inc.
2016 Hannah Decker, Fairfax Perennial Farm, Inc.
2015 Gabe Bushey, Crafted Landscapes, LLC
2014 Jason Koicuba, Cobble Creek Nursery
2013 Brian Vaughan, Vaughan Landscaping
2012 Nathaniel Carr, Church Hill Landscapes, LLC
2011 Claybrook Griffith, Long Leaf Landscaping, LLC
2010 Shannon Lee, Cobble Creek Nursery
2009 Rebecca Lindenmeyr, Linden Landscaping & Design, Inc.
2008 R. Andrew Burtt, Old Nash Farm & Landscaping
2006 Chris Thompson, White River Valley Gardens & Landscaping
2005 Mark Starrett, UVM
2002 Tim Parsons, Greenhaven Gardens & Nursery
2001 Charlie Plonski, Horsfords Gardens & Nursery/New England Nursery Sales
2000 Peter Norris, Greenhaven Gardens & Nursery
1998 Scott Pfister, Vermont Department of Agriculture
1997 Stephen Tworig, North Branch Landscape Co., Inc.
1996 Bill Pedi, Northern Nurseries
1995 Thamasin Sullivan
1994 VJ Comai, South Forty Nursery
1993 Chris Schlegel
1992 Ralph Fitzgerald, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
1991 Pat Seibel
* Formerly a New England Nursery Association Award
Allen B. Crane Employee Acknowledgement Award
2024 Todd Bailey, Cobble Creek Nursery
2023 Anika Adams,Elmore Roots Fruit Tree Nursery
2022 Ranee “Nee” Russell, Fairfax Perennial Farm
2021 Tori Hellwig, Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2020 Daisy Unsicker, Walker Farms
2019 Lily Belisle, Red Wagon Plants
2018 Geoffrey Swanson, diStefano Landscaping, Inc.
2017 Amy Olmsted, Rocky Dale Gardens
2016 Matthew deWolf. Gardener's Supply Company
2015 Sally Dunkleman, Cobble Creek Nursery
2014 Besty Gritman, Glebe Mountain Gardens & Landscaping
Past Recipients of Student Merit Awards
University of Vermont
2025 Stella Shaw
2024 Erin Camire
2023 Abigail Chastaine
2022 Alyssa Pasini
2021 Eli Wilson
2020 Josiah Gilbert
2019 Paul Saaman
2018 Kaly Gonski
2017 Rowan Payne-Meyer
2016 Michael Murphy
2015 Donald Keith, III
2014 John Davis
2013 John R. Bruce
2012 Graham Glauber
2011 Graham Glauber
2010 Jesse Ackemann
2009 Kaitlin May Harris and John F. Holcomb II
2007 Cole Downing
2006 Mark Finch
2005 Kent Martin
2004 Andrew Burtt
Vermont Technical College
2025 Caleb Swett
2024 Ryan Winegar
2023 Brandon Schnopps
2022 Aiden Cudhea
2021 Maria Potvin
2020 Kimberly Myers
2019 Hannah Kilburn
2018 Ben Zaccarra
2017 David Howes
2016 Lucas Buckley-Jamison
2015 Oliver Zeichner
2014 Kim Cayer
2013 Kelly Pellegrino
2012 Jackie Fontaine
2011 Brittny Tyler
2010 Lisa Hoare
2009 Jonathan J. Becker
2008 Lucy Thayer
2006 Justin Filskov
2005 Megan Hefner and Rob Moore
2004 Mark Dumont
2002 Jeremy Tinker
