The Massachusetts Horticultural Society's annual Honorary Medals Gala Dinner, held this year at the Horticulture Center at Elm Bank on Thursday, June 12 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, honors individuals of great merit in the world of horticulture by awarding coveted medals in appreciation of their service, accomplishments and records of achievements. Considered among the most prestigious horticultural awards in America, proceeds from this special event benefit excellence in horticulture through internships with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

The highest honor at this year’s dinner, the George Robert White Medal of Honor, will be presented to Dr. Michael A. Dirr, an author and tree expert. Michael Dirr is a retired professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. His lifelong passion for horticulture has positively influenced a generation of students, gardeners, nurserymen, and professional horticulturists. He is the author of over ten books on Woody Landscape Plants and Trees and has published more than 300 scientific and popular publications.

Dirr's Plant Introduction Program has contributed over 50 new plant introductions to the green industry and he has received more than 20 awards for highest teaching and research from the University of Georgia and various horticultural organizations. Considered among the highest horticultural awards in America, the George Robert White Medal of Honor is given once a year to the individual, commercial firm or institution that, in the opinion of the Trustees, has done the most to advance interest in horticulture in the broadest sense.

This year’s Honorary Medal recipients are:

The Huntington Family
Pleasant View Gardens, Loudon, NH
Thomas Roland Medal: This medal is awarded from time to time, by vote of the Trustees, for exceptional skill in horticulture.

Robert L. Johnston, Jr.
Founder of Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow, ME
Jackson Dawson Memorial Award:This medal is awarded from time to time, by vote of the Trustees, for skill in the science of hybridization or propagation of ornamental plants.

Deborah Howard
Founder, Howard Garden Design, West Newton, MA
MHS Gold Medal: The gold medal is awarded by vote of the Trustees to individuals, institutions or firms for eminent horticultural accomplishments in the horticulture industry, or for outstanding service to the society.

Julie Moir Messervy
Landscape Architect & Author, Saxton River, Vermont
MHS Gold Medal: The gold medal is awarded by vote of the Trustees to individuals, institutions or firms for eminent horticultural accomplishments in the horticulture industry, or for outstanding service to the society.

Les Mehrhoff
Director, Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
MHS Gold Medal: The gold medal is awarded by vote of the Trustees to individuals, institutions or firms for eminent horticultural accomplishments in the horticulture industry, or for outstanding service to the society.

Robert D. Childs
Instructor, University of Massachusetts and UMass Extension, Amherst, MA
MHS Silver Medal: The silver medal is awarded by vote of the Trustees to individuals, institutions or firms for meritorious horticultural accomplishments in the horticulture industry, or for noteworthy service to the society.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Boothbay, Maine, Executive Director, Maureen Heffernan
MHS Silver Medal: The silver medal is awarded by vote of the Trustees to individuals, institutions or firms for meritorious horticultural accomplishments in the horticulture industry, or for noteworthy service to the society.