2011 GWA Media Awards Recipients

For over 25 years, the GWA has conducted an annual awards program for talent and products published or aired in the field of garden communications. The purpose of the program is to provide recognition for the vast talents of the GWA membership in the area of writing, photography, graphic design, illustration and electronic media such as radio, television and Internet programming. It is a means of showcasing the many exceptional works created and/or published every year.

From 175 awards entries, 30 works were recognized for individual or collective achievement in 2010. Working in category teams (writing, photography, etc.), judges reviewed every entry based upon an objective point system evaluating information accuracy, content, organization, style and originality. Entries placing in the top 10% of this non-competitive scoring receive the Silver Award of Achievement and become semi-finalists for the Gold Awards for Best Talent or Best Product.

The second stage of judging becomes competitive. From the 30 Silver Award of Achievement recipients, the judges, as a group, subjectively evaluate talent (writing, photography, on-air personality, etc.) and product (book, magazine, calendar, etc.) entries for “Best Talent” or "Best Product" awards.        

Awards Chair Beth Botts is pleased to announce the following recipients of the 2011 GWA Media Awards.

2011 Gold Awards Best Talent and Best Product

Best Magazine Writing
Sarah Chase Shaw for "The Art of Autumn" published by Garden Design.

Best Newspaper Writing
Abbie Zabar for "A Vine in the Sky" published by The Forward.

Best Book Writing
Jeff Lowenfels for Teaming with Microbes (Revised Edition) published by Timber Press.

Best Photography
Vaughn Sills for the book Places for Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens published by Trinity University Press.

Best Illustration
Clyde Philip Wachsberger for the book Into the Garden with Charles self-published.

Best Graphic Design
Jane Jeszeck for the book The Revolutionary Yardscape published by Timber Press.

Best Magazine
Organic Gardening: December/January 10/11 published by Rodale, Inc.

Best Electronic Media
Growing a Greener World produced by The joe gardener Media Network.

Best Trade
"Seed Savers Exchange 2010 Summer Edition" published by Seed Savers Exchange.

2011 Silver Awards of Achievement

Writing - Magazine
Gene Bussell, “The Trinket Garden”, Southern Living
Sarah Chase Shaw, “The Art of Autumn”, Garden Design

Writing - Newspaper
Mariana Greene, “Gilding the Lilium”, The Dallas Morning News
Abbie Zabar, “A Vine in the Sky”, The Forward

Writing - Book
Steve Bates, The Seeds of Spring: Lessons from the Garden, Breaking Ground Books
Jeff Lowenfels, Teaming with Microbes (Revised Edition), Timber Press
Janet Marinelli, The Climate Conscious Gardener, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Writing - Newsletter/Bulletin/Brochure
Elizabeth Peters, “Native Bees: Observing and Preserving Native Pollinators in Urban Gardens,” Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Writing - Electronic Media
Irvin Etienne, “Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog”, Indianapolis Museum of Art
Theresa Loe, Growing a Greener World, Joe Gardener Media/PBS

Photography - Magazine
Rob Cardillo, “Fabulous Fuschias”, Country Gardens

Photography - Book
Vaughn Sills, Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens, Trinity University Press

Photography – Technical Book
Rob Cardillo, The Encyclopedia of Container Plants, Timber Press

Photography - Cover
Roger Foley, “Full Bloom”, Virginia Living magazine

Photography – Electronic Media
Rob Cardillo, www.RobCardillo.com

Illustration - Book
Clyde Phillip Wachsberger, Into the Garden with Charles, self-published

Graphic Design - Book
Jane Jeszeck, The Revolutionary Yardscape, Timber Press

Graphic Design – Cover
Gavin Robinson, Organic Gardening: June/July 2010, Rodale Inc.

On-Air Talent - Radio
Doug Oster & Jessica Walliser, The Organic Gardeners, KDKA Radio

On-Air Talent - Television
Doug Oster, Digging with Doug, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Overall Product – Magazine: Under 100k
GreenPrints, Inc., GreenPrints: Spring 2010

Overall Product – Magazine: Over 100k
Rodale Inc., Organic Gardening Magazine: December/January 2010

Overall Product – Newspaper
Star Tribune, “Home & Garden”

Overall Product - Book
Trinity University Press, Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens

Overall Product - Electronic Media
The joe gardener Media Network, Growing a Greener World

Trade - Newsletter
Seed Savers Exchange, “Seeds Savers Exchange 2010 Summer Edition”

Trade - Catalog
Seed Savers Exchange, “Seeds Savers Exchange Catalog of Heirloom Seeds, Books and Gifts”

Trade – Print Column
Mt. Cuba Center, “The Drought’s Lesson”

Trade – Special Projects
The Arnold Arboretum, Arnoldia, Vol. 68, No. 2

Trade – Calendar
Seed Savers Exchange, “Seed Savers Exchange 2011 Calendar"