The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College has selected Dale Deppe, president and owner of Spring Meadow Nursery, as the 2016 Scott Medal and Award recipient. The annual award is designed to be given annually to an individual, organization or corporate body who, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, has made an outstanding national contribution to the science and the art of gardening.
Since starting Spring Meadow Nursery as a small liner production company in 1981 with his wife Liz, the nursery has become a world-renowned 200-acre propagation nursery. The nursery has grown tremendously over the years and features state of the art facilities, a breeding and evaluation program, and an outstanding display garden.
Under Dale’s guidance, Spring Meadow Nursery has made many important introductions including Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' which has received a Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. It has become the standard by which other H. paniculata selections are judged. Other hydrangeas from Spring Meadow Nursery include Incrediball® Hydrangea arborescens, an improved ‘Annabelle’ with stronger stems and larger blooms, and Invincibelle® Spirit Hydrangea, the first arborescens with pink blooms. Since its introduction in 2009, sales from this special plant have raised over $900,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.
Long an active supporter of the Horticultural Research Institute, Dale and Liz Deppe created the Spring Meadow Nursery endowment fund to provide scholarships for horticulture students and financial support for research projects. To date, the endowment fund has reached $642,000. Several prestigious awards have been granted to Dale including the International Plant Propagators Society Award of Honor and Award of Merit and the Grower of the Year Award from the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association.
The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College is proud to present the 2016 Scott Medal and Award to Dale for his achievements and contributions to the nursery industry.
About Scott Arboretum
The Scott Arboretum is an educational garden of ideas and suggestions. Covering more than 300 acres of the Swarthmore College Campus and exhibiting over 4,000 different kinds of plants, the Arboretum displays some of the best trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals for use in the Delaware Valley. Established in 1929 as a living memorial to Arthur Hoyt Scott, the Arboretum is open to the public year-round free of charge, from dawn to dusk. Adam Levine in the November/December 2002 issue of Garden Design magazine described the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College as "the most beautiful campus in America."
About Spring Meadow Nursery
Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. is a market leader in flowering shrubs, potted liners, plant breeding and breeder representation. Located in Grand Haven, Michigan, Spring Meadow Nursery grows over 500 varieties of woody plants, including over 240 varieties marketed under the Proven Winners® brand. Proven Winners® ColorChoice® shrubs have won over 158 awards, more than any other shrub brand. A few of the better known varieties include Invincibelle® Spirit (Pink Annabelle) Hydrangea, Incrediball® (Strong Annabelle) hydrangea, The Lo & Behold® Chip Series of butterfly bushes, Bloomerang® reblooming lilacs, Wine & Roses® Weigela and Little Lime® Hydrangea® . For more information, visit www.ProvenWinners-Shrubs.com and www.SpringMeadowNursery.com.
Source: Spring Meadow Nursery
