Prestigious Award to Master Gardener
By Hilda M. Morrill
January 5, 2010

Allen Baker, a member of the Norwood Evening Garden Club, is the first recipient of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association's Golden Trowel Hall of Fame Award.

The award is given to "a Lifetime Master Gardener who has made exceptional contributions to the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, Inc. and whose work in the areas of horticulture, education, outreach and leadership has enriched and strengthened the organization."

A Lifetime Master Gardener is defined as someone who has volunteered at least 1000 hours of service on behalf of the Master Gardener Organization. Baker has given significantly more time to the organization throughout his 20 years as a Master Gardener.

A lifetime resident of Westwood, a life member of the Westwood Historical Society, and on the Executive Committee of the Norwood Evening Garden Club, Baker has been known to gather like-minded gardeners to assist in eradicating invasive plants at the local cemetery and other areas of the community.

This is the second major award Baker has received. In 2006, he received the prestigious Gold Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) for his service to the Master Gardener community which was, at that time, under the umbrella of MHS.

According to Susan Pearson, president of the Norwood Evening Garden Club and also a Master Gardener, Master Gardeners provide education and outreach volunteer services to communities throughout Massachusetts. “A very strong fellowship exists in the Master Gardener community, and the Norwood Evening Garden Club is proud to have eight active Master Gardeners in our organization,” she said.

A member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, New England Region, and National Garden Clubs, Inc., the Norwood Evening Garden Club and its members have been providing education and public beautification in Norwood and its surrounding communities for 14 years.

The Club, open to novice and expert gardeners, draws its members from Norwood, Walpole, Westwood, Dedham, Canton, Medfield, Randolph and Stoughton.

For information about the Norwood Evening Garden Club, contact Susan Pearson at 508-668-4039 or visit www.NorwoodEveningGardenClub.com. For information about the Master Gardener program, visit www.massmastergardeners.org.

(With thanks to Donna Lane for her press release.)