News and Announcements

Below, you can find the latest news, announcements, and press coverage relating to Gardens Are...

Gardens Are... Employees Complete Safety Training

Josue Lopez and Donald Bishop have successfully completed the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety (DOS), Construction OSHA 10 Course. The program focuses on hazard identification and controls at job sites. Participation in training and evaluation are key components of the company safety and health program.

Gardens Are..., a leader in organic land care, is dedicated to the safety and well-being of its people, and those they serve. The company safety and health program was developed with the assistance of the DOS On-Site Consultation Program.

www.ppplants.com

Cover Story

Tukey, Paul. "The New Faces of Organic Gardening." PPPlants Autumn 2006: 30–37.
Summary: Cover story about 13 organic landscaping and gardening pioneers.

Barsomian-Dietrich. "A Look Inside." PPPlants Autumn 2006: 96.
Summary: The story behind the feature article by Paul Tukey.

Eisener, Laura. "Directing Traffic, Garden Style." PPPlants Winter 2005: 74.
Summary: Designing landscapes with a bird's eye view.

Organic Land Care Professional Appointed to Advisory Panel

Marlborough resident and business owner, Donald Bishop, has been appointed to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, VMP Advisory Panel as the Environmentalist Representative by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Douglas Gillespie. In a letter from the Commissioner the VMP Advisory Panel is described as being charged with the responsibility of reviewing Vegetation Management Plans and public comments and then recommend approval, denial or modificaion to the Department of Agricultural Resources.

Current right-of-way maintenance plans are regulated under 333 CMR 11.00.

Gardens Are… Voted Top 10 In New England, Again

The eighth annual Readers Choice Poll results have been released in the Spring 2005 issue of People Places Plants magazine. For the fifth time in as many years Gardens Are… has made the New England top 10 list in the "Favorite Lawn Care or Landscape Company" category. Gardens Are... has been a unique feature to the list by providing only organic landscape gardening services since 1999.

Gardens Are… Owner Receives Award

Donald Bishop was the recipient of an award at the NOFA/Mass 2005 Winter Conference and Annual Meeting for his continuous efforts in promoting the non-profit organization. He has served on various committees dedicated to organic land care and co-authored The Standards for Organic Land Care: Practices for Design and Maintenance of Ecological Landscapes. Donald has also been an active participant in educational and public outreach programs for home owners, land care professionals, and municipalities.

Marlborough Business Recognized by EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency GreenScapes program has recognized Gardens Are… as its premier Charter Partner from New England. As a Partner, Gardens Are… has pledged to promote cost effective and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping, and make holistic decisions regarding waste generation and disposal and the use of the land, water, pesticides, and energy. The Greenscapes program has been designed to help preserve natural resources and prevent waste and pollution by focusing on the “4 R's”— reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebuy. Gardens Are... is a Marlborough based firm that does organic landscape design, installation, and maintenance.

Natural Landscape Awarded Second Place at Flower Show

www.centralmaflowershow.com

Gardens Are... was awarded second place at the 2004 Central Massachusetts Flower Show. The woodland scene, nicknamed “Close Encounters” featured native New England plants, materials, and the art of sculptor Ron Rudnicki. Also featured were several mounted specimens from the collection at the Millers River Environmental Center which were placed about the display. Visitors of all ages spent time scouting for the animals (seven bird species and one grey fox) during the entirety of the show. Many compliments were given for the authenticity and natural effect of the work.