Paul Tukey Honored with American Horticultural Society's 2006 Communication Award

For Paul Tukey—grandson of a Maine dairy farmer—receiving the American Horticultural Society's 2006 Horticultural Communication Award was "the most humbling moment of my career." Past recipients include pioneers in print, radio, and television whose names grace campus buildings and public gardens nationwide.

"To be included among past AHS awardees is the highest honor of my professional life," said Tukey, who founded People, Places and Plants magazine in 1995 and its HGTV show in 2002. "This validates the work of an incredibly dedicated team and the family and friends who've supported an independent publishing company through countless challenges."

Prestigious Recognition

Founded in 1922, the AHS is among America's oldest gardening organizations. Its awards program, launched in 1952, is considered horticulture's most prestigious. President Katy Moss Warner explained: "These awards celebrate the best and brightest—from scientists developing resilient plants to public garden professionals promoting earth-friendly practices to journalists popularizing gardening nationwide. Paul Tukey receives the Communication Award for his extraordinary work encouraging gardening through dynamic talks, HGTV presence, and his magazine."

Tukey joins 12 honorees at the June 2 Great American Gardeners Awards ceremony. He's only the third Mainer to receive a lifetime achievement award since the program began, following University of Maine horticulturist Lewis Lipp (1972) and iris hybridizer Currier McEwen (1995).

Roots and Journey

"I hope Currier is smiling down on us," Tukey reflected, having written extensively about the South Harpswell hybridizer who died at 101. "And my grandfather, Henry VanDyne—New England Dairyman of the Year at the Springfield Exposition. Summers on his farm sparked my love for gardening's scents and physicality."

After a nine-year career as an award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor, Tukey followed his passion into landscaping, founding Home 'n' Land in the late 1980s. His television work began at Portland's NBC affiliate WCSH6 in 1996. The AHS cited his advocacy for independent garden centers and environmentally friendly practices, including an upcoming book on organic lawns.

Mission and Gratitude

"Now more than ever, it's vital to retain an independent voice advocating for the environment and family businesses," Tukey emphasized. "This award validates our efforts to make a real difference in people's lives."

He credited his team: "This belongs to everyone at People, Places and Plants and Northeastern horticulture. Susan Gilman and Rick Churchill have been here since day one. Mark Sellew shared five extraordinary years. And Roger and Elisabeth Swain—'The Man in the Red Suspenders' and his amazing wife. If I deserve any award, it's for surrounding myself with great people."