Hall of Fame

Membership in the Hall of Fame is the highest honor GardenComm can bestow on a member whose life and career has materially reflected and advanced the objectives of GardenComm. Hall of Fame candidates are nominated by the membership, recommended by the Honors Committee and elected by the Board of Directors. Members of the Hall of Fame are excused from dues. Self-nominations are welcome.

2020 Honoree

Stephanie Cohen

She had received a BA in English and History from Temple University. Stephanie Cohen started her career as an English teacher in a middle school in Camden, New Jersey., She then went back to school and earned degrees in Horticulture from Temple University and a Master ‘s in Science in Environmental Studies from Arcadia University. She taught at Temple University, Ambler Campus, for over 21 years as well as teaching at The Barnes Arboretum for five years. She has written 3 books and several hundred horticulture articles. Stephanie became a Fellow of the Garden Writer’s of America in 2014. She has lectured all around the USA, including Alaska. Also she has spoken five times in Canada. At her peak, she lectured and presented 30 to 40 talks every year. She has won numerous awards from the Perennial Plant Association, including their highest honor award, and several for design competitions, including awards for her own perennial garden and for one at the Temple University Arboretum. She also won their Social Media award. Stephanie won an alumni award from Temple and was the first horticulture graduate to become a Temple University Alumni Fellow. She has won a PHS award and an ANLA award for Garden Communicator of the Year.

She started her professional writing career by having an article published by “Fine Gardening’ and started to work writing for “Country Living Gardener”. After one or two articles were published she was hired to be on their masthead. Currently, Stephanie is on the masthead of “Fine Gardening” and has been on the masthead for over 25 years. She writes for “The Connecticut Gardener’ and free-lances for other magazines. She wrote for “Green Profit”, a trade magazine, for over 15 years. Her first two books were published by Storey Publishing. Her first book won an award from Garden Writers and sold over 80,00 copies. Her last book was published by Timber Press and was later republished in Russia.

She founded the arboretum at Temple University, Ambler Campus, and was the founding first director for over five years. She was able when the garden was first planted to get a majority of the plants donated. The students helped her plant, maintain the garden, were her secretarial staff, and were of great assistance. She donated her salary to the arboretum. It is something she was very proud to achieve. Two years later it won a design award.

Stephanie was a judge at an international rose growing competition, Les Jardins de Bagatelle, in Paris. The International Bulb Association brought her to The Netherlands to observe and write about their bulbs and perennials.

Four perennial plants have been named for Stephanie and her garden, including Achillea siberica 'Stephanie Cohen', hybridized by Bob Brown of Cotswold Gardens in England. It was trailed at Kew Gardens

Past Inductees