The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) recognized eight of its members as recipients of the 2006 PPA Special Awards.

Every year the PPA grants seven Special Awards to individuals or companies for outstanding leadership in the perennial industry. This year Alain Baril of Plant Select in St. Paul D’Abbotsford, Quebec, received the Grower award; Penny and Roger Preuss of Equinox Valley Nursery in Manchester, Vt., received the Retail Sales Award; Larry Hodgson, a garden writer from Sainte-Foy, Quebec, received the Garden Media Promoter Award; Piet Oudolf of Kwekerij Outdolf in Hummelo, The Netherlands, received the International Contributor Award; Dr. Mark Bridgen from Cornell University’s Long Island Research Center, received the Academic Award; George Pealer from Millcreek Gardens in Ostrander, Ohio, received the Service Award; and Mark Denee of Epic Plant Company in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, received the Young Professional Award.

Nominations for the annual Special Awards come from PPA members. The award recipients are then selected by the PPA Board of Directors.

The recipients were presented with plaques on July 18, 2006, at the Perennial Plant Symposium and Trade Show in Montreal, Quebec. The event drew 700 people.