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South Jersey Residents Build Prize Exhibit for Philadelphia Flower Show

Release Date: 03/17/2008
Contact Information: Donna Heron (215-814-5113) / [email protected]

PHILADELPHIA (March 17, 2008) – John Butler, Ed Cobbs, Mark Douglas, William Hoffman, and Jeff Pike, environmental protection scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, played a major part in bringing together EPA’s award-winning exhibit at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show.

Over the years, EPA’s mid-Atlantic region has won many awards including three Best of Shows. This year the exhibit garnered the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s award of merit and the Philadelphia Flower Show’s exhibit of distinction in the non-academic educational category.

EPA’s exhibit demonstrated “green” backyard gardening techniques – how to have a beautiful, carefree garden that doesn’t need mowing, uses little water and fossil fuels, reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and keeps garden waste out of landfills.

John Butler, of Moorestown, Ed Cobbs, of Cherry Hill, Mark Douglas, of Haddenfield, William Hoffman, of Haddon Heights, and Jeff Pike, of Voorhees, joined 10 other EPA employees in assembling the agency’s display of plants, which they started propagating last fall. The collection of native plants, including tall pines, shrubs and perennials, visually demonstrates beneficial landscaping – an earth friendly way of gardening. Such plants will thrive more naturally than exotic plants because they have adapted to local climate and soil conditions.

EPA has been exhibiting at the annual flower show since 1993 and uses the opportunity to educate gardeners on techniques that protect the environment and at the same time create beautiful gardens. This year many of the materials used were recycled from previous award-winning exhibits. The display also featured stunning garden ornaments that were easy to make and used inexpensive materials.

For more information on how to get started with green gardening in your own backyard, go to: https://www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/how.htm