GIE Media’s Horticulture Group honored with national awards for editorial and design excellence

The GIE Media Horticulture Group, whose brands include Garden Center, Greenhouse Management, Nursery Management and Produce Grower, has earned national recognition for editorial, design and digital innovation, with a combined total of eight industry awards.

At the 2025 Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) Communications Awards, held May 1, 2025, in Charleston, South Carolina, the group brought home seven honors, including two prestigious Gardner Awards for overall excellence in design and new media. These awards celebrate outstanding communications across the green industry, recognizing top-tier writing, design, photography, videography and marketing communications.

“The TOCA Awards celebrate the best in green industry storytelling and strategy,” says GIE Media Horticulture Group Publisher Michelle Simakis. “We’re proud to be recognized for creating content that not only informs and inspires our readers but also delivers value for our advertising partners.”

The TOCA Awards include:

Gardner Awards (Overall Best in Category)

• Design: Overall Media Kit Design — “Rooted in Your Success,” Garden Center magazine
  Team: Irene Sweeney, marketing director; Katelyn Mullen, art director; Michelle Simakis, group publisher
• New Media: Website – “Focusing on success: Garden Center magazine’s 2024 State of the Industry Report,” Garden Center magazine
  Team: Emily Mills, group digital editor; Katelyn Mullen, art director

First-place awards

• Overall Media Kit Design: “Rooted in Your Success,” Garden Center magazine
  Team: Irene Sweeney, Katelyn Mullen, Michelle Simakis
• Website: “Focusing on success: Garden Center magazine’s 2024 State of the Industry Report,” Garden Center magazine
  Team: Emily Mills, Katelyn Mullen
• Business Management Article: “Bait & switch,” Nursery Management magazine
  Author: Matt McClellan, editor, Nursery Management

Merit Awards

• Editorial/Opinion Piece: “Sell out!” Nursery Management) magazine
  Author: Matt McClellan
• Ornamental Feature Article: “A knack for nurturing,” Greenhouse Management magazine
  Author: Kelli Rodda, group editorial director

In addition to the TOCA accolades, the GIE Media Horticulture Group also received a National Gold Award in the 2025 Azbee Awards of Excellence, presented by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). The Azbees are among the most competitive programs in B2B media, celebrating outstanding work in editorial, design, print and digital content across more than 60 categories.

National Gold Award, 2025 Azbee Awards of Excellence:

• Online State of the Industry: “Focusing on success: Garden Center magazine’s 2024 State of the Industry Report,” Garden Center magazine

Team: Emily Mills, Katelyn Mullen

The group also won five regional awards in the 2025 Azbee Awards of Excellence.

• Online: Online State of the Industry, Regional Gold Award — “Focusing on success: Garden Center magazine’s 2024 State of the Industry Report,” Garden Center magazine
  Team: Emily Mills, Katelyn Mullen
• All Content: Individual Profile, Regional Gold Award — The Good Work
  Author: Patrick Alan Coleman, editor, Greenhouse Management
• All Content: Enterprise News Story, Regional Gold Award: Bait & switch
  Author: Matt McClellan
• All Content: Enterprise News Story, Regional Silver Award: Woodinville Heartbreak
  Author: Emily Mills
• All Content: Editor’s Letter or Note, Regional Bronze Award: Outlook
  Author: Patrick Alan Coleman (Click here, here and here to read some of Patrick's columns.) 

“We are honored to be recognized by both TOCA and ASBPE this year,” Simakis added. “It’s a reflection of the passion, creativity and industry insight our editorial and design teams bring to every issue and initiative.”