William G. Cullina is Director of Horticulture and Plant Curator at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine, and past Nursery Director and Head Propagator at the New England Wild Flower Society. In addition, Bill is a world-renowned expert on plants native to North America, frequent lecturer, expert propagator and talented photographer.

Bill is also the author of five outstanding, award-winning books in which he shares a lifetime of experience propagating and growing plants, and it is for this literary achievement that The Garden Club of America honors him now. These works include:

The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada (2000); Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants (2002), 2003 AHS Book Award Winner; Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World’s Most Exotic Plants (2004), 2004 AHS Book Award Winner; Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave: Serene and Sensuous Plants for the Garden (2008), 2009 AHS Book Award Winner. His most recent book is entitled Understanding Perennials: A New Look at an Old Favorite (2009).

Bill’s books are to be savored. The propagation and growing information in the appendices is unprecedented in its depth, and any serious propagator of our native species considers his books bibles on the subject. And, though it can’t be overstated how important each of these books is as a reference manual on propagating native plants, it is the extremely fine writing, laced with gentle humor and unforgettable imagery, all illustrated with his exceptional photography, that draws you in and gets you reading and re-reading Bill’s books, cover to cover—surely a literary achievement!