Digger magazine

Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

  • Farwest-50th-banner-DM.com-728x90-1.jpg
  • NGW-728x90-v2.png
  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • NG-Survey-banner-728x90-1.jpg
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • Pivot Points
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Digger
You are here: Home / Nursery News / Verl Holden retires from Oregon Garden Foundation Board

Verl Holden retires from Oregon Garden Foundation Board

By Peter Szymczak — Posted February 20, 2023

Verl Holden

Founding member and longtime advocate of the Oregon Garden, Verl Holden retired from his position as a member of the Oregon Garden Foundation Board on Tuesday, February 14.

An OAN Hall of Fame nurseryman, horticultural innovator and owner of Holden Wholesale Growers Inc., Holden first joined the Oregon Garden Foundation Board in 2018. After five years of faithful service, he has chosen to make his position available to a new generation of Oregon Garden advocates.

Holden played an instrumental role in the success of the Oregon Garden dating back to its inception more than 25 years ago. It was Holden who first mowed down the pasture grass on what had previously been an Arabian horse farm, paving the way for the construction of the Oregon Garden. He also used his tractor to dig the larger-than-life outline of the State of Oregon to celebrate the Oregon Garden’s groundbreaking in 1997.

Holden has been a tireless proponent of the Oregon Garden, using his 2022 induction ceremony into Oregon State University’s Agricultural Hall of Fame not to highlight his own achievements, but to share about the beauty and importance of the Oregon Garden. In speaking with him, it’s clear that the Oregon Garden holds a large piece of his heart, so much so that his late wife Florence is honored with a memorial bench there.

In his outgoing remarks during a recognition ceremony at his final board meeting, Holden shared a portion of a poem written by Florence, etched on a granite monument beside her bench: “So I tie on my hat and sally forth with clippers, trowel and hoe, to the work that brings me joy.”

The Oregon Garden Foundation Board and staff are incredibly grateful for the support and generosity Holden has shown the Oregon Garden over the years, and will continue to look to him for guidance and partnership on projects beyond his board service.

Holden’s board seat was filled by Ken McVicker, sales and marketing manager for Woodburn Nursery and Azaleas.

Filed Under: Nursery News Tagged With: OAN Members

About Peter Szymczak

Peter Szymczak is the publications manager at the Oregon Association of Nurseries. He writes for and designs Digger magazine.

NURSERY NEWS

Fall Creek promotes Amelie Aust to executive board chair

Hall of Famers give gift towards horticultural industry advocacy

Verl Holden retires from Oregon Garden Foundation Board

Fall Creek promotes Dave Daniel to general manager for U.S. and Canada

NWFCS, Farm Credit West create new association

More Nursery News

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Secure your 2023 Farwest hotel room and save

Farwest Show to celebrate 50th anniversary in 2023

Nursery professionals connect at Farwest

These 12 products had buyers buzzing at Farwest

Nightfall Snowbell sweeps top honors in Farwest New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

From the pages of Digger

April 2023: The Trees Issue

March 2023: Water Outlook 2023

February 2023: Greenhouse Issue ’23

January 2023: The Retail Issue

December 2022: Oregon is Nursery Country

More issues of Digger

The Value of Membership

Meet the Leader: Angela Bailey

OAN Member Profile: Oregon Flowers Inc. 

These 12 products had buyers buzzing at Farwest

More member stories

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Virtual is the new reality – for now

Trade shows in the time of COVID

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

Western Nursery & Landscape Association falls victim to pandemic

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

More articles

Nursery Guide LIVE

Nursery Guide LIVE clicks into place

Booth spaces still available for Nursery Guide LIVE March 17–18

Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace postponed due to winter storm damage

Keynote presentations at Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace provide insight on green industry trends in 2021 and beyond

More Posts from this Category

​

Updates to exisiting subscriptions can be sent to info@oan.org

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • Pivot Points
  • President’s Message

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© Copyright 2022 Oregon Association of Nurseries · Admin