Steve Castorani, North Creek Nurseries
The Hall of Fame Award is to recognize individuals who have served PLNA, the horticulture industry and their community throughout their lifetime. This award is designed as a tribute to volunteerism in PLNA and outstanding achievements in the horticulture industry. The recipient is judged on their promotion of PLNA and the industry, their standard of ethics, and the level of activity within the Association. The PLNA Hall of Fame Award has a strong history in the Association, with the first recipient Albert F. Meehan in 1952.
The recipient of the 2018 Hall of Fame Award is Steve Castorani.
In 1979 Steve began Gateway Landscaping and Woodworking Inc, a landscape design - build firm located in Hockessin, Delaware. Gateway Garden Center was a natural outgrowth of Steve’s landscape business. Established in 1986, Gateway is now the area’s source for new plant selections. The Garden Center specializes in perennials, conifers, native plants, aquatic plants as well as water gardens. Steve co-founded North Creek Nurseries in Landenberg, PA in 1988. He currently acts in the capacity of President and CEO of this progressive nursery that specializes in perennial, fern, vine, and ornamental grass plug production with an emphasis on Eastern regional native plants. In 2004 Steve co -created the American Beauties Native Plant® brand. American Beauties Plants are currently available at independent garden centers in Eastern, Midwestern and select western States. A portion of each sale benefits the National Wildlife Foundation’s wildlife habitat program. To date the program has donated over $267,000 to NWF.
In 2010 Steve was the recipient of the “Farmer of the Year” Award for Chester County Pennsylvania which was awarded by the Chester County Commissioners and Agricultural Development Council. Steve was again honored in 2011 with the “Distinguished Alumni Award” from the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In 2015 he received the Award of Merit from Girard College. North Creek Nurseries was voted Grower of the year by the Perennial Plant Association in 2015 and was awarded Operation of the Year in 2016 by Greenhouse Grower Magazine with special distinction for sustainable growing practices.
Professional affiliations include the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, The Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association, University of Delaware, Perennial Plant Association, AmericanHort, Delaware Nature Society, Delaware Nursery and Landscape Association and Hockessin Public Landscape Committee. Steve currently serves on the boards of the Brandywine, Red Clay Alliance, Delaware Center for Horticulture, and AmericanHort.
