BOYLSTON, MA, June 29, 2026 – New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, a nearly 200-acre public garden in Boylston, MA, recently recognized influential landscape architect Toby Wolf with one of the organization’s top honors for lifetime achievement, the Alice Milton Award for Excellence in Horticulture Design.

Toby Wolf (1963-2025) is known for creating authentic, welcoming, and vibrant spaces. He grew his knowledge in the field first earning a BA in Design of the Environment at the University of Pennsylvania and then a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Cornell University. After teaching and practicing in upstate New York, Toby moved to Boston, MA, where he built an environmental portfolio with the Halvorson Design Partnership. He worked in iconic parks and greenspaces on notable projects like the Fort Point Channel Parks on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the Boylston Street Renovation of the Public Garden and Mount Auburn Cemetery, and the New England Aquarium.

Wolf possessed deep botanic understanding, respect for how humans relate to their environments, and a straightforward vision of the beautiful. Later in his career, he established Wolf Landscape Architecture and created such recognized spaces as the Weiss Manfredi’s Overlook at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Bioswale at the Cornell Botanic Gardens. Wolf served on the board of the Ecological Landscape Alliance from 2011-2020. He passed away in 2025 after a battle with Leukemia, and is remembered by colleagues for his steady, warm hearted leadership.

“It’s our honor to celebrate Toby’s legacy with the Alice Milton Award for Excellence in Horticulture Design. His contributions to our field serve as shining examples that we hope landscape architects, designers, and ecological horticulture practitioners will look to for years to come,” says Grace Elton, CEO of New England Botanic Garden.

The award was presented at New England Botanic Garden on June 25 at the 185th annual meeting of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, owner and operator of the Garden. To learn more about New England Botanic Garden, visit nebg.org.

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About New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, now celebrating its 40th anniversary, is a nonprofit organization located at 11 French Drive in Boylston, Massachusetts. A regional destination, the Garden is
operated on nearly 200 acres by the Worcester County Horticultural Society, one of the oldest of its kind in the country, and is open to the public for garden viewing, trail walking, educational programs, private events, weddings, exhibitions, and more. In 2023, New England Botanic Garden was voted “Top Botanic Garden in the U.S.” by TravelAwaits. New England Botanic Garden is an AAM-accredited museum that includes an irreplaceable collection of plants and creates opportunities for visitors to experience the wonder of plants, learn about the natural world, and make joyful connections. Learn all about New England Botanic Garden including its history, mission, and its staff at www.nebg.org.

Media Contact
Liz Nye, Public Relations Manager
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
Office: 508-869-6111 ext. 143 | Mobile: 518-526-3060
lnye@nebg.org | Press Room