SANTA MONICA, Calif. - (July 15, 2010) - Monrovia, the leading grower of premium garden plants and a client of The Phelps Group, recently received a Silver Award of Achievement for its Plant Savvy® newsletter from the Garden Writers Association (GWA). The Phelps Group, a leading integrated marketing communications (IMC) agency based in Santa Monica, wrote the copy and designed the newsletter.

The national award recognizes individuals and companies who achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications. Silver is the top award in the category of "trade newsletter," and Monrovia will go on to compete against the top winners in seven other categories to vie for the Gold Award, which will be announced in September.

"The Garden Writers Association Media Awards showcase the communicators, photographers, illustrators, publishers and graphic designers who have pursued excellence in gardening communication," says Janel Leatherman, president of GWA. "The Media Award winners have been judged by industry experts and show significant distinction and merits that exemplify exceptional work."

GWA is an international organization of more than 1,900 professional communicators in the lawn and garden industry. According to the National Gardening Association, the lawn and garden industry is estimated to generate more than $70 billion in retail sales annually. View all the 2010 GWA Media Award recipients.