by Cris Blackstone —

How are Egyptian pyramids, Buckingham Palace, Desmond Tutu, and the New York Times connected to NHLA? The common thread among these landmarks, people, newspapers, and NHLA is Mike Barwell!

Mike, who is an NHLA Board Director and chair of the Education Committee, has a casual but fast-paced manner of speaking about his background and how he landed in New Hampshire, ultimately connected to our Association. In an hour and a half conversation, his multi-faceted litany of life experiences came across as taking place seamlessly, and they were shared in a lighthearted, humorous way.

How his background led to our organization is summed up in his own words, “I’m something like a border collie. You can understand this with the riddle: How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb?” Proceeding with humor and a bit of pantomime, he answers this riddle with examples, such as:
— The black lab will say he can do it, while running around asking if there’s food – and can I lick you?
— The Afghan answers with indignation – saying he doesn’t change lightbulbs. Someone else can do it, but I do enjoy good lighting.
— And finally there is the border collie, who is gleeful about the opportunity to change that light bulb. The border collie continues with a full paragraph, which

Barwell delivers with a huge smile: “I will change the bulb; I will see if any other bulbs should be changed. I will see if everything is ok with the fuse box downstairs; I could also check the wiring throughout the house. Then I’ll go to the neighbor’s house and do the same thing.”

As I heard about Mike’s pathway to NHLA, the border collie analogy became clearer and more accurate! He is a 1975 graduate of Gordon College, Wenham, MA, where he started out as an English major following a teacher track that would have led him to be a conventional high school English teacher. But that wasn’t his trajectory. He got involved with the school newspaper, and as I learned more about Mike, I understood how his education in English, training as a teacher, and experience with journalism, logically led to his various positions with daily, weekly, and regional papers. He refers to himself as representing “Gutenberg to Zuckerberg.” From linotype machines printing newspapers, to digital publications and social media, Mike’s career has kept up with all the communication changes along the way.

During one period of his career, he was the media guru for the Diocese of Southern Ohio, which was one of the many large-scale organizations under the Episcopal Church. It was during his tenure with the Diocese that he traveled extensively for national and international conventions, conferences, and symposia. On one such business trip to London, Barwell found himself interviewing the Archbishop of Canterbury and touring Buckingham Palace – parts of which were not on ordinary guided tourist routes.

On another business trip with this group, when he had gone up in the ranks and was in charge of newsrooms at the conventions (sometimes with 10,000 attendees), he had the good fortune to work with Desmond Tutu. His travels seemed limitless. One tale was about a trip to Moscow. Speaking casually, but excitedly, he described learning firsthand about the journalists there and their view of Western media as Communism collapsed in 1992.

When and where during these exciting travels – that other people dream about – did Mike come upon horticulture and landscaping? At one point, between positions and while living in Cincinnati, OH, he realized he’d always had an interest in landscapes. In his travels he was drawn to public parks, gardens, and pathways for walks and relaxation. So what did Barwell do then? He started a landscape business!

After completing a few projects, a very wealthy passerby frequenting the same neighborhood, complimented some of the gardens Mike designed and asked if he could do the same for his estate. What turned out to be a monumental project was accomplished (in Barwell’s words) using techniques implemented by ancient Egyptians. He built a series of nineteen stairs up a hillside by moving the stones with rollers (logs) tied and lugged up! (The project remains one of the highlights of his career, and it was the kindling for his work with the Stone Trust here in New England, where he was recently elected vice president. He will help the Stone Trust develop clear goals, Standard Operating Procedures, and more publicity for their outstanding work.)

After moving east, Mike worked as communications director at St. Paul’s School in Concord and later as media relations manager for Dartmouth Hitchcock. The move to New Hampshire enabled him to devote more time to what he was increasingly more curious about – plants and trees. After retiring from Dartmouth-Hitchcock in 2018, he decided not to “rust in retirement” and took some UNH Cooperative Extension courses, becoming a Master Gardener and a Natural Resources Steward.

Around this time he became an NHLA member and early on joined the Education Committee. With his journalism background and all of his experiences working with different cultures and backgrounds, it was a perfect “fit” – an opportunity to offer his expertise in organizational behavior, group retreat facilitation, and publicity/marketing efforts. His planning and streamlining skills have aided NHLA in its current efforts to increase membership and to bring the news to members in a digital format.

His leadership helped NHLA develop Safety Days, Field Days, and more evolved relationships with similar organizations. He was instrumental in reviving our Dinner Meetings and in re-energizing Landscape After Hours events (formerly Twilight Meetings). His resourcefulness connected us with appropriate presenters and brought new ideas to increase attendance at these events.

Mike has been pivotal in the new NHTI – NHLA collaborative effort that is developing a rigorous, short-term, affordable certificate program giving students an introduction to the Green Industry. Hardscapes, lighting, irrigation, and plants are all folded into the curriculum, which will bring long-term benefits to NHLA and the condition of landscapes throughout the state. The first certificate program debuts this spring, focusing on developing a culture of safety in the work-place.

It’s obvious that Mike’s expertise and passion have had a positive impact on the many groups and non-profits he’s collaborated with over his career, including NHLA.

Before closing out the interview with more details, however, Mike insisted on noting that the growth in NHLA is due to the work of the Board and the Education Committee. He was quick to describe the pride he has in the way NHLA Board members have established and outlined goals through honest, open-minded, and safe conversations at its meetings and yearly retreats. They have diligently pursued creative programming for business owners as well as with team and crew members working directly in the field. Many landscapers become managers, who may have a passion for plants, but not as much experience on the business side. By offering informative sessions on topics such as human resources, insurance, health and safety of employees, and accounting practices, members can attend the sessions that provide the professional expertise they need.

Mesmerized by his experiences and his open-minded approach to working with the Education Committee and the Board, it was tough to bring the conversation directly back to plants! His voice calmed down a bit when asked, “what’s your favorite plant?” A quick two-fold response was offered. Favorite plant – columbine. He gave a short and sweet description of columbine and the delicate nature of the blooms, and just as quickly added that he loves peonies. With both flowers, he related some sentimental stories of saving seeds from his grandmother’s garden. Those columbine seeds have been planted and grown in New York, Michigan, and Ohio at the many homes he and his family have lived in. He likes thinking they have provided new owners great joy when their blossoms open each spring. Peonies from his great grandmother’s gardens have also been a part of the Barwell family’s moves to other properties.

After the nostalgic stories dissipated, Mike smiled broadly and announced that he has a new venture. (Remember the Border Collie analogy? He just can’t be still!) It’s a garden care business relying primarily on word-of-mouth (“the best advertising anyone can have”) in his hometown of Contoocook – Tooky Gardens. His clients are interested in the estate-style gardening and plant choices he’s been fascinated with since creating his first garden as a ten-year old. We’ll see how many clients find themselves with new varieties of columbine or peonies in different colors alongside interesting companion plants, all displaying an elegant sophistication with which he hopes to pepper Tooky Garden properties.

NHLA is fortunate to have captured Mike Barwell’s energy and imagination. His efforts have helped the Association increase member benefits and, overall, have contributed to the health and safety of Green Industry businesses and their employees.

Introduce yourself to Mike when you see him at Dinner Meetings, Safety Days, or the big event, NHLA Field Day at the Belknap 4-H Fairgrounds (which is getting larger every year). Be prepared for a welcoming and invigorating conversation that may lead to new ideas and new programming.