2023 First Place Winner (Click on image to enlarge.)

 

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

TWENTIETH ANNUAL

GARDEN CONTEST

 

• Grand Prize-  $100 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Second Place -  $75 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Third Place -  $50 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Ten Honorable Mention Winners- $15 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden

 

• No Entry Fee or Application, Just Spruce

Up Your Garden

·        Judging to Occur During the Month of June

 

• ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES

• Front Garden
• Rear or Side Garden Visible to Passers-By

 

JUDGING CRITERIA/ CONSIDERATIONS

Color, Composition, Creativity, Texture, Theme, Functionality, Native Plants, Garden Accents, Pruning(!), Weeding(!!)&Other Aesthetic, Design & Ecological Factors

 

Winners will be announced on or about

July 4, 2024, at

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

 

Co-Sponsored by:  Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Garden Contest                   Committee and The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, No. Wales

 

(Committee Members and Association Officers are not eligible to participate.)

 

****  Please Note:  All residents must follow the architectural guidelines of the community.  Changes to fencing and borders, etc., require submission of a Request for Architectural Review Form and pre-approval by the Architectural Review Committee.  For information, call the manager at 215-343-1550.

For lists of prior winners and a copy of these rules, go to

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

 2023 WINNERS

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

19^th Annual Garden Contest - 2023 Winners

Co-Sponsored by the Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

&

The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, North Wales

We say it every year – it gets harder and harder to judge the wonderful gardens in Gwynedd Pointe because there are so many great ones. If you are wondering what the judges look for, see the criteria at http://gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/2016/05/. 

 There are a dozen or more gardeners with gorgeous displays each year. In the spirit of encouraging newer gardeners, and because we only have thirteen prizes, we can’t always provide the recognition they deserve. We all know who they are – we see their handiwork – and hope they know we appreciate their contributions to the attractiveness of our community. And remember to judge for yourself as that is part of the fun! We won’t be upset if you disagree with our choices.

 As in the past, the story this year has been the weather. The first half of June was marked by draught and lower than average temperatures, and then the skies opened and it poured and poured. But nothing stops our gardeners from creating beautiful displays.│Primarily, we considered the five Fs of great garden design: form, foliage, flowers, fruits (bird food) and fragrance.│We did our best to identify plants, but it’s not always easy.

 Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 6105 Rolling Hill – When we first honored this one in 2007, we began with “The wild garden look.” That continued to be an apt description as we recognized it through the years. (It was reported that the gardener would take handfuls of wildflower seed mixture and spread them around just to see what came up.) Now, the garden designer has completely flipped aesthetically to create what could be the most beautiful garden in the history of our contest. Nothing wild left here; the placement of everything is with intention. The centerpiece is the tall ceramic pottery fountain surrounded by tiles and flowers of complementary colors. The Irish moss tying it all together is a great way to maintain weedless areas. We saw celosia, dianthus, lobelia, dahlias, begonias, and on the side, a small patch of arum italicum.

 Second Place – $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 6104 Rolling Hill – The sign says “Greg’s Garden,” and it runs right up to the one above. (We hear that the neighbors/gardeners are good friends who encourage each other.) We’ve honored this one before as well. But like next door, the gardener keeps changing it, this year adding a wheel-shaped plant stand. We saw petunias, sundrops, coral bells, dianthus, bee balm, heather, black & blue salvia, astilbe, lantana, geraniums and pansies. Also, several well-placed garden ornaments. It all became super-lush after the rains.

 Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 3504 Carriage – This small garden takes its cue from its two peacock statues, as it is full of color. We saw Shasta daisies, roses, big-leaf coreopsis, hostas, daylilies, yellow hibiscus, speedwell, coneflowers, purple phlox, vinca, running up to well-manicured evergreens.

 Honorable Mentions (in order by address) - $15 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 200 Signal Hill – A newer, whimsical garden, with a bike-turned-garden ornament as its focus. The annuals burst with color. We also saw phlox, dianthus, hosta, vinca, lavender, mandevilla, heather, and roses. Nicely-shaped brick border and great use of garden ornaments.

 1104 Kenwood – A prime example of a garden display based on balance and symmetry. The crepe myrtles are bookends for colorful New Guinea impatiens. The container is well-balanced with creeping Jenny, geraniums, petunias, and lantana.

 Judges’ Note: There are many fine gardens on Kenwood.

 1605 Liberty – A newer garden with a great shape determined by a wonderful rock border. The laddered pansy containers and urn full of pansies are lovely and well kept.

 3405 Carriage – A lovely setting with gorgeous plantings. The red flowers accent the brick façade and the hosta leaves are a fitting background for the garden and its resident chickens (ornaments). We saw spigelia, red sunpatiens, coreopsis, daylilies, and hanging baskets.

 4007 Quaker – A nice border defines this garden. We saw Shasta daisies, rhododendron, butterfly bush, daylilies, rose, grandiflora coreopsios, coneflower, and a nice dogwood tree.

 4403 Congress – The theme of this garden has been “blue” for some time. Like Van Gogh, the gardener/artist has taken to adding yellow to this setting in forms of non-plant material, and it really pops. The daisies, rabbit statuary, and impatiens are still there, yet a nice, new look.

 6005 Rolling Hill – Pretty, colorful, neat, eclectic, and well-maintained describe this attractive garden. We saw some lighter-colored coral bells, hostas, sunpatiens, vinca, and mandevilla.

 6500 Rolling Hill – There is so much to this beautiful garden, as it continues around the side of the end-unit. We saw Shasta daisies, clematis, red-tip photinia, alba geraniums, lilies, cut-leaf coneflowers, a nice butterfly-shaped bench, and a lot more.

  6503 Rolling Hill – Gorgeous corner garden with yellow flowers on the side. The repetition of day lilies, coreopsis, and the basket of gazania (we think) makes a strong color statement. Balance of garden is nicely mulched with pops of color. It also has a fine example of a Victorian edge, that is, the edge is simply a clean earthen trench as opposed to materials such as stone or brick.

 Judges’ Note: Rolling Hill and the nearby Colonial (housing a couple of past winners) are gardening paradises.

 7100 Union – This garden really transformed over the month of June, as it was a work in progress early on. Best sunflowers (only ones this year?) in the development, lilies, hibiscus, a bath for the birds, and a nice bench on which to rest and take it all in.

 Judges’ Note: Union is a good place to see nice gardens, several of which are past winners.

 Thank you to Hal Morley of Continental Property Management, our HOA board, The Rhoads Garden for its years of support, and the judges. For contest rules and lists of past winners, go to http://www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/. Happy gardening!

 2023 RULES

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

NINETEENTH ANNUAL

GARDEN CONTEST

 

• Grand Prize -  $100 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Second Place -  $75 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Third Place -  $50 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Ten Honorable Mention Winners - $15 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden

 

• No Entry Fee or Application, Just Spruce

Up Your Garden

·       Judging to Occur During the Month of June

 

• ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES

• Front Garden
• Rear or Side Garden Visible to Passers-By

 

JUDGING CRITERIA/ CONSIDERATIONS

Color, Composition, Creativity, Texture, Theme, Functionality, Native Plants, Garden Accents, Pruning(!), Weeding(!!) & Other Aesthetic, Design & Ecological Factors

 

Winners will be announced on or about

July 4, 2023, at

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

 

Co-Sponsored by:  Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Garden Contest                   Committee and The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, No. Wales

       

 (Committee Members and Association Officers are not eligible to participate.)

 

****  Please Note:  All residents must follow the architectural guidelines of the community.  Changes to fencing and borders, etc., require submission of a Request for Architectural Review Form and pre-approval by the Architectural Review Committee.  For information, call the manager at 215-343-1550.

For lists of prior winners and a copy of these rules, go to

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

____________________________________________________________

2022 WINNERS

 

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

18^th Annual Garden Contest - 2022 Winners

Co-Sponsored by the Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

&

The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, North Wales

We say it every year – it gets harder and harder to judge the wonderful gardens in Gwynedd Pointe because there are so many great ones. If you are wondering what the judges look for, see the criteria at http://gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/2016/05/. 

 There are a dozen or more gardens that are beautiful every year. In the spirit of encouraging newer gardeners, and because we only have thirteen prizes, we can’t always provide the recognition they deserve. We all know who they are – we see their handiwork – and hope they know we appreciate their contributions to the attractiveness of our community. And remember to judge for yourself as that is part of the fun! We won’t be upset if you disagree with our choices. 

Primarily, we considered the five Fs of great garden design: form, foliage, flowers, fruits (bird food) and fragrance. We did our best to identify plants, but it’s not always easy.

Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

1002 Kenwood – We first noticed this well-tended garden a couple of years ago, and it gets better each year. It is all of a piece, with all elements seemingly in the right places, with sophistication, elegance, and even a peacefulness. We saw lady’s mantle, Japanese ferns, coreopsis, gorgeous spiderworts, Cranesbill geraniums, pansies, lobelia, hellebores, hostas, small Japanese maple, creeping blue juniper, and astilbes along the walkway. Nice repetition of colors throughout. Touches of yellow add nice, bright accents.

Second Place – $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

3503 Carriage  – A perennial favorite, excuse the pun, the gardener here changes things up every year and is an expert with playing with the sloping topography and plant height to produce a dramatic effect. We saw rose campion, hibiscus, a tall sunflower which is already a focal point and not even blooming yet, butterfly bush, lantana, creeping Jenny, ornamental fruits and berries, Joe-pye weed, and an interesting-looking elephant-shaped watering can.

Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

6104 Rolling Hill – The sign identifies it as “Greg’s Garden,” and you may recognize the name because we’ve honored it before. Similar to 1002 Kenwood, above, in that there are visual reasons why plants are where they are planted, so to speak, and this year it looks really good. From our perspective, the left side of the walkway contains the perennials and the right side has the annuals. We saw astible, black and blue salvia, heather, bee balm, coral bells, lantana, pansies, geraniums, and sundrops. Our feathered friends surely enjoy the birdbath.

 

Honorable Mentions (in order by address) - $15 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

401 Evergreen – This garden is a couple of years old and is coming along nicely, with well-chosen placements within a smaller space. We saw petunias, pentas, bee balm, rose, hydrangea, coneflower, zinnia, and oxalis. There is also an attractive basket of begonias and lantana.

903 Kenwood – The whitish stone mulch makes for a neat, orderly display. Many who use stone mulch place landscaping fabric or plastic under it and expect that maintenance will not be needed. But the stones catch dust and leaves that soon decompose and become soil, and weed seeds, and then the garden needs tending. This one is well-cared for. The coneflowers, euonymus and salvia farinacea look great among the stones.

Judges’ Note: There are many fine gardens on Kenwood.

3404 Carriage – This smaller garden has a nice, neat border and a birdbath as focal point. We saw liriope, penta, lantana, and petunias surrounding a Kousa dogwood.

4100 Quaker – There are some nice gardens in this row and this one sits back a bit. A wonderful display of violas, impatiens, Stella D’Oro lilies, daylilies, coneflower, balloon flower, perilla leaf (a Korean mint) and rhododendron.

4304 Congress – This is a nice garden that has to deal with limited sunlight. We saw hosta, white azalea, yellow lilies, gladiolas, coneflower and begonia.

5905 Constitution – An attractive garden inside scalloped edging. The St. Francis statue provides focus. We saw boxwoods, liriope (we think), coral bells, abelia, a white potted geranium, a sundial and an ornamental sphere.

6105 Rolling Hill – We’ve honored this garden quite a few times. It’s back because we’ve never seen a display quite as thoughtful and attractive of what almost looks like a plant painting in the middle of it all. It includes Scotch moss, celosia and dianthus.

6501 Rolling Hill – A beautiful display of Shasta daisy, geraniums, vinca, azalea, holly, and marigolds in pots. A couple of boulders provide a nice contrast.

6803 Colonial – This whimsical garden certainly makes you stop and look, particularly the metal lizards and other garden art pieces among the brightly-colored flowers, all contained within a nice piled fieldstone border.

Judges’ Note: Rolling Hill and Colonial are gardening paradises.

7103 Union – Overall this garden has an interesting yellow tint, from the grasses and the sea oats along the wall. We saw orange snapdragons, celosia, orange lily, hosta, lemony lace elderberry (we think), a Japanese maple, and a baseball player sculpture.

Judges’ Note: Union is a good place to see nice gardens, some of which belong to board or committee members who are ineligible for the contest.

Thank you to Hal Morley of Continental Property Management, our HOA board, The Rhoads Garden for its years of support, and the judges. For contest rules and lists of past winners, go to http://www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/. Happy gardening!

2022 RULES

 

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL

GARDEN CONTEST

Grand Prize -  $100 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden

• Second Place -  $75 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Third Place -  $50 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden
• Ten Honorable Mention Winners - $15 Gift Certificate for The Rhoads Garden

 

• No Entry Fee or Application, Just Spruce

Up Your Garden

·        Judging to Occur During the Month of June

 

• ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES

• Front Garden
• Rear or Side Garden Visible to Passers-By

 

JUDGING CRITERIA/ CONSIDERATIONS

Color, Composition, Creativity, Texture, Theme, Functionality, Native Plants, Garden Accents, Pruning(!), Weeding(!!) & Other Aesthetic, Design & Ecological Factors

 

Winners will be announced on or about

July 4, 2022, at

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

 

Co-Sponsored by:  Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Garden Contest                   Committee and The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, No. Wales

      

 (Committee Members and Association Officers are not eligible to participate.)

 

****  Please Note:  All residents must follow the architectural guidelines of the community.  Changes to fencing and borders, etc., require submission of a Request for Architectural Review Form and pre-approval by the Architectural Review Committee.  For information, call the manager at 215-343-1550.

For lists of prior winners and a copy of these rules, go to

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

2021 WINNERS

 

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

17^th Annual Garden Contest - 2021 Winners

 

Co-Sponsored by the Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

&

The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, North Wales

 

We say it every year – it gets harder and harder to judge the wonderful gardens in Gwynedd Pointe because there are so many great ones.  Most rewarding was seeing many new gardens that were probably “COVID-19” projects. The trick now is to maintain and improve them.

 

We again considered the five Fs of great garden design: form, foliage, flowers, fruits (bird food) and fragrance. We did our best to identify plants, but it’s not always easy. There were superb gardens throughout Gwynedd Pointe, but there can be only thirteen winners. Please judge for yourself, as that is part of the fun!

 

Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 

6903 Colonial – A very creative new garden comes in first! The key is the effective use of raised beds to add dimensionality. This garden was designed by someone with a good eye; notice the balance on both sides of the walkway. We saw a colorful selection of annuals, gladiolas. Many of the ornaments such as the decorated gazing ball are homemade. The stones for the downspout, even, make a design statement.

 

Second Place – $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 

2502 Grist Mill – Gorgeous beds formed with stacked stone. Cascading annuals under a redbud tree. We saw boxwoods, Shasta daisies, pink ladies primrose. A nice sedum ground cover. Red geraniums flank the porch. Garden seems natural and serene. I’m told strangers out for walks stop and photograph it, that is how beautiful it is.

 

Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 

1304 Kenwood – A new garden last year when it received an honorable mention, it rises to the podium this year. Framed by variegated leaf hollies, the balance and symmetry of this garden are remarkable. The Japanese maple is a nice focal point. Nice variety of plants, such as impatiens, vinca, hostas, coleus, Asiatic lilies, celosia, nice rough-edged brick border. The row between the sidewalk and the building has been filled in nicely with annuals and pink lilies.

 

Honorable Mentions (in order by address) - $15 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 

200 Signal Hill – A newer garden. Nice edging, nice shape, with contours that include the front peninsula. Nice mix of ground, potted and hanging plants. We saw four small boxwoods (good for winter interest when the time comes), red gladiolas, lilyturf, hydrangea, nice annuals in front of a rose. Pinwheel and angel statue provide non-plant interest.

 

1102 Kenwood – A reimagined garden with a nice loose-flagstone border. Well-placed plants, including astilbe, calla lilies, speedwell, hosta, and azalea. Very attractive display.

 

1104 Kenwood – Another reimagined garden on Kenwood, this one with a formal block stone wall. We saw boxwood, lantana, New Guinea impatiens, but the highlight was the two crepe myrtle trees standing as sentries.

 

3504 Carriage – White tombstone border for a pretty front entrance bed. A good variety of flowers, we saw pink dianthus, Shasta daisies, coneflowers, day lilies, speedwell, yellow dipladenia, lantana, rose, and ornamental fruits. The spiraling wind toy and statue of little boy and girl on a bench are nice touches.

 

4403 Congress – This is a carefully planned patriotic garden, red, white and blue throughout, from the flowers to the pot colors. We saw impatiens, the uncommon Asian virginsbower clematis, and a lilac that creates an outdoor room behind it, giving a small garden a larger appearance. Completing the theme we have Uncle Sam and flags, and some rabbit statues that are fun to see.

 

4700 Congress – A newer, attractive garden with a light-colored brick border, nicely shaped. Well-maintained and attractive with roses, boxwood, daffodils, an oak leaf hydrangea, hostas and calla lilies.

 

4703 Congress – Another newer, attractive garden, with a nice use of ninebark bush. All about foliage and form, probably could call it a shade or woodland garden. We saw blue-green leafed dianthus, seven well-placed hostas, azaleas, salvia, hanging ferns, lilies, good integration with the magnolia. The potted plants have no flowers but great foliage and form. Even the lone rock in the front is well-placed visually. (Has something more gardeners should do: paint the plastic sewer-cleanout cover black or suitable dark color to hide it.)

 

5402 Plantation (rear) – This garden, visible from the sidewalk of Bell Run, is a community treasure. It won our contest two years ago. Last year it received an honorable mention from us but at the same time won a blue ribbon in the Outdoor Home Garden category from the prestigious Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. It is a hard one to judge. Is it too busy or does the discovery of its multitude of visual delights give it its charm? A new theme every year, this summer’s is Mary Poppins. Kids are always stopping to enjoy it, so we’re invoking an implied sixth F of gardening, Fun. Note – it is more than a theatrical or artistic display. The gardening decisions regarding plant material are impeccable.

 

6104 Rolling Hill – This garden has been honored before, and each year has some changes to keep it very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. You might call it a woodland garden, at least in feel. Nice plant choices, we saw calla lilies, sundrops, coreopsis over stone, coneflower, hardy geraniums, and potted annuals.

 

7304 Union – This one has been honored before but has been nicely redesigned to create the feeling of a multi-purpose space in the front, with pavers and a bench. The huge pots have beautiful coloring. Lots of nice plants, we saw hydrangea, yarrow, spotted dead nettle along the wall. And we can rest easy – the gardener has kept the frog figures!

 

Thank you to Hal Morley of Continental Property Management, our HOA board, The Rhoads Garden for its years of support, and the judges. For contest rules and lists of past winners, go to http://www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/. Judging criteria is at http://gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/2019/03/. Happy gardening!