2006 Winners

1st Prize - 2204 Harvard

2nd Prize - 3503 Carriage

3rd Prizes - 6500 Rolling Hill & 6601 Colonial

Honorable Mentions:

6600 Colonial
6602 Colonial
2403 Grist Mill
3005 Harvard
802 Evergreen
905 Kenwood
4904 Congress
4403 Congress
2501 Grist Mill
6200 Rolling Hill

Judge's Comments:

It is time for me to finalize my thoughts and opinions on the various gardens throughout the Gwynedd Pointe Complex. One again, another fine job of gardening in a tough situation with the limited growing space that is available. In a lot of ways it is harder to garden in a smaller space than it is in a large garden bed: you have to be really selective in your plant choices. It is also tougher to really express yourself through your garden when there are so many limitations. The weather this year was a real challendge as well with the heat, humidity, drought in early spring, and floods in the summer.

I made five visits to Gwynedd Pointe over a three-week period in order to give a fair evaluation of the gardens as they evolved through the summer. As perennials go in and out of bloom and annuals continue to grow, it is amazing how much the gardens change.

1st- 2204 Harvard
- 2nd place last year
- A nice mix of perennials and annuals and garden accents
- Lots of color
- This garden is really alive! On most of my visits there was lots of activity with finches and cardinals at the bird feeders and butterflies flitting from flower to flower.
- Note: early on there was a beautiful red geranium in the large pot under the window. When that was finished blooming it was replaced with a new yellow plant. I like to see that kind of upkeep.

2nd - 3503 Carriage
- Honorable mention last year
- Very inviting - a cool retreat with all of the impatiens and coleus under the pear tree
- I love the pots going up the steps.
- The colors really pack a punch in a small area.

3rd - 6500 Rolling Hill
- 3rd place last year
- Just as nice as last year
- Very colorful. Love the bright bold colors of the marigolds, daylilies, and cosmos
- Nice daylilies around the side and the back

3rd - 6601 Colonial
- Honorable mention last year
- Color, color, color, love the impatiens
_New Guinea impatiens

HM - 6600 Colonial
- Very nice mix of plants and colors.
- Begonias, lobelias, and double impatiens.

HM - 6602 Colonial
- Lots of color.
- Very attractive.

Note: The three neighbors above (6600, 6601, and 6602) appear to work together: the gardens just flow into each other with so much color that it really makes quite a show.

HM - 2403 Grist Mill
- Used a lot of heat tolerant plants like dipladenia and blue daze on a sunny back deck.
- Colorful front yard with hanging baskets under the tree.

HM - 3005 Harvard
- Nice multi-level stone wall with a nice mix of colorful petunias, verbenas, and pentas.
- Hydgrangea and lanterns complete the landscape.

HM - 802 Evergreen
- Something a little different - sort of a wild English garden look with many perennials like liatris, daylilies, and salvia.

HM - 905 Kenwood
- 1st place winner last year.
- Still one of my favorites with perovskia, coreopsis, and roses for a great show.

HM - 4904 Congress
- Nice side and front yard with low maintenance plants like variegated liriope (an under-utilized plant) and daylilies as well as New Guinea impatiens for color.

HM - 4403 Congress
- Very colorful with impatiens and vinca.
- I like the trellis with the pot rings.

HM - 2501 Grist Mill
- Stone wall out front.
- Nice mix of perennials.
- Attractive from Bell Run.

6200 Rolling Hill
- An almost secluded garden but the purple petunias really pull you in.
- The sedums should be in full bloom in a couple of weeks.

There were some new additions as well as some perennial favorites in this year's selections. Make sure you take the time to check out the gardens throughout the complex, you may find some hidden gems.

Committee Note:

Thank you to our judge, Mike Kratz, Nursery Manager at The Rhoads Garden, for all of his hard work that made this year's contest a success! He truly knows his stuff, and he's a great guy as well!!

Thank you to the Rhoads Garden for providing the prizes!

Thank you to Frank DePace and Continental Property Management for providing the award ribbons!

Congratulations to the winners! Your gardens are beautiful and an asset to the community. And there are quite a few new gardens in Gwynedd Pointe that will surely be contenders next year.