2007 Winners

1st Prize - 3503 Carriage

2nd Prize - 3404 Carriage

3rd Prizes - 2905 Harvard & 6602 Colonial

Honorable Mentions:

6601 Colonial
4403 Congress
1301 Kenwood
2501 Grist Mill
6105 Rolling Hill
3005 Harvard
905 Kenwood
805 Evergreen
4601 Congress
2204 Harvard

Judge's Comments:

It is time for me to finalize my thoughts and opinions on the various gardens throughout the Gwynedd Pointe Complex. Once 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.

I have made five visits to Gwyenedd 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 the annuals continue to grow, it is amazing how much the gardens change.

1st - 3503 Carriage
- 2nd place last year
- Couldn't get any more colorful - the hibiscus, marigolds, petunias, and impatiens, just wonderful!
- Last year, they had a large pear tree giving lots of shade - but they lost the tree in a storm and had to cut it down. I was anxious to see how they would respond to the new sunny growing environment. They passed with flying colors, even usning a water fountain to hide the old stump. - This year, they added hanging baskets to the pillars.
- Job well done!

2nd - 3404 Carriage
- Very colorful
- Geraniums and begonias at different levels throughout the garden
- The impatiens really stand out and pull you in
- The white impatiens really stand out and pull you in
- Hanging baskets and various plant stands add another dimension to the landscape
- The garden lights and bird bath complete the scene

3rd - 2905 Harvard
- I have been admiring this garden for years; it is always so colorful on the side of the house with all of the impatiens
- The red geraniums are loving the hot sun in the front yard
-The yellow pansies that were so pretty this spring are suffering from the hear of summer, but were an eye catcher earlier

HM - 6601 Colonial
- As mentioned above, this is always among my favorites.
- Lots of color, very vibrant - with all of the coleus and impatiens.

HM - 4403 Congress
- Great colors - waves of impatiens and vinca.
- Trellis for some height.
- A lot of stuff in a little space!

HM - 1301 Kenwood
- Just a nice, simple, clean, neat garden.
- The boxwoods with the statute in the front give a classic feel to the landscape.
- Coreopsis, hosta, and daylilies give texture as well as color to the garden.
- Variegated liriope.

HM - 2501 Gristmill
- Colorful back deck area visible from Bell Run.
- The mandevilla and colorful annuals and tropical plants give a resort fell to the deck - it's nice to be able to "vacation" at home!
- The front garden is simple but nicely done, accented by the dry-laid stone wall.

HM - 6105 Rolling Hill
- The wild garden look: not every garden has to be just colorful annuals, this garden has a little bit of everything in it! Cannas, clematis, coreopsis as well as hanging baskets by the front door.
- The purple and white petunias show well with the golden euonymus.

HM - 3005 Harvard
- Beautiful multi-level stone wall.
- Very colorful and inviting.
- The color of the showy petunias, verbenas, hydrangea, and pentas practically knocks you over, it is so strking!
- Bird feeder and flags, even the silk flowers on the porch add to the color!

HM - 905 Kenwood
- An old favorite of mine.
- Great perennials - a real natural look.
- Coreopsis and roses for early col0r, will have some nice color from the sedums this fall.

HM - 805 Evergreen
- A simple, but elegant garden with neatly trimmed shrubs, daylilies, catmint, and hostas for color, but the real standouts are the two iron trellises on the side of the house - they really make an impact against the tall, light-colored wall - the clematis planted at their base will make a nice show next year!

HM - 4601 Congress
- Petunias, zinnias, and box leaf euonymus add a lot of color and texture.
- Hanging baskets of non-stop begonias and petunias add some height.
- There is even a dog in the flowerbed (but don't worry, he looks friendly!)

HM - 2204 Harvard
- Another one of my old favorites.
- Bright white vinca in the front bed.
- The pots, trellis, and birdfeeders along the naturalized side and backyards are attractive add-ons.
- This well-tended garden is always changing.

Make sure to take the time to check out these and other gardens throughout the complex! I'm sure you'll find some that I've missed!

Keep up the good work and start planning for next year!

Committee Note: The Gwynedd Pointe Garden Contest Committee thanks Mike Kratz and his team at the Rhoads Garden for all of their hard work on ou contest! It is very much appreciated!!