2024 WINNERS

 

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

20^th Annual Garden Contest - 2024 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/. 

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.             

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.

 

20^th Anniversary of the Garden Contest

 

Because it is a milestone anniversary for the contest, it might be fun to recognize those who have reached the top spot since its inception.

First place finishers from the first 19 years: 

2023 – 6105 Rolling Hill	2013 – 6104 Rolling Hill
2022 – 1002 Kenwood	2012 – 2402 Grist Mill
2021 – 6903 Colonial	2011 – 6105 Rolling Hill
2020 – 6901 Colonial	2010 – 3503 Carriage
2019 – 5402 Plantation (rear)	2009 – 805 Evergreen
2018 – 205 Signal Hill (rear)	2008 – 805 Evergreen
2017 – 2902 Harvard	2007 -  3503 Carriage
2016 – 6201 Rolling Hill	2006 – 2204 Harvard
2015 – 6500 Rolling Hill	2005 – 905 Kenwood
2014 – 3503 Carriage

 

And this year’s winners …

Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

(Click on images to enlarge them.)

6104 Rolling Hill – We know it’s “Greg’s Garden” because a little sign tells us so. First place in 2013, second place last year. And Greg changes it annually. We understand that a couple of trees had to be removed because of some utility digging, which presented an opportunity for further revision.

Greg’s Garden is chock full of a variety of plants. We saw celosia, bee balm, hydrangea, a nice grouping of white, pale pink and magenta astilbe, calla lily, evening primrose, Orion geranium, a holly tree, “pretty in pink” Bidens, yellow snowdrops, pink yarrow, liatris, blue evolvulus, dwarf morning glory, yellow lantana, black-eyed Susans, and pink rubina – all these, and they work well together! Accented with a rock, a bird bath and a cart, and a nicely-shaped serpentine block border.  The predominance of yellow and orange makes this garden stand out.

 

Second Place – $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

 

7304 Union –  Gorgeous garden, with a bench as a focal point. The frogs seem to move around every year.  The purple and pink hydrangea make a stunning backdrop, in a classic garden design – one continuous, dense planting. We saw sedum, dusty miller, yarrow, lilies, diamond frost euphorbia, lamium, and lysimachia ciliate firecracker. In pots we saw creeping Jenny, asplenium fern and begonias.

Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

3503 Carriage –  Another garden that has won (twice) and been recognized with honorable mentions several times in our contest. This year’s edition is particularly fetching. Great use of a sloping yard. We saw yellow day lilies, multi-colored hibiscus, a beautiful butterfly bush, liatris, gardenia, lantana, creeping Jenny, rose campion, and dahlias.

We really liked the individual displays, such as these arranged rocks at the bottom of a planter.

 

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

105 Signal Hill – Great combination of reds and yellows.  Even the door hanging and carpet copy the red theme. A nice bench to sit. We saw mandevilla, begonia, creeping Jenny, native honeysuckle, rose, holly, blue spruce and orange begonia. The globe/gazing ball on the side is a nice touch.

1404 Liberty – Simple elegance. The lavender looks great next to the variegated hosta. Nice slate border, and a cypress bookend. A bubbling birdbath (adding sound). A hummingbird feeder. We saw veronica and hens and chickens. All about texture and foliage, with petal accents.

1501 Liberty – A beautiful garden. Yellows and reds really jazz up the front. The white alyssum makes an eye-catching border. We saw yellow sun drops, hydgrangea, geraniums, marigolds, mandevilla, and nice block border.

3105 Harvard – Beautiful containers add to this lovely garden. The reds highlight the red cut-leaf Japanese maple at the front. We saw oak leaf hydrangea, lilyturf, variegated hostas, coleus, sedum, day lilies, coleus, roses, dracaena, impatiens, and dianthus. Garden is well-mulched.

3805 Quaker – To the best of the judges’ recollection, this is a new garden, and it’s off to a good start. The gardener makes good use of symmetry. We saw hydrangea, impatiens, and dusty miller. Very well mulched.

4102 Quaker – Nice display with hydrangea, day lilies, marigolds and dahlias. Dog statue provides interest. Nice use of containers and planters.

5402 Plantation (front, and rear, facing Bell Run) – The gardener here confounds the judges. We don’t know what to make of her garden because it is far from what you expect for a suburban yard. There is always a grand theme. She changes it every year (every season, really). And her plant choices are impeccable. There was even discussion of making this the grand prize winner. But the artistic vision relies much on non-plant material. Does that matter? One of the judges, a master gardener, insists it doesn’t. She won our contest in 2019, and has won statewide contests. We are talking about the back yard, visible from Bell Run. But the front yard, facing Plantation, is also gorgeous. So we’re honoring this garden this year, front and rear, with an honorable mention. Just know, though, that this is a special place inhabited by an artistic spirit. This year’s theme involves gnomes and is quite appealing.

In the front yard (not pictured), we saw lacecap hydrangea, white astilbe, geraniums, and a nice tombstone border. In the rear, we saw phlox, astilbe, tiger lilies, impatiens, dwarf blue mink, butterfly weed (a great pollinator), iris, bee balm, native fern, feverfew, liatris and thread-leaf blue star.

6005 Rolling Hill – Very well kept, great containers. We especially liked the dichondra “silver falls” in the planters with geranium, really causing the colors to stand out.

6501 Rolling Hill – A nice, small garden with cheery splashes of color. We saw lantanas, impatiens, hydrangea, calla lily, spider wort, daisies, coneflowers, dahlias and creeping phlox.

6502 Rolling Hill – Another nice, small garden, adjacent to the one above. We saw bellflowers, shasta daisies , larkspurs, hydrangea, guara, dragon’s breath, sedum, and shrimp plant.

Judges’ Note: 6500 and 6503 Rolling Hill, end caps on this row, received recognition last year, on what must be the prettiest row of homes in Gwynedd Pointe, botanically speaking. Note also that Rolling Hill and the nearby Colonial have many fine gardens, including some that have been past winners in our contest.

Thank you to Christian Cooper 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 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.