Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association
9th Annual Garden Contest - 2013 Winners
Co-Sponsored by the Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association
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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. Congratulations to the winners, and to all of those who did not win, yet contribute to making our neighborhood so beautiful. … Do you think we got enough rain in June? At least we didn’t have to water much.
Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden
6104 Rolling Hill – The little plaque says “Greg’s Garden,” and Greg should be proud of it! We loved the river rock border and the tilted pot planter. We saw coneflowers, zinnias, cosmos, blue-eyed peas (a native plant), spectacular yellow calla lilies, verbena, African daisy, and blue sunflower vine.
Second Place - $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden
502 Evergreen – Beautiful for its color choices. The salmons and purples work so well together. We liked the miniature rose in the ornamental bicycle, the frog statue, and the white tombstone edging. We saw a pot of dusty miller, luscious hanging baskets, hosta, clematis, and Stella d’Oro lilies. The colors were enhanced by the dark mulch.
Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden
2501 Grist Mill – Wonderful gardens, both front and rear (visible from Knapp Road [Ed.- should say Bell Run Blvd.]). Nice slate wall, very healthy hostas, white lilies, zinnias, potted geraniums, pink hydrangea, a birdbath and a bell-shaped wind chime. In the rear we saw a Japanese maple, mandevilla, and hostas.
Honorable Mentions (in order by address) - $15 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden
204 Signal Hill – A well-conceived garden in a small space, extended along the driveway. We saw Stella d’Oro lilies, lamb’s ears, calla lilies, Euphorbia and a butterfly bush.
1002 Kenwood – This is an understated garden that might go unnoticed at first. It is well-thought out, with a subtle, sophisticated color scheme (pinks and purples) and use of textures playing against each other. We saw a purple plum tree, pink astilbe, pink New Guinea impatiens, spider wort, red coleus, hostas and tickseed.
2402 Grist Mill – A returning favorite, with colorful beds in the front and rear (visible from Knapp Road). A garden full of healthy plants, we saw celosia, hydrangeas, Japanese maple, and impatiens (which avid gardeners know are scarce this year).
3401 Carriage – This garden always looks good, but was completely redesigned this season. We liked the tier created by fieldstone, and the birdbath. The flat stone pathway is a nice design element. We saw dusty miller, coleus, hostas, and a hanging basket of impatiens. The undulating block border is a nice touch.
4801 Congress – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (the Bauhaus architect) would have liked this garden, because it exemplifies the less-is-more credo. Everything is neat, even and orderly, starting with the block raised bed. It is not a flowering garden; it has ornamental grasses, miniature boxwood, and Heuchera (coral bells). And Mies may not have approved of the angel and St. Francis statues, but we do.
5203 Plantation – This garden looks like a nice place to sit a spell, with the inviting Adirondack chairs. We saw Japanese maple, Stella d’Oro lilies, geranium, hostas, and ornamental grasses. The armillary sphere statue and birdbath are nice touches.
5702 Constitution – Wonderful garden, with big yellow lilies, celosia, begonias, impatiens (rare this year) and hollyhocks, which you don’t see many of in Gwynedd Pointe. Good mixture of tall, medium-height and short plants.
6105 Rolling Hill – If we had a Gwyedd Pointe Garden Contest Hall of Fame, this one would be in it. The two wine barrel planters are gorgeous. Some of the plants we saw include sweet potato vine, bee balm, lobelia and dracaena. The birdbath makes a nice focal point.
6600 Colonial – A yearly favorite. Well-trimmed evergreens and bushes and gorgeous colors in front of them. We saw clematis, Stella d’Oro lilies, daisies, butterfly bush and balloon flowers. The line of rocks ties everything together.
7005 Colonial – A real dazzler! We saw cranesbill geranium, blue larkspur, dozens of daisies, coneflowers, hostas, petunias and Heuchera (coral bells).
Judges’ Note –There were contenders on every court and drive, but there could only be thirteen winners.
Special thanks to Frank DePace of Continental Property Management for his support, and to all the great gardeners that help to make Gwynedd Pointe so attractive!
Disclaimer: We did our best to properly identify plants, but it’s not always easy.
Go to http://www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/ for rules and more information.
