Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association
10th Annual Garden Contest - 2014
Winners
Co-Sponsored by the Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners
Association
&
The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, North Wales
Congratulations to the
winners, and to those who did not win yet contribute to making our neighborhood
so beautiful! * We saw remnants of the bad winter, but our homeowners did an
excellent job of replacing damaged plants and shrubs. * Thank you to the Rhoads
Garden for ten years of sponsorship! * Did you see the blue bottle tree in one
of our villages?
Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the
Rhoads Garden
3503 Carriage – This
beautiful garden has won it all before, yet the gardener changes it every year.
The fountain draws you in, and the sunflower spinner provides an elliptical
focus. We saw hibiscus, zinnia, coleus, verbena, Shasta daisy, yellow lantana,
variegated vinca, geranium, black-eyed Susan and May night salvia. The basket
with calibrachoa on the porch is a winning touch.
6104 Rolling Hill
– Another garden that is always a winner. The little plaque that says “Greg’s
Garden” is still there, and like the gardener above, Greg changes things around
every year. We saw yellow sundrops, petunias, catnip, snapdragons, African
daisy, yarrow (a native plant), blue-eyed grass and pink, red and purple
verbena.
701 Evergreen Court – This is a colorful garden with a
gazing ball as a focal point We saw heuchera, coral bells, heather, sedum,
begonias, marigolds, geraniums and a basket of pansies. Like our grand prize
and second place winners, 701 has a great variety of plants, guaranteeing
blooms throughout the summer. The cocoa shell mulch makes a nice backdrop.
Honorable Mentions (in order by address) - $15
Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden
805 Evergreen –
This garden belongs in our hall of fame. Like the top three winners, it varies
from year to year. The birdbath and trellises with clematis are still there,
and we saw begonias, New Guinea impatiens, salvia, hosta and roses. But the key
to this garden is the orderly placement of the plants.
3404 Carriage – This one had a tree ruined by
the rough winter that was gone by mid-June, and it made all the difference. The
garden is relatively simple compared to past years, with a less is more
approach with New Guinea impatiens, sage and dianthus. The birdbath and rabbit
(not real) are nice touches.
4102 Quaker – As
you look around this garden you find many places that please the eye. We saw
petunia, sedum, portulaca in a snail-shaped pot, Stella d’Oro lilies and iris.
The matching pots with geranium and tropical hibiscus add a touch of elegance,
as do the two planters of geraniums on each side of the garage door. Nice
textural contrasts.
4403 Congress – Think
you can’t have a beautiful garden in a small, shady space? Think again. This
weed-free, nicely edged garden has a birdbath as a focal point and quite a few
rabbit statues (do they fool our resident fox?). We saw impatiens, calibrachoa,
petunia, SunPatiens, nice flower boxes and hanging planters in a tree.
4804 Congress – We
love the schist border in the front. We saw birds nest spruce groundcover,
Stella d’Oro lilies, hydrangea, barbary hedge and tickseed.
5001 Plantation –
A pretty, neat garden. We saw clematis, lobularia (?), Stella d’Oro lilies,
impatiens and snapdragons.
5402 Plantation – The
only garden in our village with a moose and teddy bear tea party! The pots
lining the walkway could come off sloppy, but here, they work and expand the
planting area. We saw New Guinea impatiens, lots of calibrachoa, roses,
variegated elephant ear by the doorway, caladium, and a lamium groundcover. A
happy place!
5802 Constitution
– A good example of a shade garden. What is nice about this one is how the height
of the plants start small in front and get progressively larger going back. We
saw lots of hosta, dianthus, day lilies and coneflower. Nice river rock border,
and armillary sphere.
6400 Rolling Hill
– This one has sure grown over the years, from when it was a nice,
postage-stamp sized garden. Color coordination has always been a strong suit,
as with the green pillow on a bench. We saw New Guinea impatiens, hosta, acaena,
rhododendron, bleeding heart, geranium, begonias, dianthus, and a shapely rock
for focus. Take a look at what the little boy and girl statues are holding.
6604 Colonial – The
garden between the hollies, making a nice colorful impression. We saw impatiens,
white alyssa, and petunia and calibrachoa in baskets. These play well off the
dark mulch. And playing peekaboo in the back is a rose that was blooming in
mid-June.
Judges’ Notes
–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.
