2016 WINNERS

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

12^th Annual Garden Contest - 2016 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. Congratulations to the winners, and to all of those who did not win, yet contribute to making our neighborhood so beautiful! There were contenders on every court and drive, but there could only be thirteen winners.

Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

6201 Rolling Hill – The judges love this garden! It's full, it's happy; it's got a lot going on. Some might call it busy, but it's a comfy busyness. The Liriope nicely frames the walkway and the very colorful flowers are a delightful jumble of yellows and reds. The turquoise watering can and matching pot are a good contrast with the colorful flowers. The Lantana in a basket is full and healthy looking. Hummingbirds are sure to stop here. We saw pansies, geraniums, hens and chicks plant, butterfly weed (guess what it attracts), and dill used ornamentally. And for whimsy, it has a “fairy garden.”

Second Place - $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

2902 Harvard – This shows what one can do with a small space, as it may have the smallest front yard in all of Gwynedd Pointe. Color is a key here. We saw New Guinea impatiens, daisies, a “thriller, filler (aka chiller) and spiller” pot arrangement, verbena, petunia, marigold, and hanging basket. Containers on the stairs provide a laddered look.

Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

7102 Union – A gorgeous garden. We saw roses, hosta, a sundial, coral bells, Calibrachoa, marigolds, hyacinths, and a hummingbird feeder. The colors in the garden match those in the wreath on the door.

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

104 Signal Hill – The two paths of river stone are the chief design elements in this small but well-maintained garden. We saw beautiful roses on both sides of the walkway, impatiens, potted begonias, and stella doro lilies.

405 Evergreen – The hostas, sedum, lilies, stepping stones, bench, wind spinner and burnt orange ball on a pedestal are arranged in a painterly fashion. Extra points for such good care and maintenance during the dry periods of June 2016.

803 Evergreen – A nicely organized newer garden. We saw New Guinea impatiens, a flowering maple for focus, roses, hostas, hydrangeas, hibiscus, and a basket that included petunia and verbena.

805 Evergreen – This is a “just so” beautiful garden (“just so,” meaning exacting attention to detail is the key). Talk about details, the yellow hibiscus matches the watering can and umbrella. We saw clematis, New Guinea impatiens, and begonia on a chair.

Judges’ note: There are many splendid gardens along Signal Hill, Evergreen and Kenwood.

1500 Liberty – A lovely, colorful garden. Within its stone border we saw hostas, lilies, petunias in a pot, clematis, verbena, geraniums in a hanging pot, and a birdbath.

3400 Carriage – Beautiful garden, neatly contained within a block border.  We saw stacked pots of petunias, a barrel of zinnias, hostas, morning glory, small junipers, Salvia superba, ornamental cats and butterflies, a flagstone wall and second raised wall, and creeping jenny.

Judges’ note: A lot of gardens on Carriage were contenders this year!

4102 Quaker – The blood red with orange lilies are spectacular. We saw hibiscus, potted red geraniums on each side of the garage doors, petunias, potted plants on the railings and a dog statue as focal point.

6200 Rolling Hill – There is a beautiful Kousa dogwood on the corner with nice, healthy hosta growing in its shade. There are pretty touches of pink geranium and delightful little Melampodium and pansies.

Judges’ note: Rolling Hill is a gardeners’ paradise, with many wonderful gardens!

6602 Colonial –The line of river rock makes a nice accent, repeated along the sidewalk. We saw celosia, holly, hydrangea, a rich dark mulch, and dianthus in baskets.

6901 Colonial – All about color. Even the wind spinners match the flowers. We saw pansies, lilies, petunias in a pot, snapdragons, stella doro lilies, violas, and begonias. There is a bistro set with lilies on the table, resembling a French café. The colors are tied to the colors in the door wreath.

Judges’ note: As usual, Colonial is a good place to find great gardens.

Special thanks to Frank DePace of Continental Property Management and The Rhoads Garden for their years of support, and to all the great gardeners that help to make Gwynedd Pointe so attractive!

Disclaimer: We did our best to correctly identify plants, but it’s not always easy.

Go to http://www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com/ for contest rules and more information.

A NOTE ON JUDGING

[Repeated from 11/12/14]

A NOTE ON JUDGING

Gwynedd Pointe gardeners have asked us what the judges look for when choosing the garden contest winners. We are happy to oblige.

First, judging is not easy. We have to equate some disparate sites to create a baseline. Some gardens are very small, out of necessity. Some have a lot of shade. End units can have five or six times the amount of space as others. We had toyed with the idea of having separate judging criteria, but decided that it would become so complex that it would no longer be fun.

So, what do we like to see?

One of the most important factors is the "first impression." There has to be something that catches our eyes as special, different or unusual.  

Most of the properties are nicely maintained, in part because of the association's watchful eye. Relative to gardens outside our development, all Gwynedd Pointe gardens are on the small side. Originality is more important here than in many other gardens. There has to be something that makes a garden "pop."  

Garden art, while not required, can add to the ambiance of small gardens. Different heights and the avoidance of monotony help create a positive overall impression of a garden space.  A trellis and vine back by a wall or near a walkway can often help.

Because our gardens are small, themes seem to help make a garden a winner. The theme could be all one color, waves or sweeps of the same type of plant, a patriotic color scheme, or an artistic arrangement of rocks and driftwood.

Weeds, and plants that need pruning, cannot be avoided. As judges, though, if we see the same defects on the several times that we revisit a garden, we are left with an unfavorable impression.

Nice use of native plants will draw our attention. It is also a way of helping the environment.

Something we can’t account for is when various flowers bloom or look their best. We judge during the month of June. Some Junes are wet, and in others we have drought. Some gardens look best in May, or in August. Practically, there is nothing we can do about it. The best we can say is that the garden contest is done for fun, so there are variables we just have to live with and not fret over.

What if a garden has won in the last couple of years; how can it win again? It needs to be different the following year. It's not that it doesn't look nice. But we look for newness when it comes to imagination, a new vision. Neighbors, judges and other gardeners are always looking for new ideas, new plants, new ways to show the same old plants, etc. It's why gardeners spend so much time reading magazines and visiting other people's gardens. We are most pleased when we come back with a novel idea and we are inspired to try it in our own gardens (or better still, improve upon it).  

We hope the above is helpful to garden contest aspirants. And if you don't win the contest, remember that gardening is good for you, nature and the community, and is a worthwhile pursuit in any event. Plus, the judges' choices are somewhat subjective. But as judges, we try our best and try to make the contest fun. We wish you luck! 

2016 RULES

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

TWELTH 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, 2016, at

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

Co-Sponsored by:  Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Garden Contest                   Committee and The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, No. Wales

      

For More Information, Call 484-831-9124.

(Committee Members and Association Officers are not eligible for the contest.)

****  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

2015 WINNERS

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

11^th Annual Garden Contest - 2015 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. Congratulations to the winners, and to all of those who did not win, yet contribute to making our neighborhood so beautiful! There were contenders on every court and drive, but there could only be thirteen winners.

Grand Prize - $100 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

6500 Rolling Hill – This garden has it all – garden art, color, even a hummingbird visit during judging. We saw coral bells, creeping Jenny, hostas in a crockery pot, gaura, lavender, lobelia, lantana, coreopsis, verbena, stella doro lilies, and geraniums bright against the cocoa mulch. Non-plant material includes wind chimes, a peacock sculpture, a little boy statue in a planter, and a glass bowl in a bird bath. Rocks at the end of the garden add a nice dimension to the space.

Judges Note: There are MANY gorgeous gardens along Rolling Hill. If you think we mean yours, we probably do!

Second Place - $75 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

3401 Carriage – Stunning garden. We saw hostas, begonias, stella doro lilies, pink heather, creeping Jenny, lilies, coleus, blue eyed grass (a native), and dichondra silver falls. The plant stand with hanging pots is like a beautiful still life painting, with lobelia, verbena, and calibrachoa; the vine on the shepherd’s hook shows the attention to detail in this garden. We liked the block border and flagstone raised bed, and a seashell easel-like artwork. Plants are a good size/scale for the space.

Third Place - $50 Gift Certificate for the Rhoads Garden

2402 Grist Mill – This garden is all about color! We saw New Guinea impatiens, regular impatiens, geraniums, black eyed Susan, and sedum. The colors in the wind spinners match the flower colors. Planters extend the garden down the walkway. Bonus view: the back yard, seen from Bell Run- stella doro lilies, New Guinea impatiens, geraniums, and a two-way spinning wind toy that provides visual interest.

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

205 Signal Hill – We liked the topiary shapes visually tying the garden together, and nice shades of yellow and orange. We saw dianthus, pomegranate yarrow, and a pot of pelargonium. Nice stone block border. The colored bottles in the window harmonize with the plant tones.

405 Evergreen – A nice outdoor room, with a visually economical design. We saw hostas, sedum, stella doro lilies, and a rose on the side wall. The two pots of purple petunias move around day to day (on their own?). There is topiary, a bench, stepping stones, a wind spinner, and a turtle sculpture. The burnt orange ball on a pedestal is a nice focal point.

1002 Kenwood – A shade garden under a purple leaf plum. We saw hellebore, astilbe (we’re seeing more of this great plant in the development this year), hostas, spider wort, blue lobelia, and coreopsis. The yellow flowers “pop” next to the dark purple leaves of the tree and the nice dark mulch. The border has a graceful sweep. This garden is understated, like a Chablis.

Judges’ note: There are many splendid gardens along Signal Hill, Evergreen and Kenwood. Check them out!

2401 Grist Mill – A lovely, colorful garden that works nicely with the neighbor’s with which it shares a Japanese maple, yet it has a personality of its own. We saw creeping Jenny, dahlia, sweet potato vine, and calibrachoa. The rear garden can be seen from Bell Run and has clematis, cranes bill geraniums, lilies and petunias.

Judges’ note: Grist Mill consists of two short streets, yet has several great gardens.

3405 Carriage – This is a whimsical garden, with a gnome statue, turtle statue and two frog statues. There is a big personified bee. Within its stone border we saw hostas, lilies, coreopsis, calla lilies in a square pot, and a pot with a “thriller, filler (aka chiller) and spiller” (Google for an explanation). We loved the big green flower pot.

Judges’ note: It was hard to choose among the many wonderful gardens on Carriage.

4203 Quaker – Nice placement of plants and rocks. We saw lilies, blue balloon flowers, stella doro lilies, lambs ear, petunias, cosmos, zinnia, and a nice rock border on the side. Unexpectedly, the white rain pipes work well as a design element.

Judges’ note: Quaker has some wonderful gardens, and some great flagstone walls.

4400 Congress – This garden is arranged well. We like the elliptical shape formed by a brick border, the height of the plants, and the use of negative space. We saw black eyed Susan, tiger lilies, New Guinea impatiens, hostas and creeping Jenny.

5001 Plantation – Nice, amoebic shaped garden. We saw tiger and stella doro lilies, butterfly bush, and coral bells. Garden art includes a turtle statue, a gnome playing a concertina/accordion and a mock fire hydrant. Good looking bird feeder, too.

6901 Colonial – Within its stone border we saw stella doro lilies, pansies in a basket, hydrangea, peonies, violas, and a basket of lantana. We liked the deer statue and the ornamental hose hanger. Good use of a small space.

Judges’ note: Colonial is a good place to find some great gardens.

7205 Union – Within its picket fence border, we saw clematis, coleus, New Guinea impatiens, osteopernum, dahlias, rose, euonymous, calibrachoa, and orange & yellow lantana. The wishing well is a nice focal point.

Special thanks to Frank DePace of Continental Property Management for his support, to The Rhoads Garden for 11 years of 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. 

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Website

You are viewing the Website (blog) for the Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Garden Contest. The Website for the Homeowners Association itself is at www.gwyneddpointe.org. It is full of useful information about this wonderful community.

2015 Rules

Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association

ELEVENTH 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, 2015, at

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com.

Co-Sponsored by:  Gwynedd Pointe Homeowners Association Garden Contest                   Committee and The Rhoads Garden, 570 DeKalb Pike, No. Wales

      

For More Information, Call 484-831-9124.

(Committee Members and Association Officers are not eligible for the contest.)

****  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 a complete list of prior winners and a copy of these rules, go to

www.gwyneddpointegardencontest.blogspot.com

A NOTE ON JUDGING

Gwynedd Pointe gardeners have asked us what the judges look for when choosing the garden contest winners. We are happy to oblige.

First, judging is not easy. We have to equate some disparate sites to create a baseline. Some gardens are very small, out of necessity. Some have a lot of shade. End units can have five or six times the amount of space as others. We had toyed with the idea of having separate judging criteria, but decided that it would become so complex that it would no longer be fun.

So, what do we like to see?

One of the most important factors is the "first impression." There has to be something that catches our eyes as special, different or unusual.  

Most of the properties are nicely maintained, in part because of the association's watchful eye. Relative to gardens outside our development, all Gwynedd Pointe gardens are on the small side. Originality is more important here than in many other gardens. There has to be something that makes a garden "pop."  

Garden art, while not required, can add to the ambiance of small gardens. Different heights and the avoidance of monotony help create a positive overall impression of a garden space.  A trellis and vine back by a wall or near a walkway can often help.

Because our gardens are small, themes seem to help make a garden a winner. The theme could be all one color, waves or sweeps of the same type of plant, a patriotic color scheme, or an artistic arrangement of rocks and driftwood.

Weeds, and plants that need pruning, cannot be avoided. As judges, though, if we see the same defects on the several times that we revisit a garden, we are left with an unfavorable impression.

Nice use of native plants will draw our attention. It is also a way of helping the environment.

Something we can’t account for is when various flowers bloom or look their best. We judge during the month of June. Some Junes are wet, and in others we have drought. Some gardens look best in May, or in August. Practically, there is nothing we can do about it. The best we can say is that the garden contest is done for fun, so there are variables we just have to live with and not fret over.

What if a garden has won in the last couple of years; how can it win again? It needs to be different the following year. It's not that it doesn't look nice. But we look for newness when it comes to imagination, a new vision. Neighbors, judges and other gardeners are always looking for new ideas, new plants, new ways to show the same old plants, etc. It's why gardeners spend so much time reading magazines and visiting other people's gardens. We are most pleased when we come back with a novel idea and we are inspired to try it in our own gardens (or better still, improve upon it).  

We hope the above is helpful to garden contest aspirants. And if you don't win the contest, remember that gardening is good for you, nature and the community, and is a worthwhile pursuit in any event. Plus, the judges' choices are somewhat subjective. But as judges, we try our best and try to make the contest fun. We wish you luck!