Home » Plants & Animals » Gardening Techniques » Garden Contests

Garden Contests

© Diana Pederson

I love the month of August. This is when our townehouses announces the winners of this year's garden contest. Since we have over 240 units, I don't envy the judge their job! They have to choose 2 first, second, and third place winners along with 8 honorable mentions. I can't imagine having to make these choices when so many of us establish a front yard garden.

This year, I was privileged to be announced as a third place winner. Here are some pictures showing my front yard:

My comments: The left side of my yard had too many tall growing sedums that are just forming their flower buds. These sedums need to be thinned out and replaced with some bright colored flowering plants.

My comments: I loved having all the flower pots the same color. These are the new lightweight "fake cement pots". Some are traditional pots while others are rectangular in shape. My miniature gardens (including miniature shrubs) have very little color this time of year. This may present a problem for the judges because they don't leave the front sidewalk to see these containers up close.

My comments: I put this garden in just five days after moving to this townehouse. All except one of the new chrysanthemums survived this past winter. This area is planted with lots of daffodils and Dutch iris that bloom in the spring. Then the mums begin growing with their foliage covering up the ripening foliage of the bulbs. Getting two different types of gardens in the same space allows me to enjoy flowers for 6 months of the year.

There are several perennials planted that still are in the simple rosette stage of growth. I am expecting these flowers to put on their first show next year if they survive the winter. I am learning to be a full sun gardener after sixteen years of primarily gardening in the shade. This has proven challenging because Michigan had a cool, wet spring. This summer we have gone up to two weeks without rain. When it does rain, I've measured as much as .8 inches in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, when this happens, most of the rain just runs down this sloped front yard without soaking in to our dry clay. It's been a challenging year but I am pleased with my results for a first year garden.

Are you happy with your gardens this year? Why not post what you would do different for next year in the discussion area? Perhaps one of my readers will have suggestions for you regarding plants to try.