Editor’s note: The following is from Vernon’s Communities in Bloom committee.
Have you noticed a special garden in your neighbourhood? Is there a business that has an especially tidy and inviting landscape? Have you been working at fixing up your own yard? Now is the time to start noticing the special gardens and landscapes around us, because the Greater Vernon Community Landscape and Garden Contest is happening again this year.
Hosted by Vernon’s Communities in Bloom committee, the Greater Vernon Landscape and Garden Contest is open to residents of Vernon, Coldstream, Swan Lake, the Commonage, BX/ Silver Star and Westside Okanagan Lake (Electoral Areas B and C).
Five businesses and organizations have sponsored the following categories: Vernon Landscape Centre sponsors the Business and Commercial category; Art Knapp Plantland sponsors the residential patio/deck category; Swan Lake Nurseryland sponsors the residential yard category; Food Action Society sponsors the edible garden category and new sponsor Element Eco-Design sponsors the Youth garden category.
Has a residential garden or business landscape caught your eye? Do you know any young green thumbs with their own garden or is there a garden at a nearby school or community centre that could be entered in the Garden Contest? Have you turned a piece of your yard into an edible garden? Is your tired patio getting a facelift this spring? Make sure to drop by one of the sponsors’ place of business, or download an entry form from www.vernon.ca/cib.
Gardening and beautification not only makes our community a more welcoming and vibrant place to live, work and shop, it’s also good for the environment. Did you know that flowering plants create habitats for birds, butterflies and other pollinators? And that growing trees, shrubs and groundcovers helps bring down the ambient temperature in the summer heat? Let’s get down and dirty! Regardless of your expertise in landscape design or gardening, you are invited to enter this contest.
The countdown is on. Deadline for entry is July 2, 2012, and judging will happen July 12 and 13. Judges will evaluate entries on overall design, use of plants, appropriate water use, and condition of plants. Winning landscapes for each category will be presented with an attractive yard sign at an awards presentation event.
We know there are many special landscapes and gardens in our community. Let us know about them so we can recognize and celebrate the gardeners who are contributing to our beautiful and sustainable Vernon.
