2018 Garden Contest winners announced
The Mayor’s 2018 Garden Contest is presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department with a grand prize provided by JetBlue.
Now in its 22nd year, the contest recognizes gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, and shrubs, and, in the process, helped beautify Boston’s neighborhoods.
First place winners will receive the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Walsh and prize packages from the Parks Department, Mahoney’s Garden Centers, and other sponsors at an awards ceremony in the Public Garden presented with support from Polar Beverages. First place winners will also be entered into a drawing for a JetBlue Grand Prize consisting of roundtrip flights for two to any nonstop destination from Boston. Terms, conditions, and blackout dates apply.
A team of distinguished judges viewed the finalists’ gardens over a two-day period. Judges included members of the Garden Contest Hall of Fame, Boston Parks and Recreation Department staff, and local open space advocates.
Watch the 2018 ceremony:This year’s winners are:
Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District GardenFirst Place: Pine Street Inn-Upton Street, South End
Second Place: Thornton’s Fenway Grille, Fenway
Third Place: South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation, South Boston
Community GardenFirst Place: Billy and Eric Bain, Fenway
Second Place: Carmen Musto, Fenway
Third Place: Marguerite Sharkey and Alison Moppett, Fenway
Vegetable or Herb GardenFirst Place: Melissa Brooks, East Boston
Second Place: Kristen Mobilia, Fenway
Third Place: Benedetta Cerro, Hyde Park
Porch, Balcony, or Container GardenFirst Place: Ric Cirace, Back Bay
Second Place: Michele Topor, North End
Third Place: Kathryn Cantrell and Danny Coleman, South End
Senior GardenFirst Place: Judy Ulman, West Roxbury
Second Place: John Govoni and Dorothy Giarla, Roslindale
Third Place: Rick Keuthe, Dorchester
Shade GardenFirst Place: Errol and Jan Uys, Dorchester
Second Place: Miguel Rosales, Beacon Hill
Third Place: Courtenay Loiselle, East Boston
Small Yard GardenFirst Place: Shukradev Ishaya, Roxbury
Second Place: Jennifer Park, Roslindale
Third Place: Tony Lyons, East Boston
Medium Yard GardenFirst Place: Megan Fox, Jamaica Plain
Second Place: Amanda Blicharz, Charlestown
Third Place: Julie Murphy, West Roxbury
Large Yard GardenFirst Place: Daryl Johnson and Rick Smith, Dorchester
Second Place: Jim Anderson, Dorchester
Third Place: Amy Galblum, Roslindale
Gardeners who have won three or more times are automatically entered into the Hall of Fame and will be recognized at the awards ceremony. These distinguished Hall-of-Famers will be ineligible to enter as contestants but are welcome to return as judges. The 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees are Aspasia Bakolas, Diane Spears, Ngaio Schiff, Tom Keller, Nasim Parveen, and Art’ Gill.