2022 Garden Contest Winners Announced
Once again this year, our judges were delighted to view the creative efforts of enthusiastic resident gardeners excited to show what they can do and grow. Our 2022 Garden Contest brought both first-time and returning participants, as well as new and seasoned gardeners.
Each garden was as unique as the gardener who created it, and the judges were truly wowed by the creativity, variety, and the details of art and sculpture that added character. Choosing winners was very difficult, but the age of the garden didn’t really make a difference.
We want to thank all participants for inviting us to enjoy their creations, celebrate their efforts, and share their outstanding outdoor spaces with the neighbourhood.
Congratulations to this year’s Garden Contest winners:
1st Place: Passing Winds Garden – Bonnie Evans
Bonnie’s creation, with notable additions this year, have only made her garden better than last year. From her woodsy front yard with a winding path, to her back yard, together they reflect a change of terrain from one form of garden to another, inviting a mindful journey into a lush and welcoming space.
2nd Place: Artsy Garden – Elke Fingerle
Elke’s a true artist using blooms as her paint palette from spring to fall and non-blooming plants and grasses as her architecture. This year she added texture and blooms upon blooms. Her garden is truly explosive and still it provides an oasis of comfort that is lasting.
3rd Place: Patchwork Plantorium – Jen Armstrong and Dave Leask
Jen and Dave’s garden is proof that photos do not do gardens justice. Their contemporary planning allowed for a mix of vegetables, flowers, and living space in both the front and backyards. Their design is truly an eye-catching outdoor living and growing space that reflects their interests and demands our attention.
1st Place: Passing Winds Garden – Bonnie Evans
In the 1980’s this land became our home. Home renovations lead to garden renovations. built upon the previously remembered family garden. Some of the original growth remains to this day. The returning ferns are from the early days. Each year a new plant is added bringing a new idea to the landscape. The back garden has always been used as a special place to socialize and, as much, just a place to think, look at nature and the sky, and to ponder life and the beauty nature provides. Watching the birds splash in the birdbath is such a pleasure; and we often surprise the four footed animals when they, all of a sudden realize, someone else is there. Oh yes, I love my outdoor time to get gardening exercise too. We planted a Japanese maple which has since self-planted two more. An ancestor of the huge nearby maple taken down maybe 10 years ago is growing quite well. Shade for the next generation. The artistic features are mainly trash and always treasures.
Click HERE to view more of this wonderful Garden
2nd Place: Artsy Garden – Elke Fingerle
My husband and I moved to Bedford Park 1967. This is where we raised our three children and became deeply rooted to the Community. We love this neighbourhood.
Since then, my garden has evolved from a completely blank canvass to a year-round oasis full of colour, scents and texture. My garden hosts an assortment of annuals, perennials, a variety of trees including a Japanese Maple, Magnolia, Birch and our towering 150-year-old Locus that is still blooming and growing. Every few steps you will find art treasures collected over the years from artisans across Canada. I have an antique window frame which I decorate differently for each season, I love seeing people pass by and stop to have a look.
During the winter months my garden remains full of life. We have bird feeders and a year-round water fountain which hosts exciting bath-time.
Over the past year I became my husband’s full time caregiver, any extra time I have, I spend in my garden. Working in it is my therapy, even pulling weeds gives me joy. It makes me very happy, not only from tending to it and seeing it grow, but because it is where most of my family events take place. It holds great memories for our family as we continue to grow more of them.
Click HERE to view more of this wonderful Garden
3rd Place: Patchwork Plantorium – Jen Armstrong and Dave Leask
My wife and I have been gardening together for many years. We’ve always loved the traditional British ‘wild’ cottage type garden but, being in the city, we’ve chosen to grow a garden that is somewhere in
between that and an urban garden. There are defined beds, either linedwith concrete or with stones, and both front and back are filled with a mixture of flowers and vegetables.
We have designed the front garden to be lovely to look at from both the street and from our porch. The backgarden is our oasis for sitting on the patio and bbqing. Over many years we have been making our gardens pollinator friendly and we love to watch the bees and butterflies throughout the summer and fall.
Click HERE to view more of this wonderful Garden
Thank You to This Year’s Judges
Michelle Moore
Michelle’s passion for gardening and love of Bedford Park have been the driving force behind her inspiration to create and organize BPRO’s Garden Contest. A resident of Bedford Park for 18 years and a gardener herself, she takes great pleasure in seeing how each contestant’s gardens grow over the summer and remains in awe of the creativity that shines through each gardener’s approach. Michelle is also an avid photographer, as evidenced by the many gorgeous photographs of this year’s winners and honourable mentions.
John Miles
John is an avid gardener who has lived in Bedford Park for 30 years. As a BPRO Board member, John is ineligible to enter the contest—a good thing for the winners as his own garden would have definitely been a top contender—and so participates as a judge. This is his second year with the Garden Contest. He is also President of the North Toronto Croquet Club.