Time To Show Off Your Gardens

Fri., May 12, 2000

Gardens in the Inland Northwest are just coming into their own. The official frost-free date is Monday and so is the start of the second leg of the Inland Empire Garden Club’s Garden of the Month contest.

Here’s how it works: Any garden in the county - flower, vegetable or otherwise - is eligible. Gardeners may pick up an entry form at any of the three Northwest Seed and Pet stores. The form requests a brief description and a photo of the garden. The entry deadline is June 15 and judging of the finalists’s gardens, selected from the photos, will be done by the volunteer garden club judges the following week.

If your garden isn’t at its best this month, don’t worry, two contests will follow: June 15 to July 15 and July 15 to Aug. 15, with winners selected for each month.

What will the judges look for? “We want to see how the garden is maintained,” says ViAnn Meyer, who oversees the contest for the garden club. “Color is a factor, although it doesn’t have to be many colors; it could be an all-white garden if it’s done right.”

Originality and creativity in design will also be considered. The judges are looking for a “garden with heart.”

While the contest will focus on flower gardens, it doesn’t preclude use of herbs, vegetables and other elements such as garden art, benches and arbors.

The ambition of the Inland Empire Garden Club is to promote interest in gardening.

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