We want to give a great big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who participated in our very first O’Toole’s Garden Giveaway contest this year. We were bowled over by the response – over 200 submissions! Last week, we convened our panel of judges to decide on the winners. With so many incredible entries, it was hard to pick just a handful of winners. There was much deliberation and spirited debate, but in the end the judges voted and selected our top three winners along with several honorable mentions. Congratulations to all the winners and we hope you enjoy seeing entries as much as we did!
Honorable Mentions
Audrey Cornelious Not only did we get some great examples of gardening, but we received tons of beautiful photography as well! One of our judges’ favorites was this great shot from Audrey of a black and yellow Swallowtail butterfly enjoying her beautiful red lilies.
Ralph Sodano Ralph’s garden is full to bursting with creativity and personality. Our judges loved the whimsical mix of perennials, annuals and found items. And that colorful border? 46 recycled bowling balls!
Laura FlandersThis was one of the very best veggie garden submissions we received. Veggies are sometimes not as attractive as annuals or perennials, but Laura’s clean lines and geometric design makes this garden pretty as well as productive.
Adam Courtney For sheer variety and enthusiasm, you can’t beat Adam’s garden. This cornucopia of color includes 400 types of flora! Our judges loved the patio pots lining the stairs.
Sapphira Pearce Our judges fell in love with these cute little plant markers made from used Scrabble tiles! What a great way to add a little crafty pizzazz to the garden.
Linda Cahil It’s a flower bed. Literally! Another creative use of “up-cycling” used to great effect in Linda’s garden.
Jena Buthman We’re all pet lovers here at O’Toole’s and we know you are, too. We got tons of great pet photos featuring dogs, cats (and even a burro!) frolicking among the flowers. But just had to share the picture of this adorable little pup in her flower hat!
Cynthia Logan Our judges really loved the story behind Cynthia’s PTSD Healing Garden. “I want to promote community partnering and horticulture therapy at VA summit for new VA PTSD Program,” explains Cynthia. A great reminder that gardening can give back to the community, too!
Third Place
Andrea Collins “Our garden is known as the flower house on the corner,” says Andrea. And it’s easy to see why! Our judges loved the big, bursting blooms – especially those gorgeous hanging baskets. With a great mixture of annuals and perennials keeps this garden interesting all year long. As Andrea says “No year is alike and each year brings new inspiration!”
Second Place
Stephanie Wiesing Stephanie’s backyard garden makes great use of a smaller space and pollinator friendly plants. "I particularly like flowers that attract honeybees," says Stephanie. "Lots of buzzing makes this the ideal garden hide away from the kids – and where I can eat ice cream in peace!” With a mixture of native perennials, rock and a water feature, this garden looks like the perfect oasis.
First Place
Jan Richardson Our judges loved the combination of colors and texture in Jan’s front yard garden. There’s a little something for everyone – annuals, perennials, a great lawn, patio pots. Everything works together and invites the eye to roam around this beautiful front yard. But more than anything, it evokes an emotion. “This is my "good for my soul" garden,” says Jan. “It makes me happy." And really what could be better than that?