Mayor Walsh Announces 2016 Garden Contest Winners

Mayor Martin J. Walsh has announced the winners of the Mayor’s 2016 Garden Contest presented with a Grand Prize from JetBlue and media support provided by the Boston Herald.  Now in its 20th 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 August in the Public Garden.  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 Elderly Affairs Commissioner Emily Shea, Boston Parks and Recreation Department staff, and local open space advocates.

This year’s winners are:

Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District Garden

First Place: Loring-Greenough House, Jamaica Plain

Second Place: Halls of Tara, West Roxbury

Third Place: Sherrill House, Jamaica Plain

Community Garden

First Place: Marie Fukuda and Tim Horn, Fenway

Second Place: Tom Keller, Fenway

Third Place: Ronald H. Dion, Fenway

Vegetable or Herb Garden

First Place: Aspasia Bakolas, Roslindale

Second Place: Ken Sterritt and Travis Moore, Fenway

Third Place: Kun Xu, Atlantic Paradise Gardens, Dorchester

Porch, Balcony, or Container Garden

First Place: Ric Cirace, Back Bay

Second Place:  Joseph P. Falinski, Dorchester

Third Place: Sheila Lyons, West Roxbury

Senior Garden

First Place: Diane Spears, Jamaica Plain

Second Place: Kathryn Willmore, South End

Third Place: Daphne Georges, Jamaica Plain

Shade Garden

First Place: Ngaio Schiff, Roslindale

Second Place: Dave Connolly, East Boston

Third Place: Amy Mullen, Dorchester

Small Yard Garden

First Place: Martin Grealish, West Roxbury

Second Place: Triet Nguyen, Back Bay

Third Place: Gil Duarte, Jamaica Plain

Medium Yard Garden

First Place: Jean Powers and Theo Keiber, Allston

Second Place: Nasim Parveen, West Roxbury

Third Place: Cheryl  Wakeham, West Roxbury

Large Yard Garden

First Place: Walter Janulewicz, Jamaica Plain

Second Place: Joanne McManus, Hyde Park

Third Place: The Family of Susan Sargent, in her memory, Jamaica Plain

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 2016 Hall of Fame Inductees are Hyde Parkers Frank and Ann Garibaldi along with Irene Walczak of the Fairmount Hill Garden Group, Kenneth Aubert of Roslindale, and Tim Haynes of the South End.