Local Gardeners Win Mayor's Contest

Three Charlestown residents and a local organization are winners in the mayor’s 2011 Garden Contest.

John Driscoll placed second in the Porch, Window Box, Balcony or Deck category. Nadine Firth and Darcy Ertle placed third. And Gardens for Charlestown, which manages the , won third place in the community garden category.

All winners will be recognized during an awards ceremony on Aug. 23 at 5:15 in the Pubic Garden.

The garden contest was launched 15 years ago as part of a citywide beautification effort. It highlights gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, and shrubs, and, in the process, beautified their piece of Boston. 

The city received hundreds of entries this year and the judges who crisscrossed the city visiting the finalists were impressed by the quality in every category.

All winners will receive prize packages from Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, Metro Credit Union, Boston Organics, Boston Garden and Flower Show / Paragon Group, Zoo New England, Mahoney's Garden Center, Boston Parks and Recreation Department, and Comcast.

This full list of this year’s winners is as follows:

Community Garden category

First Place – Susan Povok, Fenway Victory Garden, Boston
Second Place – John Walsh, Saranac Gardens, South End (Jamaica Plain resident)
Third Place – (tie) Caroline Gelinas, Symphony Road Community Garden, Fenway; Gardens for Charlestown, Charlestown

Vegetable or Herb Garden category

First Place – Alessandro Ferzoco, Roslindale
Second Place – Richard Joyce, Boston
Third Place – (tie) Randolph Stafford, Dorchester; David E. Stein, South End

Storefront, Business or Organization Garden

First Place – FHNA Garden Group, Hyde Park
Second Place – The Evening Garden Club of West Roxbury
Third Place – (tie) The Hempest, Back Bay; Brighton Police Station

Porch, Balcony or Deck, or Window Box Garden

First Place – Kim Reiser, Brighton
Second Place – John Driscoll, Charlestown
Third Place – (tie) Kimberly Roberts, East Boston; Nadine Firth and Darcy Ertle, Charlestown

Shade Garden

First Place – James Claiborne, Mattapan
Second Place – Martin Grealish, West Roxbury
Third Place – Rodney Singleton, Roxbury

Small Yard Garden

First Place – Barbara Delaney, Roslindale
Second Place – Alex Galan, Dorchester
Third Place – Di Ho, Dorchester

Medium Yard Garden

First Place – Danielle Maddon, Brighton
Second Place – Larry Traverso and Joe James, West Roxbury
Third Place - Ric Thomas, Dorchester

Large Yard Garden

First Place – Catharine Claiborne, Mattapan
Second Place – Peter Dutchka, Brighton
Third Place – (tie) Marie Lindahl, Roxbury; Karen Jarret, Trinity Church, Back Bay