Home gardeners in Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties are eligible to enter the Pacific Northwest Gardens competition.
The top prize is a trip for two to London to visit the Chelsea Flower Show and second prize is a trip to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. Third is $500.
The Arboretum Foundation, which runs the contest, typically gets about 100 entries every year, said this year’s contest chair, Janet Endsley. About 80 volunteer judges visit each garden in teams of a three or four. They whittle the field down to six who are then judged by professionals.
I asked Janet if gardeners with smaller city yards stand any chance. Size does matter but not in the way you’d think, she told me. Larger gardens don’t tend to do as well because it’s harder to stick to one cohesive design. The judges consider many aspects of the garden, including how well a gardener carried out an overall vision. The judges, however, don’t have a preference about what style a garden takes.
If you’re interested, you can download an entry form at www.arboretumfoundation.org or call the foundation at 206-325-4510. The deadline for entries is June 15.
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