Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
The Green Thumb Garden Club of Somers Point has announced the winners of its 2023 garden contest. From small, sunny balcony gardens to large shade gardens, and everything in between, Somers Point residents showed their “Pride in the Point” through their creative gardens. Judges had the difficult task of narrowing their choices to eight winners in different categories, but felt that all of the entrants displayed the spirit of the theme of beautifying their city and neighborhoods.
For the “Best Large Flower Garden”, Donna Mohr’s beautiful shade garden took the prize. This winning garden featured gorgeous rhododendrons and stunning, large blue hydrangeas, perhaps aided by her morning coffee grounds. She was pleased to show off her 30-year-old magnolia tree that finally bloomed this year.
Other winners were: Deborah Havrilchak, Best Medium-sized Garden; Larry LeMieux, Best Small Flower Garden; Josh Stroker, Best Vegetable Garden; Mary Kate McKenna, Best Container Garden; and Mary Sue Lovett, Best Members-Only Garden. Two additional winners were announced because their gardens were special in their own way. Azanda La-boy Vogt won the prize of Most Enthusiastic Gardener. Her passion for gardening is contagious and she is full of energy. When children visit, she teaches them all about gardening. George Wilson, winner of the Best Pollinator Garden, started his very natural garden a few years ago from seed. Now it has come into its own and has become a pollinator’s paradise.
Judges felt that all of the entrants were winners because they planted creative gardens with a passion for beautifying their community. Honorable mentions were given to: Kathleen Arleth, Monica Arleth, Ross and Irene Carlino, Jacqueline Daily, Michael Gibson, Tara Scioli, Diane Miller, and Artemis Schleigh. Winners of the garden contest will be recognized by the City Council on August 24, at 7pm at Somers Point’s City Hall.
Rosemary Evans, Publicity Chair of the garden club, was pleased that people from “every corner of town, from the bay to the parkway” participated in the contest. The Green Thumb Garden Club of Somers Point was established in 1952. The club has a mission of community beautification and “to encourage the protection of natural resources, trees, shrubs, and birds”. Many beautification projects around the city are a result of the Green Thumb Garden Club. If you would like more information about the club, contact Pam DeMarco at (609) 519-3517.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
