A prize winning garden in Chestnut Hill.

by Sophia Salganicoff

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s third annual Greening and Gardening Contest kicked off on May 1st, heralding in another year of beautiful blooms, magnificent landscapes and charming children’s gardens.

The competition runs from May 1 to June 15, allowing gardeners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to enter their gardens for judging on maintenance, design, horticultural practices, and the variety, color, and suitability of their plantings. Entrants can enter their gardens in one of the 10 garden categories: Children’s Garden; Flower Garden; Public Space; Rooftop Garden; Urban Farming; Combination Garden; Container Garden; Environmental Initiative; Garden Block; and Vegetable Garden. Winners will attend an awards reception celebrating their passion and success in gardening.

Two such winners in last year’s competition were from the Chestnut Hill area. Jean Miller, of Mt. Airy, won Garden of Distinction for her Individual Flower Garden, and Gerald Leube, of Glenside, won Blue Ribbon for his Individual vegetable garden. These contestants are making sure that Chestnut Hill lives up to its name as “the garden district” of Philadelphia.

So, what does it take to have a winning garden? According to Leube, “Passion, patience, balance, color and texture” are all seeds needed to grow a successful garden.

For both Leube and Miller, getting their hands dirty in the soil is something that runs in the family. Leube has always been interested in gardening, a trait that he attributes to his grandparents being farmers in the Carolinas. Gardening has always been a part of Miller’s life as well.

“My father was into gardening when I was little – he was into vegetable gardening only,” Miller said. “My mom did the flowers. I ended up helping them with both and eventually had my own vegetable patch in the yard and added a rock garden and flowerbeds that I worked on.”

Luckily, robust agricultural legacies or nostalgic memories are not requirements for those looking to start a garden, even they are certainly fantastic to have in one’s back pocket. According to Miller, learning how to garden is all about “trial and error,” even for those who have been doing it since childhood.

Miller reports that she cultivated her naturally occurring green thumb by “asking questions at my garden center and reading.”

Leube agrees, saying that even though he has “a little bit of a green thumb,” when he began gardening, he “bought and planted randomly with not much thought of pattern size and height.”

Educating himself about gardening, he said, taught him to “know when things will thrive and when they will not.” Like most disciplines, in gardening, there is always more knowledge to be gained and more experiences to be had.

Can you just pick up a spade and dig in, or do you have to carefully nurture the earth until you can draw life from it in lush symphonies of color and delectably ripened fruits and vegetables? Miller suggests you should start small.

“Even a small flowerbed to vegetable garden can take a lot of work,” she said. “When you pick plants, don't just go for looks – make sure they are right for the sun/shade of the location.”

Leube said that “you need to make a plan and design of what you would like your garden to be.” He also suggests reading horticultural books, which can help you to plan out your garden as they tell you “how tall or wide plants will grow, if they are sun loving or shade loving, and which plants will tolerate drought or wet conditions.”

Gardening can be a way to relax on the weekends, but its therapeutic benefits can also extend to your whole community.

Miller said that she and her husband “get a lot of compliments on garden, people stop on their walk or even slow down in their cars.”

“It's inspiring to think we are bringing a little color and lightness to the neighborhood,” said Miller.

Leube said that he “loves sharing garden with friends and garden clubs,” and he also believes that gardening inspires people to “look around at nature and let it become part of you.” Gardening can facilitate community building, a deeper connection with nature, and even increased self-understanding.

So, whether you are a rookie in your first season, or an old timer with a lush garden in need of appreciation, pick up your spade, and dig in. And, make sure to send in pictures before June 15 so that your beautiful garden can be can be considered for this year’s Gardening and Greening Competition.

Anyone interested can enter here.