City of Rochester
News Release
Note to Editors: Great Photo Opps
Flower City Garden Contest Winners Announced
(Wednesday, October 7, 2009) - Mayor Robert J. Duffy today announced the winners of the annual Flower City Garden contest. The contest is part of the City’s “Flower City Looking Good Program,” an on-going beautification and environmental education initiative.
“The participants who entered this year’s contest are not just beautifying our city, they are making it more livable and increasing “curb appeal” which positively impacts our property values,” said Mayor Duffy. “I commend the winners and thank everyone that entered for their efforts to maintain Rochester’s reputation as the Flower City.”
Some of the judges’ comments included “calm & serene,” for a garden at St. Stanislaus Church; “neat as a pin,” for Renee Ange of Colebourne Road; “a treat for the neighborhood,” for Russell Zachary Feeser’s garden on Pearl Street; and “a paradise for animals & birds,” for Frank Velte’s Dunn Street garden.
This year’s category winners are listed below:
• First Place in Container Gardening - Renee Ange of Colebourne Road
• First Place in Educational Gardening - Rochester Roots
• First Place in Neighborhood Gardening - Dewey/Lexington Garden
• Second Place – Mary and Jim Hart, Helen Farrell of Meech Park in Charlotte
• Third Place – Barbara Astorga-Schmidt of the Maplewood Gardening Team
• Honorable Mention – Gino Mahoney of Vassar Street
• First Place in Water Gardening - Gino Mahoney of Vassar Street
• Second Place - Frank Velte of Dunn Street
• Third Place - Greg Young of Sunset Street
• First Place in Wildlife Gardening - Frank Velte of Dunn Street
• Second Place - Barb Ann Kupiec of Ramona Street
• First Place in Urban Farm Gardening - Jennie Cannon of Saratoga Avenue
• Most Improved Space - Jorge Hyson for 358 State Street, and his planting along the Toronto Street Alley
Winners will be recognized at the City’s All - Staff Gathering on Friday, October 16 and at the annual volunteer recognition ceremony later this fall.
There is still time to enter your garden in the new “Flower City Winter Garden Contest.” To improve your chances of winning, leave some interesting perennials uncut for the winter, add a few shrubs/trees with interesting bark, plant early blooming bulbs like Snowdrops and Winter Aconite and include some sculptures or unusual rocks. The deadline is February 26, 2010. Send your entry to: Att: Garden Contest, Recreation Administrative Offices, 400 Dewey Avenue, Rochester, NY 14613.
Community gardeners and urban farmers are also invited to get together to share their successes and frustrations of the season on Wednesday, October 14 from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Auditorium, 249 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620. This is a free event and part of the Fall Garden Talk Series. This is a great opportunity for anyone considering starting a community garden or urban farm in 2010.
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News Media: For more information, contact Jim Farr 585-428-6866.
For exact garden locations and contact info: Michael Warren Thomas at 585-703-9237.