The City of St. Albert and its partners are reminding homeowners, businesses and anyone proud of the hard work they’ve done in their yards to get involved with Cultivate Your Front Yard.
In its second year, Cultivate Your Front Yard is a project under St. Albert economic development intended to showcase the great yards and businesses of the Botanical City.
Joan Barber, manager of marketing and research for the city department, noted the contest is free of charge and includes a number of classes, not just gardens and gnomes.
Categories include:
• Best Overall Yard: This yard will have a pleasing esthetic, using plants. The landscaping will be beautiful and will exemplify the theme of Botanical Arts at its best.
• Best Business Yard: This will showcase the best landscaping and biodiversity in a commercial yard.
• Best Natural Front Yard: This category is meant for the yard that features native plants that are nurtured and loved but with limited pesticides and herbicides and water.
• Best Edible Front Yard: The prize will go to the gardener who incorporates edible fruits and other plants into the landscape design. The edible plants may include vegetables, fruiting trees, herbs, grains and berry bushes.
• Best Art in Front Yard: The judges will look for a yard with one or more pieces that portray art in some fashion. Botanical art will receive special attention.
• Best Winter Front Yard: The judging for this special category will take place in the dead of winter. Gardens with different colours, shapes and textures that show up above the winter whites, will have the edge.
A special Good Neighbour award will be given to neighbours who landscape their yards together.
Proud gardeners may nominate themselves and they may also nominate a friend, neighbour or relative’s yard. However, there is a deadline for entries, as judges may have lots of work travelling around the city getting to every entry. The entry deadline is July 26 with judging to follow the first week of August.
Please note, however, the contest is limited to front yards only. This second annual entry in the Cultivate Your Front Yard is aimed at attracting even more participants than last year, which included 150.
The contest is supported by local businesses including A-1 Heating, Alberta Irrigation Supply, the Art Gallery of St. Albert, Rockland Landscaping Supplies and the St. Albert Gazette. Each prize-winner will receive an 18-inch granite stepping stone as well as a $250 gift certificate from one of the six supporting businesses.
Information cards were included in the July 6 edition of the Gazette, but more cards are available at the front entry of the Gazette office located at 340 Carleton Place in the Campbell business park.
Think you’ve got a savvy eye for yards? Then Barber wants to talk to you. She needs judges for the competition. A season-ending party will be held for participants, including judges.
For entry forms or for more information about the Cultivate Your Front Yard contest visit www.cultivatebusiness.ca. Entry forms can also be picked up at Economic Development at 29 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue.
