2009 Garden Awards

The judges have spoken and ribbons have been awarded to winners in 14 categories at the 7th Annual New Jersey Flower and Garden Show.

Judging took place on Feb. 12, opening day of the four-day event at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison. This year, the prestigious Brooklyn Botanic Garden once again sent a team of horticultural experts to judge the show exhibits and display gardens, as well as the standard flower show presented by the Garden Club of New Jersey, a federation of more than 100 local garden clubs.

Participating from BBG were: and Mark Fisher, director of horticulture; Karla Chandler, curator of Helen Mattin Warm Temperate Pavilion and Spencer Terrace; Mike Mauro, curator of the Plant Family Collection, and Nancy Nieland, curator of turf and grounds. (Full bios appear below.)

There is still one awards category yet to be determined: The People’s Choice Award. This coveted prize is taken by the landscape exhibit receiving the most votes from show attendees. Visitors can cast their ballots at designated tables through the expo hall.

Winners of the 2009 awards are:

Best in Show
1. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan
2. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction
3. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Gardens, New Brunswick

Best Landscape Design
1. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan
2. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction.
3. No Place Like Home, Garden #3, Growing Concern, Cranbury

Grandest Illusion
1. Eastern Trajectory, Garden #4, Atlock Flower Farm, Somerset
2. Water World, Garden #6, CT Aquascapes, Ocean Township
3. Four Seasons of Color, Garden #7, Mondi Designs and Precisionscapes, Marlton

Best Interpretation of Theme
1. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper Inc., Matawan
2. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction
3. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Gardens, New Brunswick

Most Creative Water Feature
1. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Garden, New Brunswick
2. Water World, Garden #6, CT Aquascapes, Ocean Township
3. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan

Most Creative
1. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan
2. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Garden, New Brunswick
3. No Place Like Home, Garden #6, Growing Concern, Cranbury

Best Plant Material
1. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan
2. Eastern Trajectory, Garden #4, Atlock Flower Farm, Somerset
3. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction

Most Ecologically and Environmentally Focused
1. Beautiful Bouquets Begin with Health Soil, Garden #2, N.J. Conservation Partnership, Hamilton Square
2. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan
3. Four Seasons of Color, Garden #7, Mondi Designs and Precisionscapes, Marlton

Best Use of Structural Elements
1. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction
2. No Place Like Home, Garden #7, Growing Concern, Cranbury
3. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Gardens, New Brunswick

Low Maintenance/High Success
1. Color Your World, Garden #5, R.A. Landscaping and Design, North Plainfield
2. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Gardens, New Brunswick
3. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction

Most Colorful Display
1. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction
2. Eastern Trajectory, Garden #4, Atlock Flower Farm, Somerset
3. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan

Most Educational sponsored by Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station
1. Beautiful Bouquets Begin with Healthy Soil, Garden #2, N.J. Conservation Partnership, Hamilton Township
2. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Garden #1, Rutgers Gardens, New Brunswick
3. Four Seasons of Color, Garden #7, Mondi Designs and Precisionscapes, Marlton

Best 1st Year Entry]
1. Garden Solutions, Garden #8, Amato’s Garden Center, Monmouth Junction
2. Water World, Garden #6, CT Aquascapes, Ocean Township
3. Eastern Trajectory, Garden #4, Atlock Flower Farm, Somerset

Judges Choice
1. Rainwater Harvesting, Garden #9, Grounds Keeper, Matawan
2. Water World, Garden #6, CT Aquascapes, Ocean Township
3. Eastern Trajectory, Garden #4, Atlock Flower Farm, Somerset

In addition, two other awards were independently made by the following groups:

American Horticulture Society –
Rainwater Harvesting, Grounds Keeper, Matawan

Association of Professional Landscape Designers
1. Heart and Soul of the Garden, Rutgers Garden, New Brunswick
2. Rainwater Harvesting, by Grounds Keeper, Matawan
3. Eastern Trajectory, Garden #4, Atlock Flower Farm, Somerset

Judges from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Mark Fisher is the Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. His judging experiences have included: The Philadelphia Flower Show, The Greenest Block in Brooklyn and The New Jersey Flower Show.

Karla Chandler is the curator of Helen Mattin Warm Temperate Pavilion and Spencer Terrace at Brooklyn Botanic Garden of Brooklyn, New York. Her judging experience includes The Greenest Block in Brooklyn 2007 and The New Jersey Flower Show 2008.

Mike Mauro is the Curator of the Plant Family Collection at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and has been working there for nearly nine years. He teaches horticulture classes at BBG and has been writing gardening articles for a magazine for the past two years. He has designed and installed gardens in the New York area. This is his second year as judge for the New Jersey Flower show.

Nancy Nieland is a gardener and Curator of Turf and Grounds at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. She holds a certificate in Horticulture from BBG and is a Master Composter. She has designed and maintained rooftop/terrace gardens and interior landscapes. She has judged previously at the New Jersey Flower show and has been a judge for the Greenest Block in Brooklyn.