Mayor's Garden Contest
The annual event is a citywide celebration of urban gardening.
We recognize gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs, helping beautify Boston's neighborhoods.
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Have questions? Contact us:
About the contest
The Garden Contest is part of Mayor Michelle Wu's citywide beautification initiative.
Contest timeline
- Entry deadline: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 (applications close at 11:59 p.m.)
- Finalist notification: Thursday, July 20, 2023
- Judges visit gardens: Week of July 24, 2023
- Awards ceremony: Mid-August
Prizes
First place winners in the garden categories will receive the "Golden Trowel" award from Mayor Michelle Wu. They will also be entered to win a grand prize of two round trip tickets on JetBlue for non-stop travel from Boston, provided by JetBlue.
Additional support provided by Mahoney's Garden Centers, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, which is a partnership of four museums on the Harvard campus, including the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.
Garden Contest Hall of Fame
Mayor Michelle Wu will recognize Garden Contest Hall of Fame inductees at the awards ceremony. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a gardener must have won three or more times.
Eligibility and categories
The contest is only for Boston residents who are amateur gardeners. But, businesses and other groups can submit an entry in our “Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District Garden” category.
General informationThe first round of judging is completed via submitted photos. Please include whole photos of the garden (not close ups of individual flowers, vegetables or plants.) Any photos or images you submit to us become City of Boston property. We may use these images for press or marketing purposes. Finalist gardens will be judged in person.
Please keep in mind: You can only enter into one category each year.
Categories
- Porch, Balcony, or Container Garden
- Shade Garden
- Small Yard Garden (250 square feet or less)
- Medium Yard Garden (250 to 500 square feet)
- Large Yard Garden (larger than 500 square feet)
- Community Garden (individual plot)
- Vegetable or Herb Garden
- Age Strong Garden Category (Senior 65 and older)
- Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District Garden
Judging criteria
When judging a garden, we’re paying attention to:
- general appeal and neatness
- natural or formal layout
- use of color
- plant material
- variety and quality of plants, and
- sustainable features and methods used to create the garden.
