The CEGA Awards Are On Hold Until 2025

Thank you to all of the Chicago gardeners who have been attempting to enter the 2024 Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards program. We apologize for the last minute nature of this announcement. If you have felt frustrated by the lack of information, we’re very sorry. Unfortunately, we recently decided NOT to have an awards program this year. Many factors played into that decision–the size of our small not-for-profit, the need for many qualified volunteers to judge gardens and do the behind-the-scenes work, but especially the health of one of our key staff members. As a result, we put the 2024 program on hold, and we plan to resume CEGA in 2025. In the meantime, if you think you would like to volunteer with our organization, please send an email to chicagogardeningawards@gmail.com. We would like to come back strong in 2025, but we need volunteers to make that happen.

Once again, thank you for your interest. Keep making your neighborhoods beautiful, safe and healthy by working on your gardens, and we’ll see you next year.

Last Year’s Ceremony (Photos by Pam Karlson and Mike Nowak)

  • Volunteer Emilia Arellano bestows an award certificate on Cherie Renee Bates at the registration table. On the sidewalk, former award winner Katerria Doty, chats with new arrivals.
  • Nia, Katerria Doty’s granddaughter, appoints herself “door girl.”
  • From this angle, the buffet looks healthier than it is. Farther along, there are coffee cakes and eclairs.
  • Jerry Curry and his guest find one of Wild Blossom’s many relaxing places.
  • Inside the lovely Wild Blossom building, people watch the winning garden powerpoint intently, eager for their own gardens to appear.
  • The raffle adds a little spice to the proceedings.
  • The North Park Village Garden Club contingent definitely class up the joint.
  • Yes, Kellogg School keeps popping up. They’re just so photogenic.
  • Information tables, hosted by organizations like Master Gardeners of Cook County and Bartlett Tree Experts are wildly popular. And Bartlett gives away free saplings!
  • The crown gathers under the tent for the ceremony.
  • Sustainability and urban gardening activist Julie Samuels is honored with the 2023 Garden Angel Award.
  • Ron Wolford, Master Gardener hero, is presented with his 2022 Garden Angel Award, delayed by a bout of COVID.
  • MWRDGC Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos gives a brief but informative and inspiring keynote address.
  • Members of the 65th and Woodlawn Community Garden pose with their award sign, provided by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.
  • Dennis Best gives us a Clint Eastwood smile as he poses with his award.
  • MWRD Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos and her aide Renee Patten hang out at the MWRD information table.
  • Award winner Deronis Cooper shares the spotlight with friends.
  • William Gilliland and Katje Sabin win the award for their garden, “Bob Acres.”
  • The giveaway continues after the ceremony, with swag from Possibility Place Nursery, Midwest Groundcovers and Native Plants, and Bartlett Tree Experts.
  • Award winner Marguerite Griffin listens to horticulturist Ken Williams as she picks out her free plants.
  • Volunteer Dolly Swibes Foster guides the book swap.
  • Tom Mitchell and Joy Miller are the “Artists Paint with Flowers” gardeners. We love the way Joy beams with, well, joy, when she holds the sign.
  • Connie Fairbanks goes home with one of the raffle prizes–four bottles of Wild Blossom mead with her garden label.
  • Mone Petsod’s gorgeous garden is a repeat winner.
  • The Oriole Park School Teaching Farm take home their second sign and a chokeberry bush from Possibility Place Nursery.
  • A group of very happy gardeners gathers on the Wild Blossom lawn.
  • You don’t get much cuter than Katerria Doty dressed as a strawberry and her granddaughter Nia as a batterfly.
  • Ken Williams looks pretty happy to be surrounded by volunteers Christine Nye ((his wife) and Marlene Fisher. Yeah, Ken. It was a great day.

Last Year’s Winners

Community Gardens

65th and Woodlawn Community Garden
Bethlehem’s Share the Harvest Garden
Chicago Farm Lab
Dunning Community Garden
Horst & Anna Wagener WEAR Garden
Lakeview Community Garden at Diversey
Maxwell Street Community Garden
Monticello Garden
Montrose Triangles
North Park Village Garden Club
Riverbank Neighbors
South Merrill Community Garden
Winnemac Youth Teaching Garden
Winnemac Gardens (John LeMoine)

School Gardens

Kellogg School
Montessori School of Englewood Garden
Oriole Park Teaching Farm
Southside Occupational Academy Courtyard Garden
Waters School Garden

Urban Farms

Eudaemonia Florals (Molly Streicher )
Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation Urban Farm

Other Organizations

Keeler Gardens NFP
UIC Nutrition Teaching Garden
Wild Blossom Meadery Garden
Overlook Botanic Garden

Honorable Mention

Alphonsus Academy Arts Garden
Dominic Amato
Anne Awh
Jordyn Cohen and Zachary Belnavis
Bethany Bey
John Lee
Cari Winterich
Colleen McVeigh
Colleen Schultz
Jerry Curry
D.I.G.–‘DIXON IN GREEN
Debi Johnson
DePaul Urban Garden
Eviana’s Garden
Fluck Farms Chicago
Gael Mennecke
Christina Wouters

Residential Gardens

Alison Cromwell and Lorrie Elliott
Alvarado Family
Amanda Philpot
Andrew Breen
Anne Alt
Barbara Cooper
Brenda Groeper
Cherie Renee Bates
Connie Fairbanks
Dana Christy
David Grant
Deborah Villa
Dennis Best
Deronis Cooper
Eileen Whelan
Graham Gazdziak and family
Jacob Hicks
JD Miller (Chicago Bell Garden – North Campus)
Jennie Biggs
Jennifer Frycek
Jennifer Laska
Jessica Fujan and Kelly Berry
Jim and Dawn Cibak
Jim Angrabright
Josie Christopher
Joy Miller and Tom Mitchell
Judy McLaughlin
Katje Sabin and William Gilliland
Kimberley J Wagner (J. Michael Wagner Garden)
Kristen Haut
Magdalena Arguelles
Margaret Dospiljulian and family
Marguerite H. Griffin (Reed’s Garden)
Mary M Connolly
Matt Meade
Meredith Horn (George Family Garden)
Michael Chamberlain and Tim McNichol
Mike Vendel
Mone Petsod
Nicholas Conde
Regan and Meika Souders
Vijay and Ranjana Bhargava

Graceland West Community Association (GWCA) Native Plant
Pollinator Pathway & Stormwater Absorption Sites

Honorable Mention

Jarvis Richards
Kimpling/Marquardt Secret GardenMaria’s Garden
Merc’s Garden
Michelle’s Garden
Museum of Science and Industry Smart Home Garden
Dave Lewandowski
Ekaterina Godina
Norwood Junction 5R Railroad
Marianne Kozelka
Patricia Gombert
Melissa Lewandowski
Sandra E. Pena
Pottawattomie Park Community Garden
Valerie Smith
Sunnyside Savanna (Montrose Metra Community Gardens)
Susan Tennant
Warner Manor Community Garden

The CEGA program is nominally a “competition,” but it is really a celebration of gardens of all shapes and sizes, including residential, community gardens, schools, churches, businesses and urban farms. While beauty and neighborhood improvement are always criteria to be considered, more than ever CEGA judges are keeping an eye out for native plants, wildlife habitat, rainwater harvesting and other sustainable elements in determining which gardens will receive awards. To see what we’re looking for, click here. Also, CEGA has added a page here to help gardeners understand how to make their gardens more sustainable.El programa CEGA es nominalmente una “competencia”, pero en realidad es una celebración de jardines de todas las formas y tamaños, incluidos jardines residenciales y comunitarios, escuelas, iglesias, empresas y granjas urbanas. Si bien la belleza y la mejora del vecindario siempre son criterios a considerar, más que nunca los jueces de CEGA están atentos a las plantas nativas, el hábitat de la vida silvestre, la recolección de agua de lluvia y otros elementos sostenibles para determinar qué jardines recibirán premios. Para ver lo que estamos buscando, haga clic aquí. Además, CEGA ha agregado una página aquí para ayudar a los jardineros a comprender cómo hacer que sus jardines sean más sostenibles.