Thank you to all of the gardeners and CEGA Committee members who participated in the 2022 gardening contest. The winners were revealed in a ceremony on Saturday, September 24 at Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery on Chicago’s south side.
We also honored retired extension educator Ron Wolford with the CEGA Garden Angel Award. Ron used his knowledge, experience and many skills to help launch CEGA in 2017 and has continued to support its mission to recognize the value of urban gardens and gardeners. Wolford spent more than 35 years as University of Illinois Extension Urban Horticulture Educator in Chicago, overseeing the Master Gardener program in Cook County and still works tirelessly on many horticultural projects.
The Winners of the 2022 Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards
School-Escuela
Bell School Pollinator Habitat
Dixon in Green (DIG
El Jardín de la Armonía de Grissom-Grissom’s Garden of Harmony
Kellogg School
Waters School Community Gardens
Community Garden — Jardín Comunitario
Ornamental–Ornamental
Fire Station Park
Historic Slumbusters Garden
Horst & Anna Wagener WEAR Garden
Mother’s Plaza on Seeley Avenue
Roseland Heights Boulevard of Gardens
Specialty — Especializado
First Nations Garden
Maxwell Street Community Garden
Montrose Triangles
Vegetable — Legumbres/Verduras
Cornell Oasis Garden
Edna White Community Garden
Lakeview Community Garden at Diversey
North Park Village Garden Club
The Rainbow Beach Victory Garden
Three Brothers Garden
Urban Farm — Granja Urbana
Beverly Farmacy
Edgebrook Lutheran Church Garden of Eatin’
Love Oasis LifeStock
Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR) Urban Farm
Star Farm Chicago
Uncommon Ground Edgewater
Residential
| Container Casa de Bloom Marcela Haber-Bishop Tim Desrochers | Specialty — Especializado Baran Family Garden Linder Avenue Little House on the Prairie The Garden of Angels The RoofCrop Garden | Vegetable– Legumbres/Verduras Alvarado Family Garden Deb Keegan Fluck Farms Chicago Garden of Hope George Family Garden Kristina Navarro Marguerite’s Garden The Cibak Garden The North Drake Cat Garden Winchester |
| Ornamental Albany Oasis Artists Paint with Flowers Briar Orchard Corner Garden Charity Haines Debbie’s Garden | Debi’s Garden Janice Jones Judy’s Garden Maria Alvarado Mone Petsod Monteys Marvelous Memory Pollinarium on Jarvis | Secret Garden of Columbia Avenue Solace in the City Stephen’s Magical Garden Susie Belcastro The Petite Prairie Vijay K. Bhargava Wendy Abrams |
Honorable Mention
| A Strolling Side Garden Alyson Doubek Anita’s Flamingo Garden Anna & Dennis Bryan Anna Friedman April Bayne Barbara & Steve Balkin Bert & Mimi’s Rooftop Garden Bethany Bey Brenda’s Bountiful Bucket Brigade Bush Community Garden of Hope | Chase Park Community Garden Courtyard on King/Blanc Gallery Dennis Paul Dennis Wise Depke Residence Jordyn Cohen Juliusson + Montagano Kimpling/Marquardt Compound Garden Le Jardin Tranquille Lenore & Art’s Garden Louise Cerpa Lunt Lake Co-op Gardens Margie Piel The Harvey Garden | Uncommon Ground Sidewalk Farm Virginia Arana Greene Wende Leverton Wilson Avenue Edible Yard Garden Marty’s Newgard Themed Garden Melissa Villa Monticello Garden Mystical Garden Ogden Elementary Rooftop Garden Palermo Vegetable Garden SIEF Giardino Steve Smock The Gazdziak Family |