University of Georgia

If you enjoy designing gardens, would you like to see how you
measure up against other Master Gardeners and gardening club
members in Georgia? If you’re innovative, creative, inspired or
just scrappy enough to dive into a contest, here’s your
opportunity.

The Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture is offering a garden
design contest in cooperation with the University of Georgia
Research Foundation, Inc. UGA researchers have been selecting and
developing new ornamental plants for years. Collectively, these
plants are called the Georgia Gems, and they’ve definitely earned
the title. You may have seen some of these. Others may not be
familiar. All are beautiful and perform well.

So here’s the challenge: Design a garden using the Georgia Gems.
The garden design winners will receive all the Georgia Gems used
in their garden design, as well as the satisfaction of knowing
they’re among the best garden designers in the state.

The contest rules and Georgia Gems details can be found online at
www.ugagardens.com.
Contest winners will be announced at the
statewide Master Gardener meeting in Savannah Jan. 13. All garden
designs must be submitted by Dec. 1.

The judges will determine first-, second- and third-place
winners, basing their decisions on both aesthetics and the use of
sound horticultural practices. They’re a talented group:

* Nicole Martini is a UGA Cooperative Extension horticultural
agent in DeKalb County. She has a bachelor’s degree in landscape
architecture, a master’s in horticulture and a discriminating
eye.

* Tony Johnson is an award-winning garden designer and the
horticulturist at the UGA Research and Education Garden in
Griffin. That garden is a true reflection of his talent.

* Television, radio and Web personality Joe Lamp’l rounds out the
judging staff. You’ve probably seen Joe on DIY Network (“Fresh
from the Garden”) or on PBS (“Garden SMART”) or have read his
nationwide, weekly, syndicated newspaper column (“The Gardener
Within”).