The 2007 America’s Anniversary Garden™ Project and Contest
BEST IN CONTEST
Jim and Danielle Holtman’s red, white, and blue front yard flag The 2007 America’s Anniversary Garden™ (AAG™) Contest was designed as the culmination of the America’s Anniversary Garden project. The project was started in 2005 by four Virginia Cooperative Extension horticulturists – Drs. Joyce Latimer (Floriculture Specialist) and Bonnie Appleton (Nursery/Landscape Specialist), along with David Close (State Master Gardener Coordinator) and Leanne DuBois (James City County horticulture extension agent) with the resources and financial support of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and a grant from the Jamestown Foundation. The project was CALS’s contribution to the Jamestown 2007 commemoration.
The goal of the AAG™ project was to unite anyone who in any way was connected with or interested in gardening and landscaping in Virginia. First time gardener to established nursery or greenhouse business, everyone could be involved. That’s why Virginia Cooperative Extension is delighted that many of Virginia’s green industry members, including the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association VNLA), the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers (VSLD), the Virginia Flower Growers Association (VFGA), and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter/International Society of Arboriculture (MAC/ISA), as well as the green industry “umbrella” group, the Virginia Green Industry Council (VGIC), have agreed to be partners to help make this program a statewide success. Other partners who have helped in sponsoring the project and the contest include the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the Virginia Master Gardener Association (VMGA), Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs (VFGC), the Virginia Native Plant Soeiety (VNPS), Virginia 4-H, and The Historic Triangle Jamestown 2007 Host Committee Beautification Task Force. The Task Force was the original inspiration for development of AAG due to a local contest they sponsored.
The AAG™ contest had 109 entries from 45 cites stretching from Wytheville to Virginia Beach to Alexandria. Several localities also sponsored their own contests. Fifteen category winners were selected and one Best in Contest. There will also be an award given for the best state fair student garden, the theme for which is America’s Anniversary Garden™.
On Friday, October 5th there will be an award ceremony held in the Horticulture Gardens at the State Fair in Richmond. The State Fair and the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association are providing free entrance to the Fair to people representing the winning entries. Dr. Mark McCann, Director of Virginia Cooperative Extension, will be presenting plaques containing the AAG™ logo to the winners. Various associations sponsored each of the categories and is funding the cost of the plaques. Please click here to see the people who accepted the AAG awards at the State Fair along with the name of the sponsoring organization. Each picture includes Dr. Mark McCann, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension.
The following are the award winners:
Category 1A – Commercial Garden Center
White’s Old Mill Garden Center, Chesapeake
Category 1B - Farmer’s Market Display
Loudoun County Master Gardeners, Leesburg
Category 1C – Landscape design/install/maintain
KCS Landscape Management, Fairfax
Category 2 – Business garden – Merchants Square, Williamsburg
Category 3 – Neighborhood garden – Settlers Mill Association, Williamsburg
Category 4 – Residential garden
Container -
Terry Koci, Rockville
Landscape - James Holtman, New Castle
Category 5 – Municipal garden
Small city – Traffic Circle, Amherst
Large city – Nauck Civic Assoc. Entry Garden, Arlington
Category 6 – School garden
K-12 - Luxford Elementary SCA Garden, Virginia Beach
College – Community Arboretum, Va. Western Community College, Roanoke
Category 7 - Miscellaneous gardens
First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach -
Sponsored by the May Farm Garden Club of Kingston
Monticello, Charlottesville
Coleman Bridge Planters, Gloucester Point
Maymont Foundation, Richmond
Best in Contest
Jim and Danielle Holtman’s red, white, and blue front yard flag
Best State Fair Student Garden
Virginia Randolph Community High School
On behalf of the Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the America’s Anniversary Garden™ Committee we would like to thank all who were in any way involved in what we feel was a truly unique and very successful effort to unite many diverse entities within Virginia. We know that far more AAG™ gardens were planted than were entered in the contest, so we truly believe we achieved our goal of supporting the Jamestown 2007 commemoration and encouraging people to beautify their landscapes.
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