Several front gardens in Leaside are the recipients of the Leaside Garden Society 2024 “Gardens of Distinction” awards. These awards are a tribute to the loving care that Leasiders provide to create interesting, beautiful, and welcoming gardens that all can enjoy viewing.
This year’s theme centred around capturing the Spring Bloom in all its glory. Our dedicated committee members scouted the streets of Leaside in early May to discover which Leaside gardens were the best. The beauty of this spring bloom was that many people had yet to touch their gardens. This focus captured gardens coming back to life from their winter slumber without much manicuring, like waking up beautifully without makeup!
The committee of dedicated volunteers spent a week assessing gardens in North and South Leaside, Bennington Heights and Kilgour Estates.
Members were divided into teams to cover each of the areas, and each team put forward their picks. The teams looked for use of texture and design, variety of plant material, the illusive ‘wow factor’ and whether it is a pollinator garden. This year, we had 12 amazing gardens to celebrate!
Thanks to the fabulous committee members for their time: Nancy Durocher, Bev Vanstone, Keri Alletson, Bernice Holman, Sandy Koster, Gail Marriott, Patricia Stowe, Catherine Sim and, of course, our co-presidents Joanna Blanchard and Nora Campbell.
Enjoy a virtual walk through these beautiful gardens:
by Lily Petick, Chair, Gardens of Distinction Awards