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TOP FIVE

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

HONORABLE MENTION

$50 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

2005

TOP FIVE WINNERS

Jennifer Margison of Sidney , BC , Canada

     This is Jennifer’s version of a French kitchen garden and is located right outside her back door for easy access. The garden is 3-years-old and is constructed from “Split ‘n Stack” concrete blocks. The blocks help warm the soil and are great for sitting on to care for the garden. Because of her small yard, Jennifer has fit in as much edible landscaping as possible with added pots on the corners. One bed is just for herbs and the others have lots of different salad greens, chard, kale, leeks and shallots. Peas are growing up a vertical structure in one bed and scarlet runner beans in the other. Beautiful garden, Jennifer – congratulations!

Susie Wild of Vancouver Island , BC , Canada

     Susie is very enthusiastic about SFG and shares what she knows with friends and family. She has 12 boxes full of veggies, strawberries, peas, beans and radishes. She has added a few rubber snakes around to deter the rabbits. Susie waters using sun-warmed water from a barrel. Her garden is beautifully laid out with grassy, spacious aisles and looks like a peaceful place to visit. The vertical frames add height and interest to her garden. Terrific garden, Susie!

Donna Nielson of Vernal Utah

Donna just moved and so is starting a brand-new garden. Using SFG, she knew she didn’t need to wait for spring, so she got going in the winter. Donna started her plants indoors and then protected her garden outside by making PVC hoops covered with plastic. Using this protection, Donna was able to plant and then harvest weeks earlier that she would have otherwise. Donna’s neighbors are amazed at what they see and she was harvesting greens a month and a half before they even planted. Donna likes using Mel’s “high-rise” boxes and has done onions and potatoes using this method. Congratulations, Donna, on a very productive garden!

Jim Teahan of Draper, Utah

Jim learned about Square Foot Gardening by trying to figure out why his neighbor always had such an early and plentiful harvest. After a few years of trying to out-garden his neighbor with his single-row garden, Jim switched to SFG and now even teaches classes so others can also have successful gardens. Jim tries to plant earlier and earlier each spring and often has snow on the outside of the plastic cover over his garden while the temperature inside is around 70. Jim tells almost everyone he meets about SFG. Wonderful garden, Jim!

Elizabeth Collado of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts

For 8 years Elizabeth tried to have a garden and found her plants would not grow and if they did, bugs or weeds took control. She says that out of frustration and luck she found Mel’s book. Elizabeth now has an incredible and beautiful organic SFG. She shares her successful experience with family, friends and co-workers. She says she gets so excited about Square Foot Gardening that she ends up giving her own copy of the book away to anyone interested. By doing so, Elizabeth hopes to make others as happy as she has been since discovering SFG. Outstanding garden, Elizabeth !

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SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Each Awarded an Autographed Copy of Mel’s New Cover Book

Kent Wilton, Tikrit , Iraq

Gardening Under the Most Extreme Conditions

Kent is a Satellite Communications Specialist for a company in support of the US Army based in Iraq . Kent has made SFG gardens from old mortar crates and in raised beds lined with sandbags. Battling temperatures of around 110 degrees, Kent laughed and said he has to take his water inside to cool it down before watering the plants! Good soil is so hard to come by that Kent once bought $19 worth of soil and paid $121 to have it shipped. Kent ’s gardens help beautify concrete barriers in place to protect the installation again incoming mortar rounds. Large ants have even eaten his plants from the inside out. Now, gardening under these conditions requires persistence and dedication. You make us proud, Kent !

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Gary Stansberry, Downey , California

Making a Difference Through SFG

     Gary is the Regional Coordinator of the After-School Enrichment Program for the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Because of Gary , literally hundreds of Square Foot Gardens have been built and planted at schools in his area. Gary has gotten donations of materials and supplies to build the gardens and has enthusiastically taught workshops on SFG to teachers. It is incredible what he has accomplished in a relatively short period of time and his work has affected the lives of many school children for the better. Congratulations, Gary , on an outstanding project!

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HONORABLE MENTION

Each Awarded an Autographed Copy of Mel’s New Cover Book

The following gardens deserve an honorable mention award for beauty, uniqueness, unusual design and for being very promising. We applaud all of you for an outstanding garden!

Alex Westberry of Rome , Georgia

Bruce Longacre

Darryl and Vicky Hafler, Pine City, New York

Donald Martin, Frederick , Maryland

Francisca Rapier, Veradale , Washington

James Bybee, Laie , Hawaii

Jeremy Raney, Shawnee , Oklahoma

Jim and Kathey Ahlstrom, Fairborn , Ohio

Leo Plasse, Millville, Massachusetts

Lynne LaRochelle