Mayor Martin Walsh announced this week that Jamaica Plain resident Linda Sklar was a winner in the 24th Annual Mayor’s Garden Contest.
Sklar won in the Medium Yard garden contest category with a grand prize provided by JetBlue and prize packages donated by Mahoney’s Garden Centers.
This year’s competition was held within current social distancing guidelines with the contest providing the perfect opportunity to recognize those who have taken advantage of the “safer at home” guidelines to hone their gardening skills.
Sklar received the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Walsh while second and third place winners were awarded certificates.
Sklar is also eligible for a drawing for a JetBlue Grand Prize consisting of roundtrip flights for two to any nonstop destination from Boston. Gardener’s gift bags were provided by Mahoney’s Garden Centers to Sklar and the other top winners in each category as well as gift certificates for the 2020 Hall of Fame winners.
For over two decades the Mayor’s Garden Contest recognizes gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, shrubs, and vegetables, and in the process, helped beautify Boston’s neighborhoods. The safety of gardeners and contest judges was the top priority of the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and gardeners were instructed to follow all current advisories from the Boston Public Health Commission and the City of Boston. Judging was held with social distancing and masks in use, as was the delivery of winner’s certificates.
Traditionally, the awards ceremony is an outdoor celebration in the Boston Public Garden where each winner is announced and provided with their award by Mayor Walsh. This year’s ceremony was held virtually on August 25 with all winners’ gardens showcased. As winners of each category were announced, photos of their gardens were shown on screen.