Schoolyard Greening Photo Reception

Last night was the Opening Reception for the showing of the DC School Garden Week Photo Contest 2008 winning images. Washington Gardener Magazine donated some prizes for the contest and helped judge again. This was the second year of the contest and a third is planned so if you are or know a school kid in DC, get start collecting those garden photos for 2009 entries.

Washington Gardener Magazine has our own annual Garden Photo Contest and while we do not have a separate children's category, anyone of any age is encouraged to enter. The entry form is being finalized and posted this week at our web site, so look out for that.

You can see all the DC School Garden Week Photo Contest winner's images linked online here. Though if you are in downtown DC and near the MLK Library anytime in December, stop by the 2nd Floor lobby for a bit to peruse the winners on display and the cases full of related schoolyard greening information.

Pictured here at top is Grand Prize winner Melissa Wood and at bottom are Julia Hiemstra and Emma Vicini sharing 3rd place. All three winners shown here are middle schoolers at Horace Mann. That school sure puts out some great photo and gardening talent. Of the 100 photo entries turned in this year, about a third came from Horace Mann. Can you guess that one energetic teacher might be behind that trend? I hope other DC school teachers, parents, and administrators get the gardening bug and join in the schoolyard greening programs as enthusiastically.