Top 10 Hottest Gardeners in the DMV

Over the past few weeks, Washington Gardener Magazine readers and friends have been submitting their nominations for the "Hottest Gardener in the DMV (District/Maryland/Virginia." I think you'll agree that our local gardening region can boast about some real eye candy -- both beautiful on the outside, as well as the inside.

(Note that if you are viewing this list at the original posting at http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/, you can click on any of the photos and view them at their full-size.)

Here the Top 10 Hottest Gardeners in the DMV are  -- in no particular order -- for your enjoyment:

Erin Pitts

Erin Pitts, she is 30 years old, and does most of the gardening in our 1500 sqft organic vegetable garden in Glen Burnie Maryland. "I hope your readers appreciate her beauty as I get to every day," said her husband, Philip Pitts.

Heriberto

Heriberto is a Garden Assistant at the Washington Youth Garden in the US National Arboretum, Washington, DC. He is 28(?) years old. Heriberto learned about farming growing up in Mexico and is now studying horticulture.

Kate Lee

Kate Lee, 31 of Washington, DC, is owner of Capital City Farm Company www.capitalcityfarmco.com. She gardens all over the city including Thurgood Marshall Academy (charter school in SE), Brainfood (amazing healthy food-centric non-profit), and installs personal vegetable gardens in yards across the city.  She is adorable, delightful, full of energy, has the best smile, and LOVES to get her hands dirty. She is an amazing gardener and is originally from
Honolulu, Hawaii.

Nicholas Drake Urdy

Nicholas Drake Urdy, 40, from Reston, VA, is originally from Austin Texas. He moved to the DMV area in the winter of 1998. He started his first garden around his current home back in 2007. "I decided to tackle the outside and enjoy my passion for gardening by creating my own personal living space through plants," he writes. He is also a student in Horticulture seeking a degree in horticultural science. 

Rebecca Lemos

Rebecca Lemos, early 30s, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of City Blossoms, which does fabulous work in the District with children and youth gardening. This pic is from an event in their Girard Street Garden in Columbia Heights just about captures it all.

Joe Curley

Joe Curley is 26 years old and lives in Pentagon City. He is a horticulturist for the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse. "He is sweet, funny AND hot!" said his fans who nominated him.

Nadia

Nadia, 29, is Garden Manager at the Washington Youth Garden in the US National Arboretum, Washington, DC. Nadia is super creative and loves to come up with new theme gardens that will catch kids' interest.  

Billy Arnold

William (Billy) Arnold is 29 years old and he has been working landscaping for the last 10 years. He started his own landscaping company called: Carolina Blues Landscaping. Billy’s father worked for Nalls Produce in the Alexandria/Franconia area since he was a young boy and he got his son interested in the business. Billy was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia and is currently living in Woodbridge, Virginia.  Billy is very competitive and loves competing in all things fun.

Monique Sullivan

Monique Sullivan gardens in DC, but is originally a New Orleans hothouse flower, so she hasn't minded the 100+ temperatures this summer, spending hours on weekends and evenings outside with the plants. Monique expanded from apartment-window gardening to her own home with yard last year. She built raised beds on a concrete parking pad and grew multiple types of tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, potatoes, and peppers. Monique also took on working with the Edgewood Community Garden this summer, as well.

Kenneth Moore

Kenneth Moore is a self-described "quirky gardener in this nation's capital trying to make a difference one seed (literal and metaphorical) at a time." He is a freelance writer who blogs at http://www.indoorgarden-er.com/. Currently, he is helping boost the DC State Fair to bring much-needed attention to gardening and home arts in the city.