The Back Bay, Fenway-Kenmore, and South End neighborhoods were represented among the winners in this year’s 28th annual Mayor’s Garden Contest.
Salil Sharma and Chitiz Regmi of South End’s first-place garden in the
Porch, Balcony, or Container Garden category.
Nasreen Latif of Fenway-Kenmore took second place in the Age Strong category.
Salil Sharma and Chitiz Regmi of the South End took first place in the Porch, Balcony, or Container Garden category while the third-place prize went to Peter Cahn and Donald Hess of the Back Bay.
In the Community Garden category, Leila Hedayatifar and Alireza Ziaei of Fenway Victory Gardens took first place; Ian Johnson and Sean Larney of the South End’s Berkeley Community Garden won second place; and Gerry Izzi and Dan Doherty, also of Fenway Victory Gardens, was awarded third place.
“These gardeners bring joy and beauty to our porches, balconies, and storefronts across every neighborhood,” Mayor Michelle Wu told contest winners during an awards ceremony on Aug. 13 in the Public Garden. “I want to congratulate all of our winners and offer a special congratulations to everyone being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. It is a joy to celebrate Boston’s greenest thumbs!”
First-place winners received the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Wu while second and third place winners were awarded certificates. Gardeners who have won three or more times in the last ten years were automatically entered into the Hall of Fame. These distinguished Hall-of-Famers are no longer eligible to enter as contestants but are invited to return as judges.
Also, first-place winners were entered into a drawing for a JetBlue Grand Prize consisting of roundtrip flights for two to any nonstop destination from Boston. (Terms, conditions, and blackout dates apply.) Mahoney’s Garden Centers provided gardener’s gift bags to the top three winners in each category, as well as gift certificates for the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees. Winners also received prizes from Spartan Coffee and refreshments were provided with support from Polar Beverages.