By Dan Murphy
Ric Cirace, a 25-year resident of the Back Bay, was recently awarded first place in Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s 2017 Garden Contest in the category of porch, balcony and container garden.
Cirace was also a recipient in 1996 and 1997 – the first two years of the contest – and thus began a 20-year moratorium on the event until this year. He now intends to enter his roof-deck garden located on Beacon Street between Exeter and Fairfield streets again next time.
“It really is an enjoyable contest and important to the city, so I’ll probably try again once more next year,” Cirace said.
As a first-place contest winner, Cirace will receive the “Golden Trowel” award from Walsh and prize packages from the city’s Parks Department, Mahoney’s Garden Centers, and other sponsors at an awards ceremony this month in the Public Garden. First-place winners will also be entered into a drawing for a JetBlue Grand Prize consisting of round-trip flights for two to any nonstop destination from Boston (Terms, conditions and blackout dates apply, however).
A team of judges viewed the finalists’ gardens over a two-day period, including members of the Garden Contest Hall of Fame, Boston Parks and Recreation Department staff and local open-space advocates.