Applications are being accepted now. The questionnaire uses Google Forms so not only is it secure and reliable, it also handles photo uploads and allows saving. We encourage early applications– go ahead and use photos from 2023.
The application questionnaire is not made public. We give access to anyone who asks, though. We’ll send you the link to the application form upon request. Simply send an email to entries @ monarchawardshamilton.org and put “request link to MA” in the subject line.
A quick note for previous applicants… If you already received a Monarch Award, please note that we don’t award the same award to the same garden twice. There’s nothing different from when you won before– so save the time in applying and enjoy more time in your garden. However, if you’ve received a Caterpillar Award, you’re encouraged to apply again and try for a full Monarch Award.
Now for a few details…
Gathering information about your garden
Monarch Awards are not (just) about the look of your garden. We want to find out how it functions and, of course, what’s happening in the front yard and back yard.
The questionnaire covers the following six areas: Soil, Water, Plants, Materials/Hardscaping, Cultural Practices, and Aesthetics. To learn more about how your garden will be assessed, please read the Scoring Rubric (page opens in new tab).
For more information on ecological gardening, visit the Resources Page on this web site.
Don’t like online forms? If you want to write your application in Word or your favourite word processor? No problem. Just let us know and we’ll send you the questionnaire as a .rtf file. Send the completed application to entries @ monarchawardshamilton.org .
A note about photos
We ask that you send five photos that illustrate your garden’s Monarch Award potential. Please, no flower or butterfly closeups. We want to see the big picture. The maximum file size for each photo is 10MB, which is huge. You should have no problem with uploading large files, which is one of the reasons we switched to Google Forms.
Entry deadline is midnight on the date of summer solstice: 2024: Thursday June 20