
Monarch Award garden visits are happening soon! Lots of them!
Of the 30 applications received, 24 gardens have been selected to receive a visit from the Monarch Awards review team. Gardeners have already received an email with the news and can expect a phone call or email to schedule a visit. These visits are a great opportunity to receive feedback and ask questions.
How was the decision made? A seven-member team of experts reviewed each application. Reviewers noted which gardens appeared to meet the Monarch Award criteria based on questionnaire responses and photos. If a majority of reviewers thought a garden was a good candidate (for either a full Monarch Award or a Caterpillar Award) it made the short list.
Congratulations to the 24 gardeners moving on to the “visit” stage:
Heather Bond
Barb Booty
Lyndsey Copeland
Anne Ecobichon
Victoria Ellis
Laura Farr
Amanda Hammill
Jamie Hunter
Jean Jacobs
Kellie Jamieson
Rose Janson
Stevie Kenyon
Karen Lawrence
Jennifer Lenoir
Kirsten McCarthy
Alice Newstead
Megan Platts
Tanya Ritchie
Shirley Rodrigues
Philippe-Alexandre Senecal
Anna Sharpe
Kinga Smith
Jeff Stock
Holly Tasker
The Monarch Awards team thanks everyone who took the time to apply. Using Google Forms questionnaire was a big change from the free-form applications of the past two years. Having everyone answer the same set of questions not only ensured that applicants included all important information but also helped the review team objectively decide whether a garden should get a closer look. The questionnaire also solved several technical issues and greatly reduced the administrative work involved.
Applicants not chosen for a visit are encouraged to continue working on their gardens (guided by the Monarch Award scoring rubric) and apply again in 2023 or 2024.
For more information about the Hamilton Monarch Awards, visit www.monarchawardshamilton.org