The owners of the city's most beautiful yards and gardens were revealed at the end of July with the conclusion of the Yorkton in Bloom 2010 Local Grounds Competition.
Natalie Bylsma of 47 Cedarwood Crescent was awarded both the Front Yard and Back Yard prizes in the Best Home Grounds competition.
This summer was the first time Bylsma's yard has been entered into the competition since she moved to Yorkton from the farm in 2006. It never occurred to her to submit her name, but her mother-a resident of the Best Senior Housing Complex-winning Fisher Court-insisted on doing it on her behalf.
"It was very exciting," says Bylsma of her awards. "I thought others would be a lot better than mine."
Bylsma doesn't consider her front yard to be anything special, although the Yorkton in Bloom judges disagreed. Most of her extensive development work has gone into the back yard: trees were removed, grass was replaced, and bricks were added to enclose a large bed filled with perennials against a backdrop of vines and shrubs.
Bylsma did most of the labor herself, including the brickwork.
"I had someone else put the sod in [last year]. I realized later I could have done it myself, because it was easier than laying all those bricks," she laughs.
The Cedarwood Crescent resident also maintains a large vegetable garden, which she did not enter into the competition. Between it and the flowerbeds, the yard takes long hours to maintain.
"Just about every day or every second day there's something that needs trimming."
Bylsma says she is proud of the city's residents for taking on the challenge of beautifying Yorkton through such programs as Yorkton in Bloom.
Winner of the Best Vegetable Garden award was Jennie Matcyk of 60 Appleton Drive. Like Bylsma, Matcyk moved to Yorkton from a farm four years ago and entered the competition for the first time this year.
"A lot of people were talking about it, so I decided to give it a try," she says.
Matcyk's small garden is packed with well-producing beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, dill, garlic, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and more.
Like much of the city, Matcyk's yard was flooded in the July 1 storm. She expected the garden to be drowned out, but in the end the summer's wet conditions seemed to be a boon to the plants.
The Local Grounds Competition has been held annually in Yorkton for the past 14 years. The Yorkton in Bloom Committee is a partnership between the Yorkton & District Horticultural Society and the city's Community Development and Parks & Recreation departments.
The following is the complete list of Yorkton in Bloom 2010 winners:Best Home Grounds (Front Yard): Natalie Bylsma (47 Cedarwood Crescent) Best Home Grounds (Back Yard): Natalie Bylsma (47 Cedarwood Crescent)Best Mobile Home Grounds: Sharon Lapitsky (41 West Shore Greens)Best Vegetable Garden: Jennie Matcyk (60 Appleton Drive)Best Senior Housing Unit: Florence Matechuk (140 Jubilee Crescent) Best Senior Housing Complex: Fisher Court (115 4th Avenue North), Ev WotherspoonBest Senior Housing Courtyard: Queen Elizabeth Court (133 4th Avenue North), Bill & Elsie RadyshBest Senior Housing (Back Yard): Heritage Place (7th Avenue North), Shawna JewhurstBest Senior Housing Deck/Balcony: Queen Elizabeth Court - 2nd Floor Balcony (133 4th Avenue North) Margaret Leibrecht Best Residential Street, Avenue, Crescent, Bay, etc: Jubilee Crescent, Florence Matechuk
Golden Bloom Awards (75 years and older)Best Home Grounds (Front Yard): Sonja Pawliw (95 Wellington Avenue)Best Home Grounds (Back Yard): Sonja Pawliw (95 Wellington Avenue)Best Vegetable Garden: John & Sylvia Bodnar (5 Delaere Drive)Best Senior Housing Unit: Betty Golling (163 Jubilee Crescent)Honourable Mention: Nick Toderian (152 Jubilee Crescent)
