At a reception on the Public Garden Tuesday evening, Beacon Hill resident Miguel Rosales took home second prize in the Shade Garden category of Mayor Martin Walsh’s 2018 Garden Contest.
“I’m very honored to win this award and excited to represent Beacon Hill in the contest,” Rosales told this reporter prior to the event. “Shade gardens are very common on Beacon Hill because many townhouses have backyards, but they can also be challenging because of the limited light available.”
First place in the Shade Garden category went to Errol and Jan Uys, of Dorchester while Courtenay Loiselle of East Boston came in third.
While Rosales had the only award-winning garden on Beacon Hill in any category, the Back Bay’s Ric Cirace came in first for Porch, Balcony or Container Gardens while the Fenway was well represented, with Billy and Eric Bain, Carmen Musto and Marguerite Sharkey and Alison Moppett placing first, second and third, respectively, in the Community Garden category; and Kristen Mobilia taking second place in Vegetable or Herb Gardens.
A team of judges, including members of the Garden Contest Hall of Fame, Boston Parks and Recreation Department staff and local open space advocates, viewed the finalists’ gardens over a two-day period before determining contest winners.