Garden Competitions By Major City
Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or just proud of your backyard blooms, entering garden competitions is a great way to showcase your hard work, connect with fellow gardening enthusiasts, and earn well-deserved recognition. From small-town beauty contests to large-scale horticultural showcases, Ontario and Michigan are home to dozens of exciting garden competitions every year. This page highlights some of the most popular local and regional garden contests across both provinces and states—organized by city.
TORONTO | HAMILTON | ANCASTER | NIAGARA FALLS | DETROIT |
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Each summer, the City of Toronto celebrates its most beautiful gardens through the annual Garden Awards. Now in its 23rd year, this competition invites residents to submit their own gardens or nominate outstanding gardens in their community.
🏆 Categories
Participants can enter or be nominated in one of four categories:
Residential Traditional: Classic garden designs for single-family homes.
Residential Ecological/Habitat: Gardens that support pollinators and local ecosystems.
Residential High Density: For apartments, condominiums, and multi-unit homes.
Non-residential: Includes commercial, institutional, and community spaces.
🌼 Judging Criteria
Gardens are evaluated based on the following criteria:
Design: Balance, originality, selection and arrangement of plants, trees, and shrubs, and the design of traffic flow.
Hard Landscaping: Use of driveway paving, walkways, stones, rocks, statuary, containers, walls, fencing, and water features.
Condition and Maintenance: Cleanliness of the garden and area, freedom from diseases and weeds, good garden practices, and suitable ground cover.
Use of Plant Material: Variety, spacing and balance, appropriate use of perennials and/or native species, and use of colour and texture.City of Toronto+1City of Toronto+1
For more information and to submit a nomination, visit the official City of Toronto Garden Awards page.
The CNE Garden Show Competition, also known as the CNE Horticultural Competition, is one of Canada's largest flower and vegetable growing contests. Held annually at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto, this event invites Canadian residents to showcase their horticultural talents.
📅 Event Details
Dates: August 15 – September 1, 2025
Location: Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto
Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
🌿 Competition Highlights
Diverse Categories: Participants can enter various classes, including floral designs, potted plants, vegetables, and more.
Large Display Design Section: Introduced recently, this section allows individuals, groups, or horticultural societies to create expansive 4×4-foot displays. Space is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Dave Money Memorial Award: Established in 2022, this award honours outstanding exhibits in memory of the late Dave Money, former Chairperson of the Horticulture Competition.
🏅 Judging & Awards
Entries are evaluated by accredited judges based on criteria such as design, creativity, and horticultural excellence. Awards include:
Best in Show
Runner-Up Best in Show
Most Creative Design
Judge’s Choice
Dave Money Memorial Award: Accompanied by a $50 prize.
📝 How to Enter
Eligibility: Open to all Canadian residents.
Registration: Online registration is available. Entry forms should be submitted by Monday, July 14, 2025, to ensure the timely distribution of entry tags and admission passes. Late entries may be accepted, but are not guaranteed timely processing.
Contact: For inquiries or to reserve space in specific sections, email [email protected].
For more information and to access the registration form, visit the official CNE Garden Show Competition
Established in 1956, the Hamilton Trillium Awards Program is one of North America's oldest and largest beautification initiatives. It celebrates residents and community groups who enhance the city's visual appeal through exceptional front-yard landscaping and sustainable gardening practices.
🏆 Award Categories
White Trillium Award: Granted to the top 20 highest-scoring front yard gardens in each ward.
Pink Trillium Award: Awarded to the highest-scoring White Trillium recipient in each ward.
Red Trillium Award: The city's most prestigious horticultural honour, selected from among the Pink Trillium winners. Only one is awarded city-wide each year.
Community Trillium Award: Recognizes outstanding commercial, institutional, or community gardens within each ward.
🌿 Judging Criteria
Gardens are evaluated by over 150 trained volunteer judges based on:
Biodiversity Excellence: Incorporation of native species, pollinator support, water conservation features, pesticide-free practices, and innovative elements like birdhouses or seed libraries.
Curb Appeal: Overall attractiveness from the street, including design elements and focal points.
Softscape & Hardscape: Quality and maintenance of plantings (softscape) and structural features like walkways, stones, and water elements (hardscape).
Floral Displays: Health, colour coordination, and maintenance of annuals and perennials.
Property Maintenance: Upkeep of walkways, fences, and overall cleanliness.
Trees & Shrubs: Proper pruning, health, and integration into the landscape.
Design Principles: Unity, balance, scale, rhythm, and year-round interest.
📅 Key Dates
Nominations & Judge Registrations Open: April 1
Deadline for Submissions: June 15, 5:00 PM
Winners Announced: September
📌 How to Participate
Eligibility: Open to all Hamilton residents with front yard gardens visible from the street.
Nomination: Residents can self-nominate or nominate others' gardens.
Volunteer as a Judge: Garden enthusiasts are encouraged to register as volunteer judges; training and materials are provided.
For more information, to nominate a garden, or to register as a judge, visit the official Hamilton Trillium Awards page or contact trilliumawards@hamilton.ca.
The Ancaster Trillium Awards, organized by the Ancaster Horticultural Society, celebrate the most beautiful front gardens in Ancaster, Ontario. This annual event encourages community pride and recognizes residents who enhance the town's aesthetic through exceptional landscaping.
🏆 Award Categories
The awards are presented in three categories:
Single Residential
Townhouse
Commercial
Residents can nominate their own properties or those of friends and neighbours within Ancaster. Gardens judged in the previous year are automatically re-evaluated—no need to re-nominate!
🔍 Judging Criteria
Volunteer judges from the Ancaster Horticultural Society assess nominated gardens based on:
Overall First Impression
Landscape Design & Colour
Landscape Maintenance
Judging for the 2025 awards will take place from June 28 to July 13.
🔗 Full details here
🎉 Awards Ceremony
The 2025 Trillium Awards ceremony will be held:
Tuesday, August 19
7:00 PM
Fieldcote Memorial Park & Museum, 64 Sulphur Springs Rd, Ancaster
In case of rain, the event moves indoors to the Ancaster Old Town Hall.
💎 Special Recognition
In 2024, the Diamond Trillium Award was presented to Maria Ingrosso for over 15 years of outstanding gardening.
24 gardeners received Ruby (10-year) and Gold (5-year) awards.
100 continuing recipients included many first-time winners.
Learn more or get involved by visiting the Ancaster Horticultural Society.
The Niagara Falls Summer Trillium Recognition Program, presented by Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc., celebrates outstanding curbside landscaping across the city. Open to all property owners—residential, commercial, and industrial—the program encourages community beautification and environmental stewardship. Participation is free, and nominations are accepted from June 1 to July 1 each year.
🏆 Award Categories
Properties are evaluated and recognized with one of the following ratings:
Gold Trillium: Scores between 90–100 points, reflecting exceptional landscaping and maintenance.
Silver Trillium: Scores between 80–89.9 points, indicating high-quality efforts with minor areas for improvement.
Bronze Trillium: Scores between 70–79.9 points, showcasing commendable landscaping with room for enhancement.
Trillium Participant: Scores below 70 points, acknowledging participation and providing feedback for future improvement.
Award of Excellence: Granted to properties that achieve Gold status in consecutive years, recognizing sustained excellence.
📅 Key Dates for 2025
June 1 – July 1: Nomination period.
July 4: Notification letters sent to nominated properties.
July 23: Curbside photographs taken between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM.
July 30: Assessment of properties based on photographs.
August 5–8: Award notifications mailed to participants.
September 10: Recognition of Excellence Ceremony at the Gale Centre Arena – Memorial Room, 6:30 PM.
🔍 Judging Criteria
Properties are assessed on a 100-point scale across six categories:
Principles of Design (20 points): Evaluates balance, rhythm, and overall aesthetic appeal.
Turf (10 points): Assesses lawn health, edging, and ground cover quality.
Quality of Maintenance & Plant Diversity (30 points): Considers pruning, plant variety, and use of native species.
Hardscaping Features (10 points): Reviews the quality and integration of non-plant elements like walkways and retaining walls.
Unique Features (10 points): Looks at decorative elements such as hanging baskets, ponds, and ornamental containers.
Environmental Issues (20 points): Examines eco-friendly practices like water conservation and wildlife-friendly landscaping.
🌟 Get Involved
To participate in the 2025 Summer Trillium Recognition Program, submit your nomination online between June 1 and July 1. Whether you're proud of your own garden or admire a neighbor's, this is an opportunity to celebrate and encourage beautiful landscaping in Niagara Falls. For more information and to access the nomination form, visit the Niagara Falls Trillium Program page.
The Detroit News Homestyle Garden Photo Contest is an annual celebration of gardening creativity across Michigan. Open to gardeners of all skill levels, this contest invites participants to showcase their gardens through captivating photographs. Whether you have a flourishing flower bed, a bountiful vegetable patch, or a serene backyard retreat, this is your opportunity to share your green space with the community.
📸 How to Enter
Participants are encouraged to submit high-quality photographs of their gardens during the designated entry period, typically announced in late spring. Submissions are made through the official contest platform, where entrants can upload their images and provide brief descriptions of their gardens. Each participant may submit one photo that best represents their gardening efforts.
🏆 Judging and Prizes
Entries are evaluated based on criteria such as visual appeal, creativity, and the overall impression of the garden. A panel of judges selects the top entries, and winners are featured in the Detroit News Homestyle section. Prizes may include gardening tools, gift certificates, or other garden-related items, providing winners with resources to further enhance their gardens.
🌟 Get Inspired
To view past entries and gain inspiration for your own garden, visit the 2024 contest gallery. This collection showcases a variety of gardening styles and offers ideas for your next horticultural project.
📅 Stay Tuned for 2025
Details for the 2025 contest, including entry dates and submission guidelines, will be announced on the Detroit News website. Keep an eye on the Homestyle section for updates and prepare to share your garden's beauty with fellow enthusiasts.