2025 GROW FOR IT! Garden Contest

The Township of Rideau Lakes, in partnership with the Rideau Lakes Horticultural Society, is pleased to invite you to participate in the annual Grow for It! Garden contest. We invite you to get out your shovel and take your garden to the next level! Nominate yourself, your neighbour or a local business for one of the following categories:

1. Residential – overall residential
2. Edible – residential or commercial edible
3. Commercial – overall commercial

Nominations open May 1st and close on July 31st. The Garden Picnic for the nominees will take place at Lower Beverly Park on August 27th from 5pm to 8pm, where the winners will be announced. Nominees are asked to send in 3 photos of their garden that best reflect it's beauty so they can be added to a slideshow for viewing at the picnic. 

Judging will be conducted by volunteers from the Rideau Lakes Horticultural Society. They will be using judging guides for both residential and edible gardens. 

The online nomination form can be found at this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/growforit2024 

Or submit nominations to 613-928-2251 ext. 238 or .

2024 Winners

1. Residential – Diane and Keith Haskins 
2. Edible – (2-way tie) Isabell Schmid and Kelsie Wright
3. Commercial – Claire Jacobs Fine Art

2023 Winners

1. Residential – 9139 County Road 42
2. Edible – Maple Hill Farm
3. Commercial – The Tipped Ship

2022 Winners

1. Residential – Joanne Warren
2. Edible – 702 Daytown Road
3. Commercial – Station Cafe
4. Children's Garden – Chloe Luscombe

2021 Winners

1. Residential – Diane and Keith Haskins
2. Edible – Nancy Mahon
3. Commercial – Harlem Stonegate B&B
4. Children's Garden – Jacob & Maeve Ross

2020 Winners

1. Residential – Suzanne Halpenny
2. Edible – Nancy and Ron Bresee
3. Commercial – Bastard County Fruit Farm
4. Beautification Committee – Morton Beautification Committee

Rideau Lakes was entered into the Province-wide “Communities in Bloom” contest in 2004, which inspired the Township Beautification Committee to introduce a local garden contest. Over 100 gardens were judged in the 14 years of the contest.  Local dignitaries were called upon to act as judges, and Town and Country Chrysler supplied a vehicle for the judges to travel in while viewing the gardens. In 2018, the top three communities who won received a red maple tree as their prize.