Riky Kiriakakis couldn’t mask her surprise and delight.
“I’m in shock,” she said sporting a wide grin after being told her home had been recognized as the town’s garden of the year recipient by the Midland Garden Club.
“I was so happy to be nominated. Now, I know how Oscar (Awards) people feel. Being nominated is enough.”
Riky and her husband Steve moved to their Bayport Boulevard home four years ago.
“We love gardening and it’s a lot of work with a new home to start a garden and make it look established,” she said.
Club president Kay Hawkins said there were about seven nominees this year for the top honour with judges looking for gardens that featured both a mix of annuals and perennials.
“We had some nominated by email,” Hawkins said, adding the club hopes to have its nomination notice on the Town of Midland website next year in order to receive more nominations.
Last year’s winning garden was a home at the corner of Victoria and Fifth Streets.
“We announced our winning garden later this year,” Hawkins said, noting a three-person panel made up of club members picks the winner. “Usually, we do it in July.”
An avid gardener herself, Hawkins said the club has actually been around for more than 125 years, but changed its original name from the Midland Horticultural Society to try to create more interest.
“A lot of garden clubs used to be known as horticultural societies,” she said, noting the Midland club holds monthly meetings and is also responsible for helping to beautify the town.
“We do all the plants at the town dock as well as various flower beds around town.”
The club hosts a plant sale featuring all locally grown plants at the Midland Farmer’s Market September 19. It also prints an annual calendar featuring winning photographs from a garden-inspired photo competition.
For more information about the club, email Email [email protected]. They also have a Facebook page under Midland Garden Club.