Front Yards in Bloom

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A beloved tradition for gardeners, yard enthusiasts and community members, the Front Yards in Bloom program helps strengthen Edmonton’s community spirit and beautify our city.

A Front Yard in Bloom is a yard that showcases the best of nature, along with some human ingenuity! There have been so many beautiful gardens submitted over the years in each category, and the efforts of the gardeners are impressive.

View 2023 Front Yards in Bloom Winners

Award Categories

There are 6 categories that a yard can be nominated in: general, tiny yards, edible yards, natural yards, balconies in bloom and the public space category.

General Yard

General yard category for Front Yards in Bloom

An appealing front yard that catches your eye, inspires smiles and invites visitors to enjoy its beauty!
May include a variety of plants, colours, textures, heights, decorations and unique features
Yards should contain at least 25% non-turf plants over the area - pots, containers, flowering trees, shrubs, mosses, and grasses are all included in this category
Yards in the general category are judged by volunteer judges trained by the Edmonton Horticultural Society

Edible Yard

Front Yards in Bloom Edible yard example

A yard incorporating edible plants into the landscape design
Can include anything from vegetables and grains to fruiting trees, berry bushes, perennials, flowers or even mushrooms
As a guideline - of all the plants found in these yards, at least 60% must be edible
Yards in the edible category are judged by Sustainable Food Edmonton.

Natural Yard

Front Yards in Bloom Natural yard example

A yard with native flowers, trees, shrubs or ground cover plants that attract local wildlife such as birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects
A guideline of at least 60% perennial varieties defines this category
Extra points during judging are given for native plants with an Alberta origin (bees love them!)
Yards in the natural category are judged by the Edmonton Native Plant Society

Tiny Yard

Front Yards in Bloom tiny yard example

Introduced in 2018, tiny yards can be infill lots, townhouses, duplex units, or anything that is small!
Yard should be less than 600 square feet including space on either side of walkways
As with all nominated yards, tiny yards must have at least 25% flowering plant material (non-turf grass)

Balconies

A balcony with flowers and edible plants

Balcony gardens can feature flowers, edible plants and vegetables, decorations and birdfeeders and whatever your mind can create
Nomination should include the unit number
All nominees will receive a sign in the mail celebrating your beautiful balcony
Top 3 balcony gardeners will be awarded at the Edmonton in Bloom Awards ceremony

Public Space

Front Yards in Bloom Public Space example

A yard or garden with landscaping features and aesthetic appeal in front of a public building
This space can be located in front of a school, business, office building, multi-unit residence, church, community league, or volunteer association
Yards in the public spaces category must be accompanied by a street address to qualify - no city parks/parkettes, median gardens and trees, boulevard plantings or shrub beds. Exceptions can be made if the citizen gardener(s) can be named along with a mailing address (email front.yards@edmonton.ca in these circumstances)
This category does not include community gardens. To nominate a community garden for an Edmonton in Bloom award, contact front.yards@edmonton.ca

Rules, Terms and Eligibility Conditions

The Front Yards in Bloom Photo Contest is open to all Edmonton residents over 18, but anyone can participate in the voting process.
No purchase is necessary to vote for a nominee.
The chances of winning are based on the number of votes received via an online form in a certain period of time.
A yard must meet the criteria for the category (Natural, Edible, Tiny Yards, Balconies, Public Spaces, or General) for which it is nominated. A front yard must be visible from the street, which can include the yard in front of your residence, the piece of land in front of your school, or other public group meeting location.

Nomination Guidelines

Anyone can nominate a front yard
You can't nominate your own yard, but you can ask a friend or neighbour to nominate your yard. For Balconies in Bloom, we accept self-nominations and third-party nominations in the form of photo submissions
Yards and gardens should be connected or adjacent to a residence or building that has a mailing address
Please consult Alberta's Regulated Weeds list before planning your garden or nominating a garden that may include these species. Yards with weeds may still receive a nomination sign, but volunteer judges use the presence of weeds as one of their criteria for considering a yard for an award
Front yards in bloom will have "curb appeal", and so should be in full view from the sidewalk - not hidden with a wooden fence or locked gates
Yards should have easy access to the walkway of the yard for volunteers to place a sign and deliver a brochure (no locked fences or gates)
Yards must contain at least 25% non-turf plants. While green lawns are quite common in Edmonton, our volunteers are placing signs only in yards where other types of plants add beauty to the area

Goals of the Program

Recognize our friends and neighbours' efforts to create more beautiful communities
Highlight the front yards that make Edmonton beautiful
Encourage all Edmontonians to help keep their neighbourhoods attractive places to live, work, and play
Engage Edmontonians who want to make Edmonton more beautiful

History of the Program

Founded in 1999 by the Edmonton Horticultural Society, Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the City of Edmonton
Front Yards in Bloom was modelled after a similar program in Kitchener, Ontario
150 nominations received in the first year
Edmonton's Front Yards in Bloom is now the largest program of its kind in Canada
Winners are announced at the annual Edmonton in Bloom Awards each year
Funding for the program comes entirely from sponsorship and donors

For More Information

311 Contact Centre

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If you are calling from outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311

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