FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 26, 2007

 Sunflower contest winners announced

 Despite the lack of rain this summer, the overflowing deer and bunny populations, garden pests and damaging storms, many young, novice gardeners successfully grew some stupendous sunflowers in the Mahtomedi Garden Club’s annual sunflower contest for students in grades 3-5 at O.H. Anderson and St. Jude of the Lake schools.

 Last May, about 100 students signed up for the contest and received Mammoth Gray Sunflower seed packets.  It was up to them to plant, water, fertilize and weed until after Labor Day, when the judging for tallest flower and largest head began.

 Jesse Hurt grew the tallest sunflower, at 12’6 “.  Jesse didn’t labor too hard over his sunflower, he just had to plant it in the ground and let nature take its course.  However, second place winner, Chelsey Henry, had a more difficult time trying to keep the deer from feeding off hers.  “I placed ivory soap on a stick and placed it next to the sunflowers,” said Chelsey.  Her sunflower measured 10’1”.

 There was a three-way tie for the flower with the largest head.  Jeffrey Brink, Riley Pavlak and Michael Carroll all grew 12” flower heads.  Austin Fruits took second place with a 10” flower head. These students thought gardening was a walk in the park.

 First place winners received $20 and second place winners received $10. An additional 44 students who succeeded in keeping their sunflowers alive until September received $1 for their efforts. The Mahtomedi Garden Club encourages all the students to keep gardening and reap the benefits of nature’s beautiful rewards.

For More Information Contact:

Mahtomedi Garden Club
1232 Hillswick Ter., Mahtomedi, MN 55115
Tel: 651-748-3760
FAX: 651-748-3761
Internet: sharihamilton@comcast.net