Grow set the table for a garden party, and you all showed up. , and suddenly, we were the lucky invitees. So here’s to your bugs and blossoms, all of them. There were more true winners than we could possibly publish. Susan Clotfelter, The Denver Post
Barbara Olsen, Fort Collins
Winner, $50 garden-center gift certificate
“The photo was taken in my backyard just prior to my embarking on a European vacation. I was trying out a new camera I was hoping to bring on my trip. It was an early morning in May, and the sunlight was falling on the tulip, illuminating its delicate white edges against the lush green backdrop of the leaves. I knew I had to take the shot then and there before the light shifted.”
Pam Maxwell, Denver
Winner, “Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide”
“I was out tending my garden and saw this most beautiful butterfly hovering around my flowers. I ran as fast as I could to get my camera. This beautiful creature was so enamored with the nectar it was still there and almost seemed to pose for me to snap several pictures of its beauty. It was a bit too sunny out for a perfect picture, but one can’t be too choosy for a good photo op.”
Janet Kemper, Denver
Honorable mention: A copy of “The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place,” by Claire E. Sawyers
“The photo of a calla lily was taken in my front yard. I actually just put some bulbs down in a spot (where) I wasn’t sure anything would grow. This is the only thing that bloomed. When I took the picture, I put a black bath towel behind the flower.”
Becky Alfrey, Denver
Honorable mention: A copy of “American Eden: From Monticello to Central Park to Our Backyards: What Our Gardens Tell Us About Who We Are,” by Wade Graham
“This photo was taken at the Denver Botanic Gardens of some beautiful tulips under a tree that was just blossoming into its spring attire. I love this photo because everything looks new and fresh and ready to greet and delight everyone.”
Tracey Clark, Manitou Springs
Honorable mention: A copy of “Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army and Other Diabolical Insects,” by Amy Stewart
“I am the gardener here at Miramont Castle Museum in Manitou Springs. . . . The bulk of my photos are from the Miramont Castle Gardens. The gardens at the castle are exquisite and magical. This year, my focus seems to be more on the pollinating insects that visit the flowers, as well as macro-photography. I am fascinated with the beauty of the inside of the flowers. What I see there is symbolic of what I see in this world when I take the time to slow down and notice things more closely. It fosters my curiosity.”
