By Mary Maguire Lerman
The Como Post Office Winter Garden Identification Contest began on Feb. 1. Pickup an information sheet on the contest at the Como Post Office, 2286 Como Ave., between Doswell and Carter avenues during office hours Monday through Saturday.
Entries must be typed or carefully printed (so they are readable) and include an attachment sheet indicating the plants that you have recognized. Participants may submit an entry (choose one classification only) as an individual, couple, family, class or group project.
Be sure to provide the common or Latin name (or both!) of the plants that you recognize. Most of the winter garden plants are hardy in our area; however, two plants are not hardy in the Upper Midwest. One is native to the Southern states and another is native to the southern hemisphere. The plants include shrubs and trees, ferns, forbs, grasses and perennials, which may feature dried stems, leaves or pods. Entries may only be submitted by mail (we want the post office to be humming with entries) and must be postmarked no later than April l. The entry sheet lists the mailing address.
Entries will be evaluated in April and the winners will be announced in the June issue of the Bugle, which comes out in late May. Prizes may include hardy winter interest garden plants, a book that will help you identify more winter plants in future years, a photograph of the winter garden and a custom design winter interest plan for your landscape. Removal of any plant materials from the Como Post Office Winter Garden is strictly prohibited. The garden materials will be removed after April 1, as tulip shoots begin to peek their noses above the ground.
