Launched 13 years ago as part of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s citywide beautification initiative, the contest recognizes gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, and shrubs, and, in the process, beautified their own small piece of Boston. Despite the hardships New England gardeners have endured with this year’s heavy rains and less than ideal growing conditions, the Parks Department received a high volume of entries for the 2009 contest and the judges who crisscrossed the city visiting the 29 finalists were impressed by the quality in every category.

First, second and third-place awards will be presented by Mayor Menino and Boston Parks Commissioner Antonia M. Pollak at an awards ceremony being held on August 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Garden. First place winners in eleven categories will receive the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Menino, a one-year American Horticultural Society membership, and prize packages from HGTV, Comcast, and the City of Boston.

This year’s winners are:

Community Garden

First Place – Tom Kauycheck, Friends of Elliot Norton Park, Boston

Second Place – Bolton Place Gardeners, Charlestown

Third Place – John Audette, Fenway Garden Society, Fenway

Community Service Garden

First Place (tie) –Bill Gleason, West Broadway Neighborhood Association, South Boston; Kelly Burke and Youth Gardeners, My Boston Tree Association, South Boston

Second Place (tie) – John Brice Union Avenue Apartments, Jamaica Plain; Daniella Alexrod, Cabot Estate, Jamaica Plain

School or Church Garden

First Place – Karen Jarret and Steve Brathwaite, Trinity Church, Boston

Vegetable or Herb Garden

First Place – George Scarpelos, West Roxbury

Second Place – Benjamin Wolfe, South End

Third Place – Eleanor Greene, West on Centre, West Roxbury

Storefront or Business Garden

First Place – Jon Napoli, The Hempest, 207 Newbury Street, Boston

Second Place – Kevin Tyo, 224 Boston Street Restaurant, Dorchester

Third Place – Michelle Quintero-Chica, Q Optical, 287 Newbury Street, Boston

Window Boxes or Tree Pit Garden

First Place – Rodney Singleton, Roxbury

Second Place (tie) – Marlene Karas, South End; Paul Nutting, Dorchester

Third Place – Mary and Hailey Johnston, South Boston

Porch, Balcony or Deck Garden

First Place (tie) – Benjamin Wolfe, South End; Rodney Singleton, Roxbury

Second Place – Linda Higgins, Jamaica Plain

Third Place – Ruth and Tom Mahoney, West Roxbury

Shade Garden

First Place – Catharine and James Claiborne, Mattapan

Second Place – Cheryl Thieret, Dorchester

Third Place – Martha McDonough, Hyde Park

Small Yard Garden

First Place – Pat Eng and Gary French, Roslindale

Second Place – Marlene Karas, South End

Third Place – Edward DeBortoli, Dorchester

Medium Yard Garden

First Place – Kim Reiser and Peter Dutchka, Brighton

Second Place – Ric Thomas, Dorchester

Third Place (tie) – Daphna Cox, Charlestown; Sally Paquet, South End

Large Yard Garden

First Place – Domenic Accetta, Dorchester

Second Place – Catharine and James Claiborne, Mattapan

Third Place – Theresa Pope, Jamaica Plain