![A water lily floats on the surface of the water in the small stone pond in the backyard. ] ALEX KORMANN ¥ alex.kormann@startribune.com Jay Peterson and Tom Hayden were declared one of the winners of the Beautiful Gardens contest for their stunning and extensive garden. The pair bought the house 1989 and the garden has slowly evolved since then. They boast that every addition was done completely by themselves with no outside help from a contractor. The garden features a frog and fish filled](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/HED3S5LTQDNTRA44PQKJPKYYCI.jpg?&w=1080)
Now that our cold, wet spring is in the rearview mirror, the Minnesota growing season is finally in full swing. That means it's time to kick off the Star Tribune's annual Beautiful Gardens contest.
Every year, we seek out the best residential gardens in Minnesota and western Wisconsin by inviting readers to share their favorites. A panel reviews all nominees and chooses several standouts, with the winning gardens featured in the Home & Garden section and online at startribune.com.
Any type of garden can be a winner. A Beautiful Garden can be edible, ornamental or both — a small urban plot or a big sprawling country garden. It could be your neighbor's garden, your mom's garden or the one in your own backyard.
It's easy to nominate your favorite garden. Just send a brief description of the garden, where it's located and who tends it — along with a few snapshots (they can be from last year) to: beautifulgardens@startribune.com or Star Tribune — Beautiful Gardens, 650 3rd Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488. We'll be accepting nominations through July 10.
Kim Palmer
