2025 Garden Competition Winners

In-Ground Outdoor Garden Winner:

Ellen Bouchillon

Gardening has become one of the great joys of my life, though it didn’t start that way. I grew up with it as a chore—just another task to check off the list—but over the last few years, something shifted. Since moving to Anderson two years ago, that shift has blossomed into a deep love for the process of planting, tending, and growing. I’ve even slowly pulled my husband into it, and together we've found something really special in nurturing our little patch of earth. What started as a personal hobby has opened up a whole new world for our family and friends. Whether it's sharing homemade jams, jars of pickles, or cheerful bundles of zinnias, the simple act of giving from our garden brings me true happiness. Canning, freezing, and eating food we've grown ourselves throughout the year feels like a quiet kind of magic. As someone who works in the medical field and is navigating the ups and downs of a fertility journey, gardening has given me a peaceful refuge. It’s where I feel grounded—where my hands in the soil help keep my heart steady.

Thank you for listening to my gardening journey

Ellen Bouchillon

Potted Outdoor Garden Winner:

Tiffany Osborne

The front door is the gateway to our home so I’ve always loved making this space most inviting. The covered porch provides shade until late afternoon so plants tend to thrive here when others get too hot in the summer months. As fall approaches, they are protected from initial frosts and last well into the season. 

The center of my potted garden contains a cast iron plant that is nearly 20 years old. They are slow-growing so it has been rewarding to watch its progress over the years juxtaposed with annuals that I plant around the edges of the container to provide color for each season. My favorite this summer has been the begonia from City Seed at the Station, which has put on a show with exponential growth. Its weeping pattern and dropped petals provide a lazy atmosphere for a morning coffee in the rocker. I always include a potato vine, and this year I’ve enjoyed this one with brown tones, which contrast the traditionally green summertime foliage. Come fall, I’ll replace these annuals with snapdragons and pepper plants. Pansies will occupy the soil from winter into early spring. 

When I was a teenager, in the late 1990s, my Gran (who passed away last year at the age of 97), walked with me on Edisto Beach (our family vacation spot) while I found clams shells. He helped me wash them, lay them in the sun to dry, and cement them to the small terracotta pot pictured. Thirty years later, it’s still a part of my annual potted gardens. 

Gardening brings joy because we humans were designed by God for it. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.” It provides an opportunity to commune with God and enjoy His creation.

Potted Indoor Garden Winner:

Kensley Burriss

My journey into indoor gardening began when I bought my first Peacock Calathea. I had never seen leaves like that before, delicate and patterned like stained glass, with thin green sections that actually let light pass through. It felt almost otherworldly. I couldn’t stop turning it in the sun, watching the light. That one plant sparked something in me. I wanted to find more that had that same magic, so I started collecting calatheas, drawn to their rich patterns and quiet drama. Over time, my indoor collection has grown to about 35 plants, most sourced from our favorite local plant shop, City Seed at the Station, which I now consider a creative haven and community resource.
Each one of my plants adds something different to my space. The calatheas are moody and elegant, and the peperomias are like little surprises in every shape and color. There’s something incredibly comforting about walking past them each day and noticing what’s changed, like new leaves, a stretch toward the light as they move with the sun.

For me, gardening is part ritual, part relationship. It’s how I slow down and pay attention. I’ve learned a lot about myself through this hobby: that I’m observant, that I enjoy tending things quietly over time, and that joy can come from watching something thrive because I cared for it.

This little indoor jungle has become part of my daily rhythm. It makes my home feel alive, and it reminds me that growth is still happening, even when it’s slow and subtle.

Garden Competition Jr. - Indoor Garden Winner:

Amelia Fallon

I love my plants in my indoor garden. My favorite plant is my fiddle fig tree. It is doing so well. I started putting plants in my room when I first got my own room. I started with the window sill. But that space filled up fast. The things that inspired my garden are 1. All of the plants that my mom has. And 2. All the garden projects that I have been a part of. I love to garden because it means I am in my own space and it is so beautiful.

Garden Competition Jr. - outdoor Garden Winner:

James Fallon

I love strawberries. Last year I started them from seed. I put them in the ground when they had little leaves. I learned to make more plants from the runners. I water them. I check for fresh strawberries in the morning. Sometimes squirrels and birds get to them first. Also ants. I get mad when that happens. The flowers are nice and I like that it means more strawberries are coming. I have even more runners this year so maybe next year I will have an even bigger patch.