Third Place Winner

Penn State Ext Lancaster County Master Gardeners’ Idea Gardens, Mannheim, Pennsylvania

Category 1: 0-10,000 Visitors

To commemorate America’s Semi-quincentennial, the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners unveiled their 2026 Display Garden centered on “The Goodness of Gardening.” Embracing a patriotic red, white, and blue motif, the layered landscape paired Black Forest Ruby dahlias and Profusion Double White Improved zinnias alongside Heliopsis Sole Giatto entries to welcome visitors.

Designed to foster community connection, the garden featured reflective signage and an interactive installation where guests wrote personal gardening memories on colorful display flowers. Activities for all ages included an AAS Bingo game with pollinator plant prizes, a butterfly-themed rock hunt for children, and specialized optical glasses that let visitors view blooms from a pollinator’s perspective.

Beyond education, the garden directly served local families by donating its entire vegetable harvest—including Tonatico tomatoes, Pick-N-Pop peppers, and Rubybor kale—to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s Adopt-A-Pantry program. By blending historical tribute, hands-on environmental education, and community produce donations, the Penn State Extension team successfully demonstrated the meaningful, real-world impact of “The Goodness of Gardening.”