🎃🌻 Thorold Garden Club Growing Contest
Pumpkin & Sunflower Competition 2026
Inspired by the spirit of \"Grow\" 🌱
Welcome to our community growing contest! The Thorold Garden Club invites gardeners of all ages to experience the joy of growing something from seed to harvest. This contest celebrates patience, care, and the amazing things that happen when we nurture plants together.
👥 Who Can Participate
- ✅ Open to Everyone - All Thorold and Niagara community members
- ✅ All Skill Levels Welcome - From beginners to expert gardeners
- ✅ Family Friendly - Children encouraged to participate with adult supervision
- ✅ Entry Limits - One pumpkin entry per person + One sunflower entry per person
You can enter both categories!
🌱 Getting Started
Seedy Saturday Kickoff
- 🎉 Free seeds available at Seedy Saturday
- 📍 Hosted by Thorold Garden Club in partnership with Niagara College
- 🌾 Get your pumpkin and sunflower seeds to start your growing journey
We encourage starting from seed to experience the full growing process!
📋 Growing Guidelines & Rules
✅ Requirements
- 🌤️ Outdoor Growing Only - Plants must be grown outside, in-ground
- 📅 Current Season - Must be grown during the 2026 growing season
- 👤 Participant Grown - You must grow and care for your own entry
- 📸 Photo Documentation - All entries require photos from the growing season
- 🌿 Natural Growth - No artificial enhancement or tampering allowed
🌾 Growing Methods
Both organic and conventional growing methods are welcome! We celebrate all approaches to successful gardening.
💚 Remember
Growing is about learning—success is measured not only by size, but by the experience, effort, and joy of the journey!
🏆 Judging Categories
🎃 Pumpkin Categories
- 🥇 Largest Pumpkin - Measured by circumference
- ✨ Best Shape - Most perfectly formed pumpkin
- 🎨 Best Colour - Most vibrant or unique coloring
- 🌟 Most Unique Pumpkin - Stand-out characteristics
- 👶 Kids Pumpkin Award - Best entry by a child participant
- 💪 Grow Award - For effort, creativity, or inspiring growing story
- 📸 Best Progress Photo Series - Kids & Adults categories
🌻 Sunflower Categories
- 📏 Tallest Sunflower - Measured from soil to top
- 🌞 Largest Sunflower Head - Diameter across the bloom
- 🎨 Most Unique Sunflower - Unusual color, shape, or growth habit
- 👶 Kids Sunflower Award - Best entry by a child participant
- 💪 Grow Award - For effort, creativity, or inspiring growing story
- 📸 Best Progress Photo Series - Kids & Adults categories
⚖️ Judging & Measuring
📐 Measurement Process
- Pumpkins and sunflowers will be measured and judged at our fall celebration event
- For extra-large pumpkins, we will arrange an on-site visit for measurement and photos
- Professional and fair judging for all categories
🎯 Final Decisions
All judges decisions are final and made with fairness and expertise.
🎁 Prizes & Recognition
- 🏅 Prizes awarded in each category
- 🌟 All participants recognized for taking part
- 📷 Photo Gallery - Your growing journey may be featured by Thorold Garden Club
- 🎉 Community Celebration - Share your story from seed to harvest
Every grower contributes to our community story!
📅 Important Dates
| Event |
Date |
Details |
| 📝 Registration Deadline |
June 1, 2026 |
Submit your entry form |
| 🌱 Growing Season |
Spring - Fall 2026 |
Nurture your plants |
| 🎊 Show & Celebration |
Saturday, October 10, 2026 |
Bring your harvest! |
💚 A Note on Community Spirit
This contest is about more than pumpkins and sunflowers—its about growing:
- 🌟 Curiosity - Learning how things grow
- 💪 Confidence - Nurturing life from seed
- 🤝 Connection - Building community through shared experiences
Whether your plant is tiny or towering, every grower is part of our story!
We cannot wait to see what you grow! 🎃🌻
For questions, contact Thorold Garden Club
Happy Growing! 🌱
