Chicago Bungalow Association

08/19/2026

"While researching their new home—a Craftsman bungalow—online, Edwards-Haynes stumbled upon the Chicago Bungalow Association website and learned that it held annual competitions. 'We just wanted to learn as much as we could about Chicago,' Edwards-Haynes said. 'My competitive nature caused me to want to participate in the contest.'"

And we're glad she did enter the ! 🌸 Congratulations to Joi and Arthur, winners of Best Bungalow Window Box, featured in The Beverly Review 👏

Joi Edwards-Haynes and her husband, Arthur Haynes, may be new to Chicago, but they’ve quickly made their mark on a home in Beverly.

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Bungalow Window Box runner-up of the 10th Annual : Herb Lentz 🌟🌿

About the garden, Herb wrote: "Many window boxes go all in on flowers, but mine goes the other way, built mostly from succulents in every shape and shade, from pale green rosettes to deep burgundy aeoniums, with a little coleus tucked in for a spark of contrast. The result is a box you read for texture, not just color, and it shifts character in every light from morning to dusk. Set against the brick, it is less a seasonal display than a small experiment in how much life you can layer into a few feet of soil."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Bungalow Window Box winner of the 10th Annual : Joi Edwards-Haynes 🌟🌿

About the garden, Joi wrote: "We built our 12 foot long cedar flowerbox specifically for our bungalow, then added: two foliage thrillers — caladiums and coleus — for bold color that holds up between blooms, impatiens to provide continuous color, and sweet potato vine and vinca spilling generously over the edges. Our flowerbox faces 99th Street where neighbors pass by on their way to school or the Metra. It's been a small, happy way to feel like part of the neighborhood."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Vegetable & Herb Garden runner-up of the 10th Annual : Laurita Williams 🌟🌿

About the garden, Laurita wrote: "I have made a space where family and friends can enjoy watching Mother Nature provide us with her beauty as well as a bounty to nourish us. As a retiree, I enjoy the peace my garden provides."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Vegetable & Herb Garden winner of the 10th Annual : Angela Jones (Mahogani Phreedom) 🌟🌿

About the garden, Angela wrote: "The Sacred Roots Community Healing Garden is more than a garden—it is a living sanctuary where food, medicinal herbs, native pollinator habitat, and community healing flourish together. Every bed is cultivated with intention to promote food sovereignty, herbal education, environmental stewardship, and community wellness. Thoughtfully designed to restore both people and the environment, Sacred Roots reminds us that caring for the earth is also a way of caring for one another."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Pollinator Garden runner-up of the 10th Annual : Eileen Kilroy 🌟🌿

About the garden, Eileen wrote: "I garden not only for myself, but for the pollinators and birds, giving them a respite and array of flowers to support them. It's a joy for me to see so many enjoying what I (and nature) have grown for them."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Pollinator Garden winner of the 10th Annual : Louise Rider 🌟🌿

About the garden, Louise wrote: "My goal is to bring as many pollinators as I can to my little front yard garden. I love observing which native plants grow the best in my small space, which can successfully spread and reseed without taking over, and which bring the most biodiversity. I like to ‘edit’ things every year by moving plants around, planting new ones, and dividing some to free up space. And I LOVE giving the plants I divide to my neighbors so they can help bring more pollinators to our neighborhood!"

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Backyard Oasis runner-up of the 10th Annual : Holly & William Whedbee 🌟🌿

About the garden, William wrote: "Lush greenery, bright flowers, water lilies in a goldfish pond, a shady pergola for sitting and relaxing to the sound of a fountain; a welcome respite from the stress of the day."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Backyard Oasis winner of the 10th Annual : Chris Brody 🌟🌿

About the garden, Chris wrote: "It's tiny, but we use every inch. The door in the fence goes nowhere, it's the original kitchen door. All the chandeliers are solar, thx to hubby!"

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026

08/06/2026

Congratulations to the Best Curb Appeal runner-up of the 10th Annual : Laura Justice 🌟🌿

About the garden, Laura wrote: "My front yard garden has been planned to constantly change throughout the seasons for something new to see every day of the year, from early spring bulbs, ephemerals and flowering redbuds through summer annuals and perennials and into winter where the perennials stand to catch the light and feed the birds."

See photos of all awarded gardens at www.chicagobungalow.org/garden-contest-gallery-2026