Best blooming residence, business winners chosen
Berl Tiskus
Flowering plants on the deck, flowerbeds, and lots of ornamental trees grow all over Bertsch’s property on Memory Lane.
Berl Tiskus
The flowers and plants surrounding South Shore Greenhouse's sign welcome people to the business.
Berl Tiskus
Charles Bertsch's yard includes many ornamental trees.
Berl Tiskus
Pears growing on Charles Bertsch's tree.
Berl Tiskus
Daisies growing in Charles Bertsch's yard.
Berl Tiskus
Lilies grow around Charles Bertsch's lawn.
Berl Tiskus
Moonflower
Berl Tiskus
The flowers and plants surrounding South Shore Greenhouse's sign welcome people to the business.
Berl Tiskus
Succulent plant
Berl Tiskus
Blooming petunias
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POLSON — Lipstick-colored roses, blooming annuals, mounds of perennials and ornamental trees are only a few of the flowering plants and trees that judges for the Polson in Bloom contest had to compare. Then they had to pick winners and two runners-up.
The Beautification Committee of Envision Polson, a Greater Polson Community Foundation group, sponsored the contest. Community members could nominate a house or business, or they could nominate themselves.
On a rainy day, four judges — Jane Larson, Mary Jensen, Agnes Rinehart and Suz Rittenhouse — set out to visit all the contestants’ homes and yards.
Rittenhouse said the judges had a very enjoyable time.
“We hope the contest inspires people to do things with their yards for next year, ” she said.
Selected for best residence, Charles Bertsch doesn’t have to be inspired; he’s a man who loves to garden.
“I certainly was excited to win, ” he said, adding that he had won previous years in other categories, such as best perennials and best flowering deck, but this year he won best residence.
“The things I enjoy the most are trees, particularly beech trees,” Bertsch said.
The deciduous ornamental trees can be columnar or weeping with different colored leaves, such a green, yellow, black, red, purple and almost a pinkish tone.
He has also gotten into growing different daffodils in the spring and dahlias in the late summer, as well as lilies.
With all the deer in the Polson area, Rittenhouse said the judges couldn’t understand how Bertsch protected his lilies.
South Shore Greenhouse, surrounded by mounds of bubblegum pink petunias, baskets of flowers and borders, won best business.
Kathy Shore, who owns and operates the business, was happy.
“We’re not only happy, we’re proud,” Shore said.
“I love people to go by and go, ‘Ah-h-h-h-h,’” she said, adding that people stop in to look at the flowers, even guys.
When Shore’s parents started the business in 1978, people would stop because they had beautiful begonias in front of their house.
Keeping the flowers, the plants and the garden healthy takes a lot of time. They hand water everything, so they can see how the plants are doing.
All contest placers get, along with bragging rights, a sign in their yard to tell the world they placed in the Polson in Bloom contest.
Results:
Residences:
First place:
Charles Bertsch
35679 Memory Lane
Second place:
Clinton Fischer
121 Bogey Drive
Third place:
Patty Bowers
203 Sixth Avenue East
Businesses:
First place:
South Shore Greenhouse
33912 Highway 35
Second place:
Cotter Law Office
1 5th Avenue West
Third place: Whitefish
Credit Union
Street East and 3rd
Avenue East
Judges’ Special
Recognition Award:
Rod and Peggy VanNess
609 6th St. W.
