SAN DIEGO FLORAL ASSOCIATION

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS 2025

A few months ago, San Diego Floral Association (SDFA) invited entries to its 2025 photography contest, themed “Along a Garden Path.” As before, the contest was open to all, amateur or professional, and was organized in furtherance of SDFA’s mission of promoting the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture. The entries were presented anonymously to an out-of-state judging panel of artists and professional photographers.

The winning 2025 photograph is celebrated with a place of honor: the cover of this September-October issue of California Garden. Second and third place winners are acknowledged inside the magazine, along with other notable entries. With gratitude to all who entered the contest, this issue of California Garden celebrates garden photography and the forms, color and beauty that can be observed from the perspective of a garden path. ~ Nancy Carol Carter

“Along a Garden Path”

First Place Winner 
Jim Bishop

I’m so excited to share that my photo made it to the cover of this issue of California Garden! I’d love to tell you a bit about the photo and how I entered the contest.

The photo was taken on November 20, 2024, in a private garden on the South Island of New Zealand. Scott Borden and I were on a fourteen-day tour of gardens on the South Island, hosted by the Oregon Hardy Plant Society. This was the last day of the tour and the last garden we visited. It was one of my favorite gardens of the tour, and definitely one of the most creative. The garden is the result of over two decades of work by folk art artist and gardener Thomas Schneider, originally from Switzerland. His passion for nature is evident in his diverse garden, where he’s created a wonderland of ponds, views, whimsical statues, folk art, birds, snippets of philosophy and, luckily, garden paths for strolling through the garden and photographing.

The archway in the photo is a moon gate. There were two in the garden. One of them was placed directly on the 45th parallel—halfway between the Equator and the South Pole. But the one in the photo was near the entrance to the garden and the house on the property. This magical gate is made from local stone and driftwood collected in the area. You can learn more about the garden and our visit there at: sdhortnews.org/post/my-life-with-plants-new-zealand-the-wild-dream-garden.

This moon gate and others I’ve seen recently in gardens inspired me earlier this year to add a moon gate to our home garden. I don’t have the materials and skill level to create one like in the photo, but it did create a new perspective of much of the garden. You can learn more about the process and the gate at: sdhortnews.org/post/my-life-with-plants-over-the-moon.

When I saw an email asking for submissions for garden path photos for the magazine cover, and I knew I probably had some great ones! I take over 40,000 photos a year, mostly of gardens, trips, and garden projects. I spent hours scrolling through photos, picking gardens with paths and in a portrait format. I ended up with 51 possible photos! I couldn’t decide which three to submit, so I decided to let Facebook help me out. I posted all 51 on my Facebook page and asked people to pick their favorites. It wasn’t easy to tally the votes, but eventually I was able to narrow it down to just eight. Of those, I chose the three that I thought were the best and submitted them. Guess what? This photo was also one of the most popular online!

 Jim is a retired garden designer and past president of the San Diego Horticultural Society.

Second Place Winner 
Jessie Bell

Jessie Bell resides on a multi-generational family homestead in Southern California where her great grandparents sowed the original seeds and succulents of what is currently a thriving home sanctuary filled with native plants, citrus trees, and an avocado orchard.

This is a fairly new chapter of life for Jessie, beginning two years ago when she decided to move back “home” to the golden hills of Jamul from Humboldt County, having spent 25 years raising her three children tucked behind the cool coastal redwood curtain of Northern California. She is happy to return to the climate where tomatoes, oranges and succulents thrive!

When she is not digging in the dirt at home alongside her Mom, Lynn, you can find her managing a small photography business, cooking as a personal chef, hiking with her partner and two dogs, volunteering at the animal shelter, or visiting her kids (and soon to be first grandchild) “up north.”

Jessie lives by the motto “the best things in life aren’t things” and finds joy in serving others, tending to plants, creating art, traveling, and exploring all the beauty of the natural world. You can find more examples of her photography on her website: jessiebellphotography.me

Third Place Winner
Keith James

I am a retired research executive with a background in science and technology, and a passion for photography, now living in Coronado, California.

Originally from Wales, I first came to the U.S. as a NATO postdoctoral fellow and Fulbright-Hays travel scholar, studying at Stanford and Columbia Universities. I came back to live permanently in 2004, and after a 40-year career in the biopharma industry, retired in 2022. 

I bought my first camera while a graduate student, remaining an enthusiastic photographer until my career and growing family commitments pushed it to the back burner. Eventually, after relying on an iPhone, I decided to splash out on a “good” camera, leading me to purchase a Leica Q2, the camera with which I took this photograph.

I have always enjoyed visiting gardens, long holding the view that Great Britain is home to the best gardens in the world! However, I had never seen anything quite like The Butchart Gardens, in Victoria, B.C., which I visited in September 2023. Entering the “Sunken Garden” was like entering another world. The carefully arranged lawns, shrubs, trees, and flower beds, set in a secluded valley, created a magical effect. I hope my photo gives an enticing glimpse of this wonderful place.

Noteworthy Entries

As the Executive Editor of California Garden, I was impressed with the quality of images entered in the photo contest, “Along a Garden Path”. Only one could win the cover, but I want to share some noteworthy entries. Congratulations to everyone who entered. ~ Rachel Cobb

Cathy Presmyk

Dana Parker

See Past Winners