Winners of the Chicago Bungalow Association’s 9th Annual Bungalow Contest have been announced, and taking first place in the Vegetable and Herb Category are Gage Park residents Raul Cruz and Casimira Nunez.
Earlier this summer the Chicago Bungalow Association invited bungalow owners across the city to enter the contest by submitting photos of their gardens in five categories: Best Curb Appeal; Best Backyard Oasis; Best Pollinator Garden, Best Vegetable and Herb Garden; Best Bungalow Window Box.
CBA staff selected what in their opinion were the strongest entries in each category and posted the photos online. In July the public voted for the winners.
Winners in each category received a $500 prize and an award plaque handcrafted by Craeft LLC and suitable for displaying outside.
Raul and Casimira have lived in their bungalow in Gage Park on 58th Place for 25 years.
“When we bought this house, there was a large pool in the backyard and they didn’t plant anything,” remembers Casimira. “The first year, I started planting chili peppers and they grew huge and beautiful.”
“I love all plants, in particular tomatoes, basil and chili peppers. The flowers bloom well, too, and they bloom every year.”
The couple does not rely on manufactured additives or chemicals to maintain their garden. Everything is organic. When it rains, Raul puts out a big pot to collect the water for later use.
“We make our own compost. My husband burns firewood and makes a bucket full of ash. The ash is very good for the vegetables,” explains Casimira. “I put all the vegetables and everything that’s left over from the kitchen in a little bowl. We don’t buy anything to put on the plants. We make everything ourselves.”
The couple loves what they have done and continue to do in their garden year after year.
“I am spoiled by how much I like being out here,” says Raul. “I almost spend my whole day out here.”
The Chicago Bungalow Association was founded in September of 2000 by Mayor Richard M. Daley with the goal of protecting and preserving these approximately 80,000 homes which have been a part of the city’s architectural heritage for over 100 years.
For the past 25 years the non-profit CBA has helped homeowners maintain, preserve and adapt their homes through seminars, webinars, design guides, maintenance guides and more.
In addition, CBA celebrates the pride homeowners take in their property with two contests every year. Along with the Garden Contest, the Driehaus Awards, created in 2005, honors the creativity and efforts of homeowners in small as well as large projects, in categories such as Exterior Renovation, Interior Renovation, Window Renovation and more. The Driehaus Awards take place in the fall.
