Paws, Wings & Wild Things Wins Big — and Shares a Message That Resonates

On opening night of the 2025 San Diego County Fair, our show garden Paws, Wings & Wild Things swept the awards — and shared a message that resonated with the crowd: Outdoor spaces can be shared by pets, people, and wildlife alike — and everyone benefits.
Inspired by the fair’s “Summer Pet-tacular” theme, our exhibit showed how native plant gardens can become vibrant, inclusive spaces through thoughtful design. Shaded patios, paw-friendly paths, and wildlife-supporting plants came together in one playful, practical garden.

This year’s Chelsea Flower Show in the UK featured its first-ever “dog garden” — designed just for people and pets. Paws, Wings & Wild Things goes a step further: it brings pets, people, and wildlife together in one thriving space. That approach is fresh, accessible, and has sparked meaningful conversations with fairgoers who might never have visited a CNPS booth or native plant garden before.

The awards speak for themselves:
  • MiraCosta College Horticulture Program Award
  • Anderson’s La Costa Nursery Best Water-Smart Garden Design
  • Paul Ecke, Jr. Garden Show Theme Award – 1st Place
  • Paul Ecke, Sr. Trophy
  • Cuyamaca College Ornamental Horticulture Award
  • Walter Andersen Most Practical Landscape Award
  • Master Gardener Association Earth Friendly Gardening Award – Grand Prize
  • SDFA Best Landscape
Greg Rubin and Sherry Ashbaugh (on behalf of Christine Hoey) accepted the awards at the June 11 ceremony.
Christine led the garden team with extraordinary vision and care — a heartfelt thank-you to her, to the entire garden team, and to our generous donors.

This garden has already sparked joy and curiosity — especially among pet owners drawn in by features like the shaded catio, natural agility logs, and water stations. But more than anything, Paws, Wings & Wild Things invites people to imagine a different kind of garden: one where we all belong.

👉 Explore more:

We hope you will visit — and bring home a few ideas to try in your own yard.

A Closer Look: Final Garden from All Angles:

Native Gardening, Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show, San Diego County Fair, Special Events
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