A garden grows in a single season but the benefits of gardening can last a lifetime.

Some well-seasoned gardeners were among those recognized Wednesday night as the 32nd annual Beautify Kamloops Awards were handed out amid the splendour of the TRU Horticulture Gardens.

Marguerite McDougall, winner of the Best Front Garden Overall, recalled how her husband Alec and a rock and garden expert named Tomesuke Tateishi set the stones 47 years ago.

“This all started as a challenge, and I was expected to win,” she said while accepting the award. Her Tunstall Avenue garden in South Kamloops features three rockeries that were put in place of retaining walls. She managed to turn it into a little piece of heaven over the years.

“Our garden has been a lifetime of love for us all,” she said.

The Best Multi-family Residential Property Award will be proudly on show at Pine Grove Care Centre, where keen gardeners abound, said Jennifer Trudeau, who works at the centre.

“We have 75 residents at Pine Grove and many have gardened throughout their lives,” Trudeau said. “Those who can’t physically garden, garden from their hearts.

They originally had seven wheelchair-accessible plant containers, but had to increase them to 43 to keep up with the interest.

Recipients of the Grassroots Award enter into distinguished company, said Rae Wilson before announcing the 2009 recipient.

“It’s for people who go beyond,” with community-minded efforts, Wilson said.

Joe Cooper, long associated with gardening in Kamloops, is this year’s winner.

“Joe’s the kind of guy who steps up through community clubs,” Wilson said.

He’s been at it a long time.

“I came here in 1939, went to a meeting of the garden club and came out as president,” Cooper recalled. He studied horticulture in England and grew vegetables commercially before emigrating to Canada.

Experience certainly played a part for, Darlene Nowland, winner of the Kobayashi Award for Best Landscaping Not Necessarily Seen From the Street.

“We used to live north of Prince George, where we had 28 frost-free days and 15 feet of snow,” said her husband, Robert, who accepted the award on her behalf. “She decided she wanted to grow tomatoes.”

Their back garden off Monmouth drive borders on public access to Peterson Creek Park, giving passersby a chance to glimpse Darlene’s work.

“I’m not the gardener,” Robert stressed.

Keith Cockburn lives downtown but that didn’t prevent him from winning the Kamloops Garden Club Award for Best Vegetable Garden.

“I’ve been judging vegetable gardens for quite a few years, and Keith’s garden was quite a revelation,” Cooper said.

Cockburn has some unusual taste in domestic vegetables and fruits that include persimmon, saffron, honeyberries and blueberries. His wife, Avril, won last year’s Best Residential Front Garden Award.

When they moved into their new home in Dufferin five years ago, Dave and Carolyn Eagles had to contend with bedrock realities.

“Right from the beginning, I thought, ‘Hey, a waterfall,” Dave said.

They won two second-place awards, the Kobayashi Award and the Best Water Feature.

Diana and Jeff Nesbitt won first place in the Best Water Feature category.

Here is the complete list of winners save one. The best block award, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Kamloops, will be presented tonight at an as yet undisclosed location.

p North Shore Business Association — Best North Shore Commercial Landscaping: Enzo Lizzi, owner of Excel Industries, 680 Kingston Ave.

p Urban Systems — Best Commercial Frontage: Riverside Animal Hospital, 945 Lorne St.

p Art Knapp Plantland — Best Multi-Family Residential Property: Pine Grove Care Centre, 313 McGowan Ave.

p Rona Home Centre — Best Water Feature: Diana and Jeff Nesbitt, 2435 Valleyview Dr., first place; Dave and Carolyn Eagles, 1904 Saskatoon Place, second; Hilary Lowe, 2622 Thompson Dr., third.

p Best Community Garden Plot: Drago Komljenovic, Lot 13 at Sahali Gardens off Garibaldi, first; Victor Zannella, Lots 36 and 27 at Crestline Gardens, second.

p Kamloops Garden Club Award for Best Vegetable Garden: Keith Cockburn, 627 Nicola St.

p Kamloops Daily News Award for Best Front Garden Overall: Marguerite McDougall, 674 Tunstall Ave., first; Maria Valana, 2180 Valleyview Dr., second; Judy Fergusson, 856 McConnell Crescent, third.

p Kobayashi Award: Darlene Nowland, 125 Monmouth Dr., first; Dave and Carolyn Eagles, second; Gillian and Walter Gaiser, 37 — 2030 Van Horne Drive, third.

p Grassroots Award: Joe Cooper.