Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 08/03) - Garden competitors have more time to primp their petunias and grapple with their grass this week.

Judges for the fifth annual lawn and landscape contest have delayed their call on entrants Aug. 5-8, to next week instead.

That's good news for Kayhan Nadji. It gives him more time to groom his garden on 126 Niven Drive.

The city architect decided to enter the contest this year after completing the garden of his four-year old house.

"The landscape has to blend with the surroundings...they have to compliment each other," says Nadji.

After winning a national architecture award for the design of his home, Nadji focused on the next phase of home ownership -- the garden.

He made sure to include Yellowknife's natural granite in his design. His front lawn is linear and simple, with a wooden walkway focusing viewers on the centre of his purple house.

"It gives more power to the design," says Nadji.

The idea for the competition came from the national Communities in Bloom project, said Brian Kelln, program manager for the city.

"It helps build community pride," he said.