Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN)- Elizabeth Osborne has won the 2025 Cherryville’s Best Yard Contest sponsored by Wise News Network. Osborne was presented with a plaque, two winning yard signs, and a $100 gift card. Our WNN News Team met with Osborne on Friday, June 27th, 2025, at her 413 North Mountain Street home.
Rusty Wise of WNN with Contest Winner Elizabeth Osborne.
June 27th, 2025. By: Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
The 2025 Cherryville’s Best Yard Contest by WNN began with an entry period from May 1st, 2025, to May 31st, 2025, at 5 p.m. Following the entry period, the public voting started on June 1st, 2025, and continued until June 19th, 2025, at 5 p.m. During these periods, nominations were taken and public votes were cast directly on the WNN website for the 13 entries.
The outside of Osborne’s Home on North Mountain Street in Cherryville, NC.
June 27th, 2025. By: Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
Osborne refers to her incredible yard garden as “Osborne’s Creation.” She shared that her passion for gardening began long ago and was influenced by her mother. Osborne recalled, “My mother often mentioned that I worked hard on both the inside and the outside of my house. “Then she told me, Elizabeth, 90% of people in town never go inside your house, but that 90% will see the outside of your yard!”
Osborne has been gardening almost her entire life, saying,” I was raised with a shovel in my hand.” Her mother’s advice helped Osborne focus on her yard, which she’s done for almost 30 years.
The Customized Plaque presented to Osborne.
Osborne explained that making a yard look good takes a lot of effort. Each spring, she puts fertilizer on the grass to make it healthy. She then plants summer flowers, mostly begonias. She says “they’re struggling a little because of the heat” right now, but she expects them to bloom fully by July.
A large part of her success is her very thick layer of mulch. Osborne spreads a couple of hundred bags of mulch at a time. “I put out so much mulch so I don’t have to do it every year,” she explained. This thick mulch lasts four or five years and stops weeds from growing, making her yard easier to keep maintained.
Osborne is trying to switch to plants that need less frequent watering. “I’m trying to switch to plants I can water every one to three days,” she said.
Beyond plants, Osborne’s yard has many beautiful decorations. She uses solar lights, has an old bicycle on display, and even cute frog statues. She also decorates her porch for different holidays, which she admits takes longer than working in her yard. Lots of bumblebees visit her yard, which is a great sign that her garden is healthy.
Osborne’s hard work does not go unnoticed. Her neighbors often tell her how much they appreciate her efforts. One neighbor mentioned seeing her work in her yard almost every day.
She also fondly remembers her late mother and grandmother, who were both great gardeners. “When I was a kid, she would give us a little rake,” Osborne said of her grandmother, suggesting that her love for gardening came from her family.
Our WNN team would like to thank everyone who participated and voted, making the 2025 Cherryville’s Best Yard Contest a success. We encourage everyone to drive by and see all 13 of the contestants’ yards. A list of entries and their locations can be found here.
