February 17, 2012 (Sacramento):  A third-grader’s colorful drawing of a garden filled with flowers has netted Mark Hopkins Elementary School a “dream” school garden worth thousands of dollars.

Melissa Martinez’s drawing was one of three top finalists in the Karden Gardens Dream School Garden Competition, which was part of last month’s Northern California Home and Landscape Expo. Melissa’s garden design drew the most votes from Expo visitors, making her the winner of a garden based on her drawing.

The contest is sponsored by garden enthusiasts Michael Glassman and Lisa Ely, creators of the “Kinder Gardens” book series. The books and the website www.kardenscorner.com  are designed to help families and children get excited about gardening. Karden is the puppet featured in their books. A mascot version of Karden will be at Mark Hopkins on Tuesday when Melissa learns of her victory.

                                                                                                                                                                                
WHAT:                 Third-grader gets great surprise
WHEN:                 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21
WHERE:              Mark Hopkins Elementary School
                              2221 Matson Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822