Maura Reilly-Ulmanek, 17, enjoys taking care of friend and neighbor Esther  Hurlburt's garden when  Hurlburt is away. But she never expected it to help her win a trip to New York City and a gold medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

The Given Avenue garden is small but elaborate. There is a well-tended mixture of flowering and edible plants, a small koi pond and sculpture. "It's just a really lovely place to be," Maura said.