Spring Garden Competition in Australia

Deadline: 16-Sep-22

The Wollondilly Shire Council is now inviting applications for its Spring Garden Competition.

Wollondilly Shire Council has a long and proud history of conducting the Spring Garden Competition. Established in 1990, Wollondilly Shire Council is one of the few local Councils still organising and providing a garden competition for its local residents and community.

This is an inclusive event and they strongly encourage entries from young aspiring green thumbs (children) to older green thumbs (seniors), individual gardeners, families, community groups, cultural groups, gardeners with different abilities, commercial organisations and school communities.

Categories

Grand Champion Award
Judges Encouragement Award(s)
Best Environmentally Sustainable Garden
Best Senior’s Garden
Best Small Residential Garden
Best New Garden
Best Rural Garden
Best Community Garden
Best Flower Garden
Best Courtyard Garden
Best Native Garden
Best Edible Garden
Best School Garden
Best Business / Commercial Garden
Best Staff Garden

Criteria

All entries in the Spring Garden Competition will be personally judged by a panel of appointed garden judges and horticulture professional. Wollondilly Shire Council will contact entrants to confirm their allocated judging time slot for the judging panel to view each Spring Garden Competition entry. Judging will take place from the end of September to early / mid October.
It is preferable that Spring Garden Competition entrants are present at their allocated judging timeslot and during the judging of their entry. Judging generally takes between 10 – 30 minutes depending on the size and nature of the entry. Entrants are encouraged to show the judges around their garden. The judges may ask the entrant some basic questions about their garden and gardening practices.
Judging will be based on the following key factors:
- Maintenance – the lack of elements such as dead and diseased plants, well presented lawns and clipped shrubs, considered water usage and overall attention to detail.
- Design – aspects such as layout, colour, use of line, form and texture, plant use and once again attention to detail within this context.
- Intent – the active participation of the entrant, level of knowledge and enthusiasm and extent of third party assistance.
- Environmental consideration – reduced water use, moisture retention strategies, recycling and reuse. Minimal pesticide and chemical use and plant selection.
- Natural environment – encouraging wildlife (provide a habitat or food source for local native fauna), use of native and local plant species and free of declared or environmental weeds.
- Creativity, innovation and passion – is the garden creative and innovative, does the garden reflect the Wollondilly region’s unique environment?
The Judging panel will consist of:
- A Horticulturalist
- Two members of the Community (e.g. local garden club or previous winner)