By Beatrice Hawkins
As you will have seen from reports in various media and the list here, the Warwick Horticultural Society’s Spring Garden Competition for 2021 has been judged and places given.
It was a very big task this year with 35 gardens entered in the 18 classes. We travelled from Allora to Killarney, Ballandean and back to Warwick, visiting lots of beautiful gardens along the way. Business gardens, rose gardens, acreage and town gardens, large and small, and my favourite, the school gardens. It is great to see the schools encouraging students to be involved in learning how to grow things and to learn from a very young age, where our food comes from.
St. Mary’s Kindergarten always supports the competition and the grounds are a credit to the staff. This year they entered the vegetable garden that the young people are taking care of. The children have chickens at school, collect the eggs, use the manure on their raised garden beds, plant seeds, and watch them grow and ultimately, pick and eat the produce. They have a worm farm and a local hardware shop is going to supply a compost bin for them to use to further their learning. It is great to know that they are the gardeners of the future. Congratulations to all involved in this project.
We have always published a list of the winners and all entrants have been supplied with signs to put on their gates if they were happy for people to come look.
However it was suggested to me this year, by many of the entrants, that all the gardens, regardless of the outcome of the competition, were definitely worth a look. This year a list of the addresses of all entrants that are happy for visitors, is published below. It was further suggested that, for convenience, these gardens would be open for visitors from 10am to 2pm on Sunday 17th and 24th October. Many of the entrants will be happy for visitors at other times as well, if the sign is on the gate.
Allora: 642 Upper Wheatvale Rd
Massie: 279 Hendon Rd, 43 Arnold St, 52 Arnold St, 15 Drayton St, 50 Darling St.
Killarney: 34 Poinsettia St, 7 Arbutus St
Ballandean: 129 Ricca Rd
Warwick: 1 Tea Tree Rise, 19 Martin St, 8 Ellwood Ave, 134 Grafton St, 179 Palmerin St, 190 Pratten St, 16 Lakeview Ave, 10 Huston St, Village Gardens and Units 6 & 12, Oak Tree Retirement Village, O’Leary St Garden’s Galore, 21 Albion St, Warwick RSL, 65 Albion St, Warwick Historical Society, 79 Dragon St, Warwick East School and School Garden Club, Fitzroy St, St Mary’s Kindergarten, 175 Palmerin St, Warwick Golf Club, Main Gardens and Garden on the 2nd tee, Hawker Rd.
So much work and time goes into preparing these gardens for the competition and gardeners love to share their knowledge.
Most of these gardens can be viewed from the street and some can be best seen from within. Acreage gardens are always lovely to wander through. Be mindful of the owners privacy and please only take photos, not cuttings, as you wander!!
I hope people take advantage of this and have a look at some of these amazing gardens, especially some of the out of town gardens.. go on a “garden trail” and see what our area has to offer.
Don’t forget the Spring Flower Show in St. Mary’s Hall in Wood Street next week. After seeing the gardens in the competition I am expecting a wonderful show.. especially for the rose section. Everyone’s roses were looking very healthy.
Entries are received from 8 am on Wednesday morning 20th and must be staged before 10am. There is no charge to exhibit in the show so collect a schedule from Bryson’s in Palmerin street and scour your garden to see what you have to help make a great display.
Judging will commence at 10am and doors will open for you to enjoy the display from 12 noon until 4pm. The show will be open again on Thursday 21st from 9am until 4pm.
Scrumptious morning and afternoon teas, and light lunches will be available for purchase each day along with the usual array of home made jams.
Due to Covid we will not be having a presentation of trophies this year but they will be available for collection from the Show on Thursday.
Looking forward to seeing many people there enjoying what our area has to offer!!
