Caroline Hammat
Two Millicent businesses recently joined forces to host a spring garden competition inviting owners of small gardens and lifestyle gardens in the Wattle Range council area to enter.
The competition held by South East Property Sales (SEPS) in conjunction with McCourts Garden Centre also included a category for school gardens and best street.
Winners of the competition were announced recently by garden centre owner Christine Agnew who was not aware of the winners until the unsealing the envelopes on the day.
The judging panel, Pearl Bellinger, Chris Gurney and Karen Mitchell, used a set of five different criteria with scores out of 10 to rate the gardens over two days.
Best school was awarded to Mount Burr primary school who were noted for their immaculate grounds, sensory garden, music wall, mud kitchen and bee garden.
The school took home wheelbarrow full of gardening supplies as their prize.
Newbery Park primary school, Kangaroo Inn Area school and Millicent North primary school were also viewed with the judges noting they all had unique stand out features.
Five gardens were entered into the small garden category with the result for first place a tie between Jeff Simpson’s Park Terrace garden and Mary Van Schaik’s Fourth Street garden both in Millicent.
Judges noted that both gardens were very healthy and showed their owners passion for gardening.
The $500 voucher was split between the two winners.
Phil and Denise Gregurke won the lifestyle garden category by one point for their McLachlan Drive property in Beachport.
The judges faced tough decisions when touring the seven large gardens with the end tally resulting in only eight points difference between all gardens.
Judges noted clever ideas for vegetable gardens, extensive variety of plants, the use of bric-a-brac, plant walls and the unique use of fences and gates among the gardens.
With all three judges in awe that there was not a weed to be seen.
Competition organiser Fiona Telfer from SEPS said
“Because we have had so much interest and we are holding an Open Garden Day on November 6th from 11am – 23m.
“It will be a gold coin donation at each garden and the money raised will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctors service.”
The gardens available to view this Sunday are 11 Fourth Street, Millicent (joint winner of the small garden category), 106 and 112 Boandik Drive, Millicent and 128 McLachlan Drive, Beachport (winner of the lifestyle garden category).
