Gympie Garden Expo hosts several competitions for the home gardener.
The Expo aims to provide the opportunity for like minded people to share in the joys of nurturing a beautiful garden. So even if you have never entered a competition, try your luck and give inspiration to others.
Horticulture Competition
The Gympie Horticultural Society offers prizes in over 30 sections from cactii and bromeliad to fresh herbs. Not to be missed is the Novelty Section which gives the gardener a chance to be creative. Updated form coming soon
Orchid competition
The Gympie and District Orchid Society draws orchid growers from all over the state providing one of the best collections of orchids in Queensland. They also offer prizes in over 30 sections in a wide variety of classes. This is a not to be missed opportunity to marvel at the unique beauty of orchids. Only members may enter this competition.
GGExpo_Orchid Society Schedule of Classes_2014
‘The Magical Tree’ Art Competition
Prep, Years 1, 2 and 3 have a special opportunity to create an artwork on A4, in response to the poem “the magical tree”. Special thanks goes to Bunnings for supplying our prizes including some fantastic Garden Starter Packs.
Raffles
Fantastic raffle prizes are on offer during the whole weekend of the Expo. You can purchase tickets at the pavilion entrance or grab a roving raffle throughout the day.
Major Raffles include garden trolley brimming with garden friendly items valued at $500
Collect your ticket for the Mystery Lucky door prize.
Prizes are drawn 2pm on Sunday.
You will find roving raffles on at any time during the day. Listen out through the speaker system for prizes and ticket sales. Kate have generously donated bags of their Organic Super Growth, ideal for the Home Gardener.
Winners of the 2016 Home Garden Competition
TOWN sponsored by Katek Fertilisers
- Marian Sillett 141 Pine Street , Gympie
2. Diana & Peter Thorogood 36 Jane St, Gympie
3. Linda & John Dwyer 15 Araluen Rd, Monkland
COUNTRY sponsored by Gympie Regional Council
- Henry & Dell Kross, 22 Eaton Rd, Wolvi
2. Carolle Gadd & George Malezer, 1 McHugh Ct, Gympie
3. Joyce Shanks 29 SIlky Oak Drive, Nahrunda
NOVICE sponsored by Sauers Produce
1 Paula Bowler 96 Callemonda Rd, Brooloo
2 Gwen Smithers 60 Hilton Rd, Gympie
3 Irene Hanuschah 124 Bayside Rd, Cooloola Cove
75 & OVER sponsored by
There were no entrants in the Over 75’s in 2016
SCHOOLS sponsored by Gympie Regional Realty
1 Federal themed garden, 40 Middle Creek, Federal
2 Rainbow Beach State School
3 Two Mile State School
OVERALL CHAMPION
Henry & Dell Kross, 22 Eaton Rd, Wolvi
JUDGES COMMENTS
TOWN
1st: Marion Sillett 141 Pine Street Gympie
My garden is a mixture of different types. For example, at the front is a formal garden which includes a manicured lawn, a specimen tree, hedges and topiaries. It also contains a fishpond, a water feature and a wrought iron setting. This formality complements the street facing facets of my house.
The western side garden is devoted to cacti and succulents while the eastern side is sheltered by a large tree with a tropical understory.
At the back is a native garden replicating the bush. The main focus here is a running ‘creek’.
This part of the garden is very nostalgic for me as I was raised in the country on a farm and from an early age was interested in the surrounding flora. The wildflowers in particular fascinated me and so my ‘bush’ garden contains many examples of these from my childhood. Part of this ‘bush’ garden includes a frog pond.
Nestled among this ‘bush’ garden is a pocket of tropicana which includes sword palms, gingers, strelitzia, clivia and cordylines. Gardening is my hobby and my passion. I spend a lot of time in my garden and find it both therapeutic and very enjoyable.
JUDGES COMMENTS: AWARDED 1st ‘TOWN’
Manicured formal garden flowed very well into the native garden with running stream. Very elegant.
2nd: Diana Thorogood 36 Jane Street Gympie
Our garden has evolved over the past 20 years to its present semi-tropical aspect with meandering paths and resting areas. The garden contains many reminders of friends and family who have made their contributions over the years. Original large trees at the lower end provide shelter for shade-loving plants. A small Parterre vegetable garden is set on the original pool plinth. A main feature of the more formal front garden is a flowing water urn set into the brick paving amongst small flowering shrubs.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: AWARDED 2nd ‘TOWN’
Great water feature, loved the wood shed and flowering heliconias. A diverse selection of all plants.
3rd: Linda Dwyer 15 Araluen Road Monkland
The Hidden Garden
John and I rented this property in June 2014.
The garden beds at the rear of the house were created to accommodate our plants transplanted from previous rentals. The makeup was a no dig system, the roses the exception, and comprise the layering of newspapers, animal manures and cane mulch. As a result of the move the garden is quite crowded and is currently being thinned by removal of certain plants to newer beds.
The front garden was quite a jungle, overgrown with many weed plants and shrubs. Help was required to the clear this jungle, with four days of intense endeavour with a hired back hoe, tree removalists and a mulcher. These garden beds have been rejuvenated with the addition of more than 60 square meters of garden soil from Gympie Landscape Supplies.
We have planted these gardens with cuttings from existing plants, various purchases and gifts from gardening friends.
Pathways have been created, a pergola built, water features installed and a frog garden planted.
The garden is by no means finished (what garden ever is) with a lawn at the front yet to be laid and gaps in the gardens to be filled.
This is not a planned garden but one that will evolve under our custodianship of it. We have never before entered a garden competition and have done so now to seek a constructive critique. Our initial aim was to create a place of beauty acceptable to be entered in Open Gardens Australia.
We welcome you and thank you for your comments.
JUDGES COMMENTS: AWARDED 3rd ‘TOWN’
Front garden very good. Excellent plantings of salvia and mulch.
COUNTRY
1st: Henry & Dell Kross 22 Eaton Road, Wolvi
Our country garden holds a mystery feel of what appears as garden rooms to investigate. This property has many tales to tell as we moved here 47 ½ years ago when our son was just 6 months old. So a lot of family abounds our country garden.
Various camellias, vines one being the potato vine set amongst the big trees with birch groves and hedges.
With cattle in our nearby paddocks and chicken breeding pens all enjoy the quiet homely atmosphere.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: AWARDED 1st ‘COUNTRY’ & OVERALL
Beautiful well established garden. Fantastic red theme throughout with path meandering to good points of interest
2nd: Carolle Gadd and George Malezer 1 McHugh Ct Gympie
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: AWARDED 2nd ‘COUNTRY’
Amazing/stunning native garden with tree trunks, roots and rock pools. Love to visit again in 2017.
3rd: Joyce Shanks 29 Silky Oak Drive Nuhrunda
We came here in 2003 from Eumundi where I had Magnolia’s 20 odd feet high, plus lots of Camellia’s. Had to start here with a clean slate, there were a few large trees here, plus shrubs I didn’t want. As I like everything colourful, though cottage would be the way to go in keeping with the house. The front piece was already laid out so the idea was to keep putting things in, I brought a lot of plants with me. Mainly day lilies & magnolia’s, but ideas change. We have made a lot of round gardens & edged them all, that stops the creeping out. There were no bees here, so we planted Salvia’s everywhere, plus now have two “Bee hotels”, also a native hive in a stump. All our cuttings are reused & put back on the garden, very little goes to the tip. So the three worm farms are very handy. This year hasn’t been that great, we had too much water, no water, lawn grubs, they have taken a toll on the grass, we don’t use chemicals here. Our latest is planting four creepers on posts, they are all doing well, three in flower. As the ground is very stony, we have made four “gabion ” seats to use them up. We frost here as well, so that had to be taken into consideration, wasn’t used to that.
JUDGES COMMENTS: AWARDED 3rd ‘Country’
A pallet of colour. Great diversity of plants, shrubs and trees. Good use of water tanks. Excellent archway and kitchen garden.
NOVICE
1st: Paula Bowler 96 Callemonda Rd Brooloo
JUDGES’ COMMENTS Steep over 30 acres with dry dam and quirky pieces. Diverse variety of plants and good succulent garden.
2nd: Gwen Smithers 60 Hilton Rd, Gympie
JUDGES’ COMMENTS Well presented garden. Lots and lots of garden art. A busy garden with good use of colour.
3 Irene Hanuschah 124 Bayside Rd, Cooloola Cove
JUDGES’ COMMENTS Large garden with great scribbly gum feature. Good use of under storey.
SCHOOLS
1st: Federal State School 40 Middle Creek Federal
Federal School has been established at their new location for six years . We currently have 75 students from prep to year 6. Our vegetable garden has recently been revitalized and our students are excited to be involved in our project for the future. Our years 4, 5 and 6 students are in the process of submitting proposals for naming and creating a theme of their garden. They also will be designing structures that will have a dual purpose for climbing plants and shelter for the students which they will be able to enjoy during their outdoor activity time.
We are proud of our achievements to date and our looking forward to seeing our dreams become a realty in the near future.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: AWARDED 1st ‘SCHOOLS’
Stunning! Great ideas with wig wam and federal friendship feathers. Healthy plants with great signs.
2nd: Rainbow Beach State School
JUDGES’ COMMENTS Edible garden with super rosella’s and gourds. A young garden which I would love to visit in 2017.
3rd: Two Mile State School
JUDGES COMMENTS: Great concept garden with kitchen for children’s participation Top marks to teacher aides!
Special thanks to our major sponsors:
Sauers Produce
I would appreciate if you would spell both my name and my partners name correctly, as they were written on the entry form. Thankyou!
My apologies Carolle. The form I have has judges comments on it and is spelt this way. unfortunately it will be misspelt in the Gympie Times also. I will make the web changes.
Thankyou for changing the name spellings. The address is also wrong it is McHugh Crt not St.
Hi after a very disappointing week-end, visitor wise, only having 35 visitors come to view my garden, I feel there is so much more room for improvement. I would like to suggest the opening hours for the gardens be extended. It should be all week-end at least! Visitors to my garden expressed their disappointment of not being able to get to visit all of the winning gardens in the time frame allowed. The advertising for any garden, other than the winners has to be improved. Had it not being for my daughter writing up this garden on face book, the number of visitors would be next to none. If we ever expect the expo and the garden comp to grow, these things have to be improved. Because my garden only took out second place in the country section, I would be interested to know the number of visitors the first place gardens had! Cheers!