The Chronicle Garden Competition 2024 Visitor's Guide

VISITOR GUIDE 2024

Write this chapter the way you want, rose garden and all.

If you’re ready to look at retirement living for your 80s and 90s, you couldn’t have picked a better time.

GARDEN COMPETITION 2024 The Chronicle

CONTENTS

Celebrating an impressive 75 years………………………………………..08

Meet the judging team……………………………..………………………14

A huge thanks to our gardeners……………………………………………15

University of Southern Queensland……………………………..…………17

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce……………………………..……..…18

WellcampAirport……………………………..……………………………19

The Springs Home & Garden ……………………………..………………21

The 2024 winning gardens……………………………..……………….....23

A glance behind the curtain……………………………..…………………63

Enjoy a weekend of floral fun and joy……………………………..……...64

Your local’s guide to getting back to nature…………………………….…66

Your local’s guide to great coffee spots……………………………..…..…68

Celebrating Carnival with exclusive pots……………………………….…69

Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Gardens…………………………….....70

What’s on during September……………………………..……………......72

Wippell’s sponsored car……………………………..…………………..…74

Fun and funky Garden Competition history…………………………….…75

Entrants list……………………………..………………………………....84

Winners list……………………………..…………………………………86

Maps……………………………..……………………………………......88

THE TEAM

Writers: Jessica Kramer, Stephen Nadin, Jenna Martin, Laura Albulario, Savaira Ratukula, Megan Masters, Alyssa Welke, and David Goldsmith

Design: Jessica Kramer Covers: Mark Stansall Maps: Jeff Brown

Sub-editors: Alyssa Welke and Cam Ward

Photography & Media: MRP Images, Bev Lacey, and Little Pig Consulting

General Manager: Erika Brayshaw

Welcome Notes

FROM OUR CITY LEADERS

Mayor Geoff McDonald, Toowoomba Regional Council

On behalf of my fellow councillors and Toowoomba Region residents I offer a warm welcome to everyone who is visiting and enjoying the extensive program of events for our dazzling 75th Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

This is a momentous occasion for one of Australia’s most prized and highly awarded community celebrations.

The Chronicle Garden Competition is a foundation pillar of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers and has bloomed in each edition, delighting millions of visitors across the intervening years, while thrilling successive generations. I sincerely thank all past and present garden competition entrants for allowing visitors from around the world to enjoy the beauty of their prized gardens.

The Chronicle Garden Competition highlights how passionate and talented green thumbs can power a community festival through trying times and the vagaries of the weather. Our gardeners serve as an inspiration to novices and remain a key attraction each year as the community celebrates our beloved Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. In keeping with our festive mood, we’re calling on residents and visitors to join this special 75th by dressing up and getting into the spirit of the 2024 theme – It’s a party!

Professor Geraldine Mackenzie,

Vice-Chancellor

of the University of Southern Queensland

The University of Southern Queensland is delighted to again sponsor The Chronicle Garden Competition.

The dedication of our city’s gardeners, who work tirelessly all year, brings joy to the thousands of visitors who come to Toowoomba for the Carnival of Flowers.

Our university plays its own role in the Carnival. We have two unique gardens at our West Street campus, which attract many visitors.

Our Japanese Garden Ju Raku

En – one of the largest and most traditional Japanese stroll gardens in Australia – now features a newly constructed pavilion, offering a serene space for reflection.

Our Gumbi Gumbi Gardens feature more than 100 plant species and display an array of Indigenous flora used by the local First Nations communities for a range of purposes, including food and medicine.

Congratulations and thanks to all entrants in this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition.

The thought, work and care that goes into nurturing Toowoomba’s beautiful gardens is truly remarkable.

Erika Brayshaw, General Manager of The Chronicle

A big welcome to 2024’s The Chronicle Garden Competition, our 75th year!

It’s an impressive milestone to reach, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our gardeners (some of whom have been entering for more than 30 years), local community, and the thousands of visitors who enjoy the gardens each year.

We’re so excited for you to see all the hard work our competition entrants have put into their gardens this year, consistently maintaining and updating their properties despite everything the climate and wildlife throws at them.

I know they’re excited to share their gardens with you from September 20-29, and a huge thank you and congratulations goes out to them for their incredible work, and for making 75 years of The Chronicle Garden Competition possible.

A special thank you also goes out to our incredible sponsors and partners for this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition: Toowoomba Regional Council, UniSQ, Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, Wellcamp Airport, Little Pig Consulting, Pechey Distilling, and MRP Images.

Todd Rohl, Chief Executive Officer of Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce

I am so proud to welcome you to the city of Toowoomba: a thriving, regional city, the gateway connected to the west, the capital of the Darling Downs and southwest.

We are a regional city delicately perched on the crest of Australia’s great escarpment. We are Queensland’s only Garden City, with four distinct seasons, set in tree-lined streets with abundant parklands, a thriving laneway and entertainment scene, a city filled with arts and culture, a region which is a paradise for foodies, and Wellcamp Airport taking us to the world and beyond. We are a city like no other.

The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce’s 125-year history is inextricably linked with the commercial and cultural development of Toowoomba, including the Carnival of Flowers.

The Toowoomba Chamber welcomes you and reminds you that The Chronicle Garden Competition and Carnival of Flowers, at their core, are built on the backs of our local community.

So, on your journey around our enchanting Garden City, thank our many local gardeners and their passion, dedication, and commitment – for their work supports our business community and put Toowoomba on the World Stage.

Celebrating an

IMPRESSIVE 75 YEARS

What an achievement! The Chronicle Garden Competition has been taking place for three-quarters of a century this year, with a rich and varied history

ne of the major events on the Toowoomba calendar, and the reason it’s known as the Garden City, this year marks 75 years since the inception of The Chronicle Garden Competition.

It’s undergone a couple of name changes over the years - Chronicle Home Garden Competition until 2006, with a brief stint as Chronicle Heritage Home Garden Competition from 2001-2003 inclusivebut its purpose of fostering community has remained unchanged.

Held alongside the Carnival of Flowers each spring, visitors come from far and wide to enjoy a kaleidoscope of colour while the entrants open their gardens to the public for 10 days.

SUCCESSFUL BEGINNINGS

In an attempt to brighten citizens’ spirits after the war and make the town more colourful, the first Chronicle Garden Competition was held in 1949. Initially called “Chronicle” Home Garden Competition or Contest, it was such a success that it drew more than 50 entrants in 1950 and inspired the city’s Chamber of Commerce to create the Carnival of Flowers. By 1967, the competition was so prolific that a second contest was added: the Chronicle Country Garden Contest.

This contest was open to gardens in the thenshires of Gatton, Chinchilla, Tara, Wambo, Jondaryan, Rosalie, Crows Nest, Millmerran, Pittsworth, Allora, Clifton, Cambooya, and Dalby. It was also entitled Country under 2021, when the name was changed to Regional to better reflect the entries.

The Chronicle Garden Competition is also one of the reasons Toowoomba is known as the Garden City, while the city has become internationally renowned for the competition which brings thousands of visitors into Toowoomba annually alongside the Carnival of Flowers.

Each year, these dedicated gardeners come back to enter - come hail, frost, drought, fire, or even wildlife - and even the pandemic of 2020 couldn’t quite keep them away. Instead of the traditional format of

THE SWENSON’S WINNING GARDEN C1956

ALLAN AND MANDY GIBSON IN 2000

GLEN AND IDA KENDRICK, 2004

the competition, gardeners opened their properties virtually with the options for viewers to donate to charity.

This year, The Chronicle Garden Competition celebrates an impressive 75 years, with 89 entrants nominating their garden for 2024 including 17 first-time entrants.

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES

Over the years, the categories that gardeners select to enter have been tweaked and updated to keep the competition fresh, interesting, and relevant to current trends and seasons in horticulture.

The Grand Champion we have today has only existed since 1966; for the first seven years of the competition the equivalent was winning first place in the Open Gardens category.

Certain categories, like the Good Neighbours award, have come and gone a few times depending on entrant demand, while others have stood the test of time. Still others have been added to cater for changes in climate, like the Dry Garden category in 1993 to provide for droughtaffected entrants.

In 1953, the Farm Homestead Garden category was introduced, with the conditions that the property be within 10 miles of the city boundary and was in regular production as a farm. By 1955 the condition was updated to be within 12 miles of the city boundary.

This class was removed in 1965, and New Gardens took its place.

Some classes have been around for literally decades, such as the Small Gardens class. Small Gardens was introduced as a

category officially on June 30, 1956, with a newspaper article from the day accrediting the addition to numerous advocates who felt they couldn’t compete with the larger gardens in the contest.

The class was restricted to allotments with a frontage of 50 feet or less.

As recently as the 2010s, the number of class options was almost overwhelmingfor example, in 2010 there were a whopping 27 classes for City gardens and a huge 17 for Country.

Today the competition is more streamlined with three classes and nine options each for City and Regional, plus seven Commercial and Schools options. In addition, this year

The Chronicle Garden Competition has partnered with Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce to include the CBD Business Premises category in the competition.

CITY GRAND CHAMPIONS ACROSS THE YEARS

• 1949 and 1950 Mrs RM O’Brien, 269 West St

• 1951 and 1952 Mr K McFadyen, 233 Geddes St

• 1953 Mrs L Lipp, 1 Drayton Rd

• 1954 Mrs RM O’Brien, 269 West St

• 1955-1956 Mr and Mrs CB Swenson, 4 Herries St

• 1957 Mrs RM O’Brien, 269 West St

• 1958 Mr and Mrs CB Swenson, 4 Herries St

• 1959 Mrs PM Beh, 56 Warwick St

• 1960 Mr and Mrs CB Swenson, 4 Herries St

• 1961-1965 Mrs PM Beh, 56 Warwick St

• 1966 joint winners PM Beh, 56 Warwick St, and CB Swenson, 4 Herries St

• 1967 Mrs PM Beh, 56 Warwick St

• 1968 Mr and Mrs SJ Perrin, 2E James St

• 1969 Mr and Mrs EW Pooley, 19 Mary St

• 1970 Mr and Mrs CB Swenson, 4 Herries St

• 1971 Mrs PM Beh, 56 Warwick St

• 1972 Mr and Mrs CB Swenson, 4 Herries St

• 1973-1975 Mrs PM Beh, 56 Warwick St

• 1976-1978 Ben and Mavis Mundy, 190 Ruthven St

• 1979 Mr and Mrs P Williams, St 4 Hazzard St

• 1980 Mrs PM Beh, 56 Warwick St

• 1981-1983 Murray and Margaret Timbs, 6 Merino St

• 1984 Clive and Monica Conquest, 26 Plant St

• 1985 and 1986 Keith and Shirley Peers, 83 Drayton Rd

• 1987 Bob and Sylvia Webb, 2 Begonia Court

• 1988 Clive and Monica Conquest, 26 Plant St

• 1989 Rod and Maureen Hultgren, 13 Hinton St

• 1990 Mr and Mrs JG Lloyd, 69 Mary St

• 1991-1993 Rod and Maureen Hultgren, 13 Hinton St

• 1994 Alf and Del Wagland, 11 Primrose St

• 1995-1997 Keith and Shirley Peers, 83 Drayton Rd

• 1998 and 1999 Rod and Maureen Hultgren, 13 Hinton St

• 2000 and 2001 Allan and Mandy Gibson, 14 Freyling Ct

• 2002 and 2003 Bill and Denise Merritt, 16 Meredith Cres

• 2004 Glen and Ida Kendrick, 11 Montclair Cl

• 2005 Arch and Julie Roggeveen, 4 Glencoe Ct

• 2006 Glen and Ida Kendrick, 11 Montclair Cl

• 2007-2009 Arch and Julie Roggeveen, 4 Glencoe Ct

• 2010 Glen and Ida Kendrick, 11 Montclair Cl

• 2011 Arch and Julie Roggeveen, 4 Glencoe Ct

• 2012 Glen and Ida Kendrick, 11 Montclair Cl

• 2013 Kelly and Cheryl Fry, 21 Dallang Rd

• 2014 Kevin and Dianna Drew, 17 Ward St

• 2015 and 2016 Bob and Val Ford, 19 Burke St

• 2017 Gordon and Maria Reynolds, 40 Smythe Dr

• 2018 Kevin and Dianna Drew, 17 Ward St

• 2019 Julie Roggeveen, 34 Preston-Boundary Rd

• 2020 Nil - Garden for Good

• 2021 Serge and Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil St

• 2022 Bob and Val Ford, 19 Burke St

• 2023 Serge and Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil St

2013’S CITY GRAND CHAMPIONS, KELLY AND CHERYL FRY

A DEDICATED GROUP

The winner of the inaugural Chronicle Garden Competition was Mrs Ruby O’Brien of 269 West St.

Since then, names like Beh, Swenson, Lloyd, Conquest, Hultgren - and more recently, Ford, Drew, Stephson, Rubb and many others - have become synonymous with the competition and its development.

Some of these gardeners have been entering the competition for more than 30 years in a row, like Bob and Val Ford who first entered in 1991 and won First Time Entrant.

This is not to say that only long-time entrants have success in the competitionfar from it. There have been entrants who have taken home top gong after only a year or two of entering, like Coral and Les McCoy of Vale View who, in 2008, entered the competition for the second time and won Country Grand Champion.

Across the past 75 years, these gardeners have shown their resilience and dedication time and time again.

Take Margaret Timbs, for example: in 1976, she suffered spinal injuries that prevented

her from entering the competition, but she was back in force as soon as possible, taking home the Grand Champion award in 1981.

There have been droughts, frosts, wildlife, storms - and yet our gardeners keep going against the odds.

Perhaps poetically, the concern of early blooming is almost as old as the competition is: in a June 2, 1958 news article, it was reported that “gardeners who are preparing for the Carnival of Flowers competitions are fearful that if the weather remains warm, their gardens will be in full bloom before Carnival Week”.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Chosen from celebrities of the gardening world, competition judges are well known to entrants and gardening enthusiasts. It is considered a great honour to be invited to judge this renowned competition, with the judging schedules even being published in The Chronicle until the 1980s.

The first judge, D.A Herbert, was a professor of botany at the University of Queensland and was assisted by his wife,

with both of them continuing their judging roles well into the 1960s.

Usually, there was only one judge looking after the contest, but 1981 saw a panel of three locals judging in a first for the competition.

This panel included Cec Swenson, who was a renowned gardener and many-time grand champion winner, as well as Mr John Shaw and Mrs Stan Roberts.

Across the years there have been many other judges with impressive credentials, such as the curators of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and Mount Coot-tha Gardens Harold Caulfield and Ross McKinnon, Sydney-based horticulturist Stan Peck, Colin Campbell, Noni Hazelhurst, and ABC TV’s Gardening Australia presenter Sophie Thomson.

While not participating as a judge, there have also been many gardening greats wandering the award-winning properties during open week over time - such as Peter Cundall.

This year our Residential judge is Elizabeth Swane, with Commercial and Schools being judged by Mathew Langworthy.

KEVIN AND DIANNA DREW IN 2018

PRIZES GALORE

Over time, the prize pool for the competition has risen steadily. Starting with £50 in 1950, most years throughout the 50s and 60s included a newspaper announcement of the prize money being increased once again. There’s also been special prizes across the 75 years, such as a trip for two to Chelsea Flower Show for the major winner in 1998. Local members for parliament have also gotten in on the action throughout history, sending congratulatory letters to awardwinners in the late 2000s.

With the impressive prize pool as it stands today, it’s clear the competition sponsors deserve a round of applause for their support. Full credit goes to our partners for the 75th year of the Competition: The Chronicle, Toowoomba Regional Council,

University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, and Wellcamp Airport.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Putting the competition together is a momentous task and requires the involvement of everyone at The Chronicle. Special thanks goes to general manager Erika Brayshaw, and the advertising, editorial, and distribution staff. Huge thanks also to videography and media partners Little Pig Consulting, garden photographers Matt Ryan and Bev Lacey, and event partners at Toowoomba Regional Council, Hannah Winter and Lauren Owen.

The Chronicle Garden Competition could not have been a success without the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.

REGIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS ACROSS THE YEARS

• 1967 No records

• 1968 Mrs R Zirbel, ‘Caffey’, Gatton

• 1969 Mrs R Zirbel, ‘Caffey’, Gatton

• 1970-1973 No records

• 1974 Mrs R Zirbel, ‘Caffey’, Gatton

• 1975 Mr and Mrs R Shum, ‘Fernlie’, Ravenbourne

• 1976-1979 No records

• 1980 Mr and Mrs E W Goos, 8 Stubbersfield St, Gatton

• 1981 Mr and Mrs E W Goos, 8 Stubbersfield St, Gatton

• 1982 Mr and Mrs E W Goos, 8 Stubbersfield St, Gatton

• 1983 No records

• 1984 Mr and Mrs E W Goos, 8 Stubbersfield St, Gatton

• 1985-1988 Norm and Audrey Peters, Coverdale Cres, Cotswold Hills

• 1989 Earl and Gwen Litzow, Gatton-Laidley Rd, Forest Hill

• 1990 David and Gay Kearey, Brookestead

• 1991 Earl and Gwen Litzow, Gatton-Laidley Rd, Forest Hill

• 1992 David and Gay Kearey, Brookestead

• 1993 Earl and Gwen Litzow, Gatton-Laidley Rd, Forest Hill

• 1994-1995 Ian and Christine Nielsen, 82 Bellingham Rd, East Greenmount

• 1996 Eileen and Barry Zahnow, 65 Gehrke Rd, Plainland

• 1997 Horrace and Lorna Densley, ‘The Hollies’, Muldu

• 1998 Ken and Sheila McVeigh, 164 Cunningham St, Dalby

• 1999 Ian and Christine Nielsen, 82 Bellingham Rd, East Greenmount

• 2000 Shel Cairns and Esme Dixon, 2124 Murphys Creek Rd, Spring Bluff

• 2001 Horrace and Lorna Densley, ‘The Hollies’, Muldu

• 2002 Kev and Sheila McVeigh, 164 Cunningham St, Dalby

• 2003 Graeme and Narelle Moller, 96 Moller Rd, East Greenmount

• 2004 Alison and Ken Young, 31 Evans St, Chinchilla

• 2005 Kev and Sheila McVeigh, 164 Cunningham St, Dalby

• 2006 Alison and Ken Young, 31 Evans St, Chinchilla

• 2007 Brian and Val Matthews, 213 Zeller St, Chinchilla

• 2008 Coral and Les McCoy, 24 Stark Dr, Vale View

• 2009 David and Gay Kearey, 15 Beresford St, Pittsworth

• 2010 Les and Coral McCoy, 24 Stark Dr, Vale View

• 2011 Wayne and Narelle Schick, 4 Booth Ct, Oakey

• 2012-2014 Les and Coral McCoy, 24 Stark Dr, Vale View

• 2015 David and Gay Kearey, 15 Beresford St, Pittsworth

• 2016-2019 Paul and Noela Rubb, 194 Schultzs-Haden Rd, Haden

• 2020 Nil - Garden for Good

• 2021 Paul and Noela Rubb, 194 Schultz’s-Haden Rd, Haden

• 2022 Wayne and Narelle Schick, 4 Booth Ct, Oakey

• 2023 Kellie and Mark Gersekowski, 15 Lee Ct, Crows Nest

Note: The Country Garden section was introduced as a second garden contest in 1967, and covered what is today known as the Western Downs as well as regional towns of the Toowoomba Region. In 2021, the category name was changed to Regional.

ONE OF THE FIRST HOME GARDEN WINNERS C1950

Road closures are in place on Parade Day. Plan your trip at www.tcof.com.au

#TREATS

Share some love with our local eateries during this year’s Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers with our #trEATS (Toowoomba Region eats) campaign.

Participating cafes, restaurants and pubs across the Region will be serving up amazing springtime specials between $10 – $20, available exclusively during Carnival.

LOCATION

WHEN Fri 13 Sept – Mon 7 Oct COST

Various locations across Toowoomba Region. See www.tcof.com.au for details.

$10 - $20 per meal

Scan the QR code for all the tasty details

www.tcof.com.au/treats

CINEMA UNDER THE STARS

Pack your picnic blanket (and a jacket), gather your family and friends, and enjoy an evening under the stars. As the sun sets over Peacehaven Botanic Park, enjoy the outdoor film experience.

WHEN Sat 28 Sept

Food trucks from 5.30pm

Feature film from 6.30pm - Sherlock Gnomes

LOCATION

Peacehaven Botanic Park 56 Kuhls Rd, Highfields COST

Free (food and drink available to purchase)

SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS

A very special event for our 75th birthday – this open-air concert will be an evening to remember! Performed by the full Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici in his first trip to the Garden City.

Set in the iconic Queens Park Amphitheatre, this floral symphony under starry skies is an event not to be missed!

WHEN Fri 4 Oct

Gates open 5.30pm

Performance commences 7pm

LOCATION

Queens Park Ampitheatre

Margaret St, Toowoomba

- child $15 www.tcof.com for tickets

QUEENS PARK

Queens Park is the hub of Carnival, hosting the Festival of Food & Wine, Parkland Entertainment, and the finishing point for the Grand Central Floral Parade.

FERRIS WHEEL

Appreciate the view of the Botanic Gardens from above with a ride on the Ferris Wheel. Great for all ages – and your wellbehaved doggo can ride too!

WHEN

Fri 13 – Sun 22 Sept, 9am – 6pm

LOCATION

Lindsay Street, Queens Park Botanic Gardens, Toowoomba

COST

Adults $10

Children $5 (2-13yrs)

No cash, card payments only Companion Card accepted

PARKLAND ENTERTAINMENT

Sway along with the flowers in time to the melodies of talented musicians and bands in Queens Park Botanic Gardens.

WHEN

Mon 16 Sept – Mon 7 Oct

Performances daily at the following times: Mon – Thur, 9.30am – 1pm Fri – Sun, 9.30am – 1pm & 2pm – 5.30pm

TWILIGHT SESSIONS

WHEN

Every Fri & Sat from Fri 20 Sept – Sat 5 Oct - 5.30pm – 8pm

LAUREL BANK PARK

Just to the west of the city centre you can discover more floral displays as well as a scented garden to enjoy with your eyes closed! Laurel Bank features spectacular floral displays, croquet lawns, animal topiaries, thousands of petals and a great childrens’ play area.

PARKLAND ENTERTAINMENT

Toowoomba's parks aren't just for the flowers! Bring your picnic blanket and relax to live music surrounded by the gardens - a feast for the eyes and ears.

WHEN Fri 13 Sept – Mon 7 Oct

Performances daily at the following times: Mon – Thur, 9.30am – 1pm Fri – Sun, 9.30am – 1pm & 2pm – 5.30pm

COST Free DETAILS www.tcof.com.au

PROUDLY OPERATED BY

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

www.tcof.com.au

Free

TWILIGHT TOURS

Discover the secret world of the parklands by night, on a tour with a Laurel Bank gardener.

WHEN Every Mon – Fri, from 13 – 30 Sept 5.30pm – 6.30pm

LOCATION

Meet at Laurel Bank Info Hub COST

$10 per person

TICKETS

Prior bookings only www.tcof.com.au

Meet the amazing 2024 JUDGING TEAM

The Chronicle Garden Competition is excited to introduce the team judging our 75th anniversary competition garden entrants: Residential Garden judge Elizabeth Swane, and judge for Commercial, Not-for-Profit and Schools Gardens, Mathew Langworthy

ELIZABETH SWANE CITY & REGIONAL RESIDENTIAL GARDEN JUDGE

Elizabeth Swane is a member of one Australia’s best-known nursery and rosegrowing families, and worked at Swane’s Nursery for more than 25 years until the business was sold in 2000.

As an experienced horticulturist, she has been a regular guest on ABC Radio Sydney gardening talkback for more than 20 years. She is also a garden writer and has written for a number of national magazines, including Burke’s Backyard, Your Garden,

Third generation Toowoomba resident Mike Wells has turned a lifelong passion for plants and gardening into a horticultural career spanning 25-plus years. This passion for plants and all things gardening has seen Mike manage a retail and wholesale plant nursery and small crops farm, as well as running a successful garden establishment and maintenance business. He has also managed and provided technical support in Queensland for a well-known Australian garden

Home Beautiful and ABC Gardening Australia. In her role as garden writer for Regional Lifestyle magazine, she has travelled all over NSW visiting country gardens.

As a horticultural consultant, Elizabeth has worked with landscape architects, designers and garden companies. Her passion for gardens and horticulture and her bright, cheery personality makes her a perfect garden tour leader. Elizabeth leads spring and autumn garden tours to New Zealand, Japan, Tasmania, Central West NSW, New England NSW and the Blue Mountains with Renaissance Tours.

MATHEW LANGWORTHY COMMERCIAL, NOT-FOR-PROFIT &

SCHOOLS GARDEN JUDGE

Mathew is the Grounds and Environment Manager for the University of Southern Queensland, which includes the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens and Japanese Garden located on the university’s Toowoomba campus.

With a background in horticulture and environmental science, Mathew has worked across Australia for the past 20 years in nursery production, parks management and natural area restoration

product business.

Intent on helping spread the word that gardening is good for the soul as well as the planet, Mike turned his love for plants into a career as a TAFE horticultural educator for 21 years, retiring in 2021. He contributes gardening articles in The Chronicle as well as numerous gardening publications, and has a fortnightly spot on ABC Southern Queensland radio to help solve gardeners’ problems. In addition, he operates a horticultural consultancy. In his spare time he loves to garden (what else!) and sings lead and tenor in local acappella groups.

within local government, and as a consultant.

He is passionate about the propagation and landscape application of Australian native plants.

MIKE WELLS GARDEN LIAISON

A Huge Thanks TO OUR GARDENERS

We wouldn’t have reached 75 years of The Chronicle Garden Competition without the people who are the backbone of this annual event: our gardeners. The whole team at The Chronicle extend their heartfelt thanks to these dedicated green thumbs

t’s been a wild year for gardeners in the region.

A frigid winter with heavy frost made it difficult enough on plants, but add a sudden heat burst to introduce spring, mix in a lack of rain across the 12 months, and you have a recipe for many gardening challenges.

But that hasn’t put this group of dedicated locals off their beloved pastime.

It’s thanks to their tenacity and sheer determination that we have this year’s incredible The Chronicle Garden Competition - which is no less than 75 years in the making.

Our gardeners came out in force to make

this special year one worth celebrating as well, and it’s due to their enthusiasm that we added a last-minute special award to the competition for Best Display for 75-year Anniversary.

From the whole team at The Chronicle Garden Competition, we congratulate and thank each one of these gardeners for investing their time and passion in the competition and Carnival of Flowers. We greatly appreciate your dedication and involvement every year in making the competition incredible.

It’s thanks to you that the competition has been around for an impressive 75 yearsand here’s to another 75!

Keeping you home and engaged for longer

AQ @ Home 24/7 services are supporting older Australians across the Darling Downs through our compassionate assistance, support and specialised care. Our flexible and tailored care not only enables you to remain at home but also keeps you actively engaged within your local community.

With us you get:

• Assistance to stay safe in and around home

• Support with personal cares, meal preparation, laundry, and household cleaning

• Coordination of specialist services

• Transport to appointments

• Access to allied health services e.g. physiotherapy and exercise physiology

• Respite at our centre or your home to support carers have their well-deserved break or even go on a holiday

Park Perspectives: A vision of Laurel Bank Park

3 September – 25 October 2024

Continuing UniSQ’s artistic spotlight on the gardens and landscapes of Toowoomba, the University is proud to pay tribute to the iconic Laurel Bank Park. Uniting a diverse group of skilled artists chosen for their varied mediums and shared inspiration drawn from the gardens, this exhibition showcases each artist’s individual aesthetic while also highlighting their collective conceptual basis.

UniSQ Art Gallery

Tuesday – Friday 10am – 3pm

07 4631 1027

B Block, 487-535 West Street,

Darling Heights QLD 4350

FREE ADMISSION

David Hinchliffe, Laurel Bank – Creating in the Park, 2024, Acrylic on canvas

AT THE UNISQ GARDENS Culture & Connections

You don’t have to be a student at the University of Southern Queensland to learn more about local Indigenous culture, and the merit of outdoor tranquillity, thanks to two beautifully landscaped gardens on the grounds of the Toowoomba campus at Darling Heights

fficially named Ju Raku En - translated to mean ‘to enjoy peace and longevity in a public place’, the Japanese Garden is a favourite of locals and visitors alike and often used for wedding photos due to the picturesque bridges, foliage and ponds.

GUMBI GUMBI

The nearby Gumbi Gumbi Gardens are a more recent addition to the property, covering more than two hectares and celebrating Aboriginal culture.

The Gumbi Gumbi Gardens opened in October 2013. This site was designed by landscape architects David and Mary Kearney, in partnership with the Giabal and Jarowair people who are the traditional custodians of the land on which the university campus now stands.

The gardens feature more than 100 Indigenous plants that were traditionally used by the local Aboriginal communities – including the gumbi gumbi plant which was introduced to Toowoomba as a multipurpose medicine and remains a symbol of knowledge and healing todayas well as several teaching spaces.

At its heart, the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens represent the acknowledgement of local Indigenous heritage, culture, and continued contribution to the region. There is a free app available to download for self-guided tours, that will connect you to the stories of the Gumbi Gumbi Cultural Gardens while you explore.

The gardens are open every day, with admission free.

JU RAKU EN

A short walk from the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens, the Japanese Garden can be found.

Situated in the northern sector of the campus, these gardens were opened in 1989 by the Consul General of Japan.

The master plan and design for the Japanese Garden and community building and tea house were prepared in Japan after site analysis and intensive background studies by staff of the Nakane Garden Research. Construction commenced in 1983 after three years of planning.

The picturesque gardens include a mountain stream and waterfall, a central lake, 230 species of Japanese and Australian trees and plants, and a dry garden.

These gardens are the perfect picnic location, with seating and picnic amenities found throughout the park and toilets available in the adjoining Birch Court Park. Officially named Ju Raku En, the gardens are also a popular wedding venue, with the waterfall, the Viewing Pavilion on one of the islands, and the lilac blossoms hanging from the Wisteria Pergola, proving to be popular sites for tying the knot.

The gardens now include a new pavilion opened in September, providing another dedicated space for quiet reflection. With multiple picturesque sites, the gardens are a hotspot for artists.

The lake, which is the focal point of the garden, is home to various species of duck, turtle and fish, all of which can be observed from shore or from atop one of the traditional red Japanese bridges.

The Gumbi Gumbi Gardens represent the acknowledgement of local Indigenous heritage, culture, and continued contribution to the region.

Helping the

GARDEN CITY THRIVE

Celebrating 125 years this year, the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental in the business community and economy of our city, including the launch of our most famous annual event which attracts thousands of visitors each year

he Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce’s 125-year history is inextricably linked with the commercial and cultural development of Toowoomba.

Our city is the gateway connected to the west, the capital of the Darling Downs and southwest.

We are a regional city delicately perched on the crest of Australia’s great escarpment.

We are Queensland’s only Garden City, with four distinct seasons, set in tree-lined streets with abundant parklands, a thriving laneway and entertainment scene, a city filled with arts and culture, a region which is a paradise for foodies, and Wellcamp Airport taking us to the world and beyond.

The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in the creation of the Carnival of Flowers.

Our city is home to some of the best education opportunities in the country, major innovators, and nationally recognised exporters of everything from agriculture, machinery, jewellery to wallpaper, to some of the world’s most famous sporting heroes and artisans.

We are a city like no other.

And in the midst of this all, is the Toowoomba Chamber.

THRIVING BEGINNINGS

The Chamber’s journey commenced on October 12, 1899, stirred into action by the business community due to the “special opportunities afforded by a digest of the ideas and experiences of an association of business” and the need for “a vigilant and united body” that “can readily discuss anomalies and abuses, which if left unchecked work to the detriment of the community”.

The Toowoomba Chamber of today continues to build on those foundations, and is an independent organisation that advocates on behalf of local businesses at local, state, and federal levels to ensure the business community has a voice.

With more than 600 members, the Toowoomba Chamber is one of the largest regional Chamber of Commerce organisations in Australia and Queensland’s largest regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as being a proud partner of the Darling Downs Regional Alliance which represents over 1000 businesses in the Toowoomba Regional Local Government area.

CARNIVAL BLOOMS

The Chamber has also had many achievements over the years.

Significantly, the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in the creation of the Carnival of Flowers, using

the city’s reputation as a Garden City to promote economic activity.

The now internationally-recognised event is a people attractor that continues to deliver a financial windfall to the local business community.

However, the Toowoomba Chamber will never forget that, at its core, the Carnival of Flowers is built on the back of our local community.

We acknowledge and thank the many local gardeners for their passion, dedication, and commitment.

It is their work that has, and continues to, directly support our business community and put Toowoomba on a world stage.

We salute you.

BRINGS GARDEN VISITORS Wellcamp Airport

As Toowoomba celebrates its 75th The Chronicle Garden Competition, Wellcamp Airport proudly supports the iconic event, reinforcing its commitment to connecting people with the vibrant heart of the Garden City

his milestone year not only marks a significant anniversary for the Competition and the Carnival of Flowers, but also underscores the pivotal role Wellcamp Airport plays in bringing visitors to Toowoomba.

Wellcamp Airport, in partnership with Rex and Qantas, is central to making The Chronicle Garden Competition and Carnival of Flowers accessible to a broader audience.

With Rex offering flights to regional and remote parts of Queensland and Qantas providing direct services to Sydney, Wellcamp Airport serves as a gateway for flower enthusiasts from across Australia. This connectivity is essential for those travelling to witness the spectacular floral displays, lush gardens and the festive atmosphere that make The Chronicle Garden Competition and Carnival of Flowers both must-see events.

Wellcamp Airport’s support extends beyond just facilitating travel; it is about enhancing the overall experience of the visitors.

Wellcamp Airport helps foster a thriving tourism environment in Toowoomba, allowing guests to immerse themselves fully in the Carnival’s celebrations.

This year’s event promises to be particularly special, with a host of new and exciting

attractions that highlight the region’s rich horticultural heritage and vibrant community spirit.

Wellcamp Airport’s endorsement with The Chronicle Garden Competition exemplifies its dedication to the local community and its commitment to promoting Toowoomba as a premier travel destination.

As Toowoomba’s Garden City comes to life this time of year with colour and creativity, Wellcamp Airport remains a key player in making sure everyone has the opportunity to experience the magic of the 75th anniversary of The Chronicle Garden

Competition and the Carnival of Flowers. Here’s to the continued growth Wellcamp Airport brings to our community.

Your First Stop

FOR GARDENING NEEDS

ince 1998, Toowoomba’s gardeners have made The Springs their first stop for quality plant stock, garden mixes and decorative pots.

Set on five lush acres, the Spring Street Home & Garden Centre is the labour of love for owners Ashley and Marie McEwan. The McEwan family spent 30 years farming in Pittsworth before deciding to pursue their dream and create a world-class garden and lifestyle centre in Toowoomba.

The family business took much of its inspiration from the large garden centres in the United Kingdom which incorporate garden, giftware, dining and furniture. Ashley wanted to combine his passion for gardening and family and create a place where families could visit and feel inspired to create their own home oasis.

Now celebrating 26 years of business, The Springs Home & Garden continues to add to the visitor experience as an ever-growing centre for families to explore.

The centre has been recently painted, giving it a new modern look, as well as hundreds of hours landscaping and planting new gardens. Kingfishers Cafe is now equipped with two playgrounds for the kids to explore while mum and dad enjoy a meal, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in the cafe. Accredited as one of Queensland’s Garden Centres of Excellence, The Springs incorporates four retail departments.

The Springs nursery includes Toowoomba’s largest and most diverse range of indoor and outdoor plants.

It also has one of the largest ranges of indoor and outdoor pots on the Darling Downs with an inspiring range of water features on display. Visitors travel from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and beyond to explore the displays of native plants, ornamental and fruit trees, exotic, subtropical, cool climate plants, perennials and season garden colour.

Waterlily on Spring is their home of giftware and home decor, with inspirational pieces for any budget.

Visitors love walking through the collections of candles, soft furnishings, tableware, wall art, gift ideas and cards. Gift

wrapping is also available with the proceeds donated to the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s mental health section.

The Springs is home to Toowoomba’s largest range of outdoor furniture, managed by Ashley and Marie’s youngest son, Cameron. It’s a must-see for visitors looking for innovating outdoor entertaining ideas. The outdoor furniture department is made up of more than 75 settings, including popular wicker styles, hard-wearing timber dining settings crafted in teak or kwila and a range of luxurious lounge settings for that quiet Sunday in the sun.

Spring is the perfect time to update that tired outdoor space with a quality outdoor setting to help discover your home oasis. The Springs has everything you need to bring your space to life including a huge range of umbrellas, giftware, outdoor rugs

and cushions.

If you are looking for the finest breakfast or lunch, be sure to visit Kingfishers Cafe, Toowoomba’s premier garden cafe. Open from 8am daily, Kingfishers Cafe boasts a modern dining experience among a lush garden setting.

It’s the perfect place to unwind after a busy day of exploring Toowoomba’s beautiful garden displays.

Ashley, Marie and the whole Springs family would love to see you during the Carnival of Flowers.

Their expert staff are on-hand to answer all of your gardening questions. They can help with plant selection, plant and lawn care or maybe to help select that perfect statement pot or water feature for your garden.

Be inspired during spring with a ‘must-see’ visit to The Springs Home & Garden.

The Springs Home & Garden provides the perfect place for visitors and garden lovers to relax and enjoy the Carnival of Flowers while providing inspiration and all the ingredients to create their own home oasis

WINNERS 2024

ALL GARDENS OPEN 9AM TO 5PM DAILY,20-29,SEPTEMBER OTHERWISEUNLESS SPECIFIED

TIFFANY WICKS City Grand Champion

6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty

reating a garden that both her family and flowers can thrive in is central to The Chronicle Garden Competition entrant and mother of three Tiffany Wicks.

Her stunning efforts and refusal to compromise on the play spaces lovingly created for her young children have resulted in a cohesive, practical and, above all, magnificently beautiful garden space worthy of the Grand Champion prize.

Tiffany says she started her competition gardening experience for the joy of it rather than the win, and that joy is reflected in every corner of the gorgeous block at 6

Fairholme St, Mount Lofty.

It’s hard to believe that just 10 years ago the site was a cut-and-fill block with bare dirt and very little foliage to break it up.

For Tiffany, however, her love of plants and her thirst to learn more about them as each year passes made the bare block the perfect canvas upon which to perfect her talents. However, it wasn’t without a huge number of challenges: getting through years of drought and flood in such a short time; managing family life, toddlers and newborns; accepting that sometimes dogs and kids can wreak havoc on your gardening plans; and simply learning what

will and won’t thrive in sometimes tricky conditions.

Time and cost can be very prohibitive factors for younger gardeners, but as Tiffany’s experience grows, the jobs are getting a little easier and the costs are coming back down to earth.

Her favourite addition this year made a huge difference to the cost of establishing annual florals.

Tiffany and husband Damian Mills constructed a beautiful greenhouse to raise seedlings, slashing the cost of buying tray after tray of pre-raised juvenile plants. Along with being a clinical psychologist, Tiffany also loves to wield a brush to create gorgeous paintings.

This year she painted a mural as the finishing touch to the incredible display, in honour of The Chronicle Garden Competition’s 75th year.

This year, I gave it my everything.

~ Tiffany Wicks

“I literally have worked in this garden like a full-time job, so we’re talking maybe six hours a day at times, and I’ve had my mum helping me out a lot.”

The hard work certainly paid off, with the cottage garden an absolute joy to walk through.

Guests are greeted at the gate by an

amazing display of pink, blue, purple and white annuals, with the occasional splash of yellow to enhance the blues and purples. The sight of children’s play equipment adds to the charm, offset by neatly meandering walkways, shady jacarandas and carefully considered garden beds designed to beautify a space that is unmistakably made for a young family to enjoy.

Jumbled displays of cheerful annuals are complemented by manicured topiaries, while formerly stark and straight sandstone retaining walls are broken up with alyssum peeking through the cracks to create the perfect mixture of form and unfettered joy. Among the real crowd pleasers is definitely the perfectly picturesque greenhouse tucked around the side of the house, inspired by Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit stories. Its adorable stained glass and white weatherboard frontage have to be seen to be believed.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Grand Champion prize is determined after all judging is complete, and traditionally the winner has received first prize in at least one - often more - other class or option for that year’s competition.

arelle Hurse is celebrating not only taking out the Regional Grand Champion honour in The Chronicle Garden Competition but also scooping three more top awards.

Her Wyreema garden at 4 Cashmore St also claimed the top prize in the Small Space section, Front Garden category and Small/ Medium Residential classification.

Twelve months ago, she won the Regional Small Space prize but this year, she has certainly reaped the reward of her hard work.

“This is the third time I have entered the

garden competition,” Narelle says.

“When I bought my home in 2014, the yard was a blank canvas. There was not one tree or shrub to be seen, so I started creating a garden for my enjoyment with no thought of entering the garden competition.

“Before long, visitors to my home were asking: “Was I going to enter?” This got me thinking that maybe I should; so I decided to have a go.”

Narelle says the garden is both a challenge and a passion.

“There are many things I love about gardening and it has become quite a passion of mine,” she says.

I love growing things. It can be quite challenging at times but this makes the end result that much more rewarding.

~ Narelle Hurse

“I also love the fact that it gives me an outlet for my creativity. The exercise I get tending my garden is also invaluable.

“I have a poster which says: “You don’t stop gardening when you get old, you get old when you stop gardening”.

“I maintain my garden myself and I have done most of the hardscaping construction including the paths. It is so satisfying when a job is completed.”

A lifestyle change a year ago for Narelle has meant more time to be spent on her horticultural hobby.

“Not enough time has always been my biggest challenge, but last year I semiretired and I am now enjoying the extra time this has given me to spend on my garden and creative projects,” she says.

“I think the winning part of my garden is the Garden Room I have created for my shade-loving plants.

“My budget didn’t allow me to get a proper shade house built immediately, so I created this space for my shade-loving plants.

“I love propagating from cuttings so I also needed an area to protect these pots from the elements.

“This space has gradually morphed into an outside room of peace and tranquillity.” Narelle also looks forward to The Chronicle Garden Competition and the Carnival of Flowers.

“I love the excitement the Carnival of Flowers and The Chronicle Garden Competition brings to Toowoomba,” she says.

“It is a fantastic start to spring with so many things for everyone to see and do. “It is also an opportunity for young gardeners to visit the local gardens and learn from the more experienced.”

City Reserve Champion

CHERYL GANZER

21 Talinga St, Toowoomba

n an unassuming block at 21 Talinga St, Toowoomba, you’ll find Cheryl Ganzer’s labour of love. It’s a beautiful, thriving ode to colour, and one that has taken out City Reserve Grand Champion for 2024.

“My favourite part of the garden has got to be the hellebores,” she says.

The garden doesn’t shy away from colour, mixing vibrant azaleas with perfect purple pansies and petunias.

It’s a cottage garden that feels distinctly Australian, with clumps of daisies and tufts of lavender bursting through to welcome you home.

When asked about any difficulties she

CLASS QUALIFIERS

Reserve Champion is awarded to the overall best garden after Grand Champion. Much like Grand Champion, it is also determined after all other judging is complete and usually the winner has been awarded first place in at least one other class or option.

encountered, Cheryl says it’s been a tough year with the weather but her difficulties are, “probably no different to anyone else … you just have to hose the frost off.”

Despite the weather challenges, Cheryl’s garden has flourished.

“I’m really happy to see all the annuals blooming beautifully,” she says, “especially with all the bad frosts that we’ve had.”

While her garden is filled with colour, Cheryl confesses her favourite colour is pink.

“You wouldn’t think so,” she admits.

“I also have a lot of yellow in the garden.”

She takes a simple approach to gardening, focusing on colour and variety.

“I do have a lot of pansies,” she says, “but

that’s because I just love colour.”

Cheryl is thrilled to be a winner this year after entering last year.

She’s mostly motivated by the joy her garden brings to others. With so much of it visible from the street, it’s a delight for passers by.

“I get a lot of pleasure out of the pleasure people get,” she says.

“And I know they do get a lot of pleasure out of the garden.”

Regional Reserve Champion

CRYSTAL STARK

702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest

rystal Stark is no stranger to receiving accolades for the botanical splendour of her Crows Nest property, adding to her haul with three awards in this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition, including the second-highest overall prize. While she appreciates the recognition, she says the greatest rewards come from the plants themselves - especially the clivias she has been breeding for decades.

“To me, it’s not the winning of the prize,” Crystal says. “It’s taking a little seedling or cutting and growing it into a magnificent plant. That’s when I think, ‘Wow, look at that’.”

This example of growing something spectacular from virtually nothing is a metaphor for Crystal’s property itself - a 343ha wonderland that she and her late husband Neville purchased for a few quid in 1954.

When the young newlyweds took over, it was a fairly clear, flat landscape of cornfields. They developed it into a dairy farm through the 60s, with Neville, a champion bronc rider and stud master at the helm.

As the farm flourished, Crystal had the idea of developing an agricultural tourism business, welcoming busloads of tourists and school children.

“My grandfather would put on a whip cracking show, people would get up on a horse for the first time, and for some, it was

the first time they’d really seen stars,” says granddaughter Chloe.

Fast-forward 70 years, and Crystal’s farm continues to flourish as a treasure-trove of organically grown fruits and vegetables, edible flowers, herbs and medicinal plants. These edible species grow in overflowing garden beds around her homestead, alongside native shrubs, roses and iconic Toowoomba violets, while a small herd of sheep and about 180 head of cattle provide a rich source of fertiliser.

Now in her mid-80s, Crystal has passed the baton to grandchildren Chloe and James, who run events company Blue Haze Events, hosting weddings in the stunning, verdant setting. They have also partnered with a herbalist to provide classes on the farm, introducing participants to the medicinal properties of the various weeds, herbs and thistles that grow on-site.

Sustainability has become a major focus on the property, and one that the family was eager to share when entering this year’s competition.

“I think moving towards the food sustainability side of things has been an awesome step,” James says. “When people come to Blue Haze, the idea is they can take a bit of that sustainability home with them.”

“Recognising the effect we’re having on our planet, and the need to conserve the environment, has pushed us more and more in this direction,” Chloe adds.

Neville and Crystal’s legacy is safe in the

dedicated hands of their grandchildren, and the family matriarch is forthcoming with her approval.

“I must say, it has never looked this good,” she says simply.

Reserve Champion is awarded to the overall best garden after Grand Champion. Much like Grand Champion, it is also determined after all other judging is complete and usually the winner has been awarded first place in at least one other class or option.

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City Small Residential

THIS GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

CHRISTINE

16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields

hristine Purchase won the Small Residential category with her tranquil garden located at 16/21 Andersson Court, Highfields, for the first time this year.

But Christine is no stranger to The Chronicle Garden Competition, having entered more than seven years ago.

She never had any intention of entering the competition again, but her garden’s theme and message was one she wanted to share. For the past two years, Christine has been working on turning her garden into a biodiverse garden. Because she mostly stays at home, she thought The Chronicle Garden

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The City Small Residential class is for gardens under 500sq m. Like other Residential classes, it’s judged on overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

Competition was a way of getting the word about biodiversity out to the public.

She hopes her garden will convince others to go home and plant even a small amount of their garden as a biodiverse space to help with shade and the health of plants and animals alike.

“I’ve got almost 95 per cent Australian native plants, but I’ve got about 30 per cent now of local plants and that’s extremely helpful for bringing in the local insects, the local wildlife, the local everything,” Christine says.

“I don’t add anything to soil other than compost (and) have a lot of ground covers that keep the soil cool, so looking after the

New to Darling Downs Zoo…

Impressive Spotted Hyena and shy Little Blue Penguins!

So many animals to see, join our talks to see the animals up as close as possible. They start at 10.15am every day.

soil is so important.

With several spots in which to unwind, take in the beautiful greenery and spot the blooms, there is one spot where Christine loves to take her breakfast. It’s out the front, which she describes as a “foresty garden with a bit of a meadow”. There she can eat breakfast with the birds singing and playing around.

“At lunchtime, I like to sit in my outdoor area where I can see absolutely lots and lots of greenery, and it’s just so calm and lovely,” she goes on to say.

“Then every now and again, my favourite part is the rainforest section around the back because rainforest’s my first love.”

City Medium Residential

CHERYL GANZER

21 Talinga St, Toowoomba

ot content with taking out the awards for Front Garden and City Reserve Grand Champion, Cheryl Ganzer’s beautiful, bountiful garden has also been named winner of the Medium Residential category.

The garden, located at 21 Talinga St, Toowoomba, not only showcases Cheryl’s talent - and love - for gardening, it also offers a serene retreat from daily life, which is everything you want your garden to be. The lush, rolling front garden features mature shrubs and meticulously arranged flowering plants. Large clusters of bloomsazalea, pansy, hellebore - in shades of pink, white and purple create a soft yet vibrant palette, entrancing the eye and inviting you to wander down the garden path to see what other delights await.

Beyond, it’s more colour and vibrancy. You’ll spot clusters of clivia thriving under the canopy of taller plants, their bright orange blooms a fiery contrast against the lush, green foliage. There’s also plenty more azalea, more pansies. In between, a calla lily pops up to say hello, a striking streak of white against the sea of colour.

Cheryl’s garden is a mix of carefully manicured lawns and sunlit pathways lined by potted plants. Varying in shape and size and housing different flowering plantsincluding the odd succulent - the ensemble creates a tapestry of colour and texture. On display is not only a beautiful space, but a

testament to Cheryl’s skill when it comes to layering and colour co-ordination. For Cheryl, the garden is more than just a collection of plants, it is a living artwork that evolves with the seasons, a canvas for expression and a source of daily joy, especially during The Chronicle Garden Competition.

“I get a lot of pleasure out of the pleasure people get,” she says.

The City Medium Residential class is for gardens from 500sq m to 1000sq m. Like other Residential classes, it’s judged on overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

City Large Residential

TIFFANY

6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty

s far as sprawling city gardens go, they don’t come any better than Tiffany Wicks’ cottage garden at 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty.

Her efforts have earned her the Large Residential Garden gong in the 75th Chronicle Garden Competition.

Entering through grandiose gates, visitors are treated to a truly beautiful example of a cottage garden that draws inspiration from the pages of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit stories.

The cut-and-fill block was a blank canvas for the mother of three to work her magic.

After a decade of loving additions, the result is a cohesive, practical, yet stunning cottage garden that perfectly matches the raised and renovated Queenslander family home.

Potting benches, perfectly placed décor, bounties of bright annuals, the most stunning little greenhouse imaginable, meandering paved walkways, lovely lawns and towering shade trees all blend into a garden that is a true pleasure to walk around.

Everything is thoughtfully arranged around open spaces for children and dogs to play in while mum is busy creating an awardwinning garden. Beauty shares the limelight with practicality.

Years of trial and error have gone into

refining plantings to maximise beauty and minimise the number of plants that fail to thrive.

After two years of work since Tiffany’s last entry into The Chronicle Garden Competition, return visitors are sure to be stunned by the improvements.

The advice of seasoned gardeners such as horticulture great Penny McKinlay has been invaluable for Tiffany as she refined her craft and built on her results year after year.

“The best piece of advice that I’ve been given, in regards to gardening, would be related to planting for your microclimates, ensuring that what you plant is suitable for the place in which you plant it,”

Tiffany says.

“Sometimes you can push things a bit, but it ends up being a lot of work and, often, the end result isn’t great.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The City Large Residential class is for gardens over 1000sq m. Like other Residential classes, it’s judged on overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

THIS GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

Regional Small/ Medium Residential

NARELLE HURSE

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema

irst prize in the Regional Small/ Medium Residential category of The Chronicle Garden

Competition has gone to Wyreema resident Narelle Hurse – one of four awards she took out this year.

Twelve months ago Narelle won the Regional Small Space prize and this year there are changes to her garden.

“The front garden I thought needed a bit of a makeover. So I took out a couple of shrubs, which were looking pretty ordinary, and put in a few more annuals, which has given it a bit more colour. I really love the end result,” she explains.

“Around the back, I didn’t have the back quite finished and I’ve actually done a lot of work in the last 12 months to the back yard.”

“I’ve put in a shade house, a new path and new plantings. I took out plants which weren’t doing so well and replaced them with others.

“The garden’s getting more complete now, whereas in the past when I’ve entered I haven’t always been happy, particularly with the back garden because it wasn’t finished.” Narelle has also built raised garden beds to help everything come together.

Improvements to the rear of the home this year compared with a year ago have certainly helped elevate the overall property and land the Regional Small/Medium Residential category.

Today the single-level home at 4 Cashmore

St is framed by an impressive array of colour.

Narelle maintains the garden herself and has also completed most of the hardscaping construction, including the paths.

“It is so satisfying when a job is completed,” she says.

“I also love the fact that it gives me an outlet for my creativity. The exercise I get tending my garden is also invaluable.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Regional Small/Medium Residential class is for gardens up to 1000sq m. Like other Residential classes, it’s judged on overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

Regional Large Residential

JOHN & LENORE FERRIS

3

Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest

or John and Lenore Ferris, gardening runs in their blood.

“My grandfather was a gardener all his life,” says John.

“He came over here from Scotland and he never did anything else but gardening. That was his life. That was his living.”

That love for gardening is alive and well at John and Lenore’s house at 3 Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest, which has been awarded best Large Residential gardenRegional.

“My favourite part is down the back,” John explains. “This is where most of the work happens, particularly in this bush house.”

The garden isn’t just a place to rest and relax, but a testament to the couple’s hard work and creativity.

It’s also a place that has brought the family together.

“We actually had some help this year with our two daughters from Brisbane. They thoroughly enjoyed it,” John adds.

While John is hands-on with the landscaping, Lenore, despite physical limitations, finds immense joy in the simpler pleasures the garden offers.

“I can’t kneel, can’t bend down, but I help out where I can,” she says.

“I love just walking around the garden, especially once the flowers start coming, so every day there’s another flower out that wasn’t there the day before.”

The Regional Large Residential class is for gardens over 1000sq m. Like other Residential classes, it’s judged on overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

It’s a reflection of a garden brimming with life, evolving daily into an even more beautiful space, with a layout designed to surprise and delight.

“We like for people to walk through it and around nooks and crannies,” John shares.

“Every time you go around a corner, you don’t know what you’re going to see.”

It’s this element of mystery and discovery that makes their garden such a joy for anyone who visits.

Gardening is more than just a hobby for John and Lenore, it’s a major part of their identity and retirement life.

“We like gardening and, when you retire, you’re going to do something, and we find this very good exercise,” John says. He philosophically adds that a house without a garden is merely “bricks and mortar”. It’s the garden that breathes life into the home.

Rural Residential

CRYSTAL STARK

702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest

rystal Stark’s sprawling country garden looks good enough to eat - and, mostly, it is. In this sun-kissed oasis overlooking misty mountains, a carpet of lawn stretches between garden beds overflowing with flowering annuals, vegetables and herbs, much to the delight of local bees.

A ramble through Crystal’s garden becomes an idyllic grocery expedition, with glossy silverbeet at home amongst rose bushes, and heads of lettuce popping out between Crystal’s beloved clivias or daisies.

“You can just wander around and when we are going to have lunch I’ll grab a lettuce,” she says.

Along with apple trees are dragon fruits, mandarins, guava, mulberries and four varieties of banana - a fruit salad ready to be chopped up and put in a bowl - just out

the back door.

There’s no excuse for Crystal and her family to skip their “five serves a day”, with an equally diverse vegetable selection for the picking, including cauliflower, squash, silverbeet and bok choy. For a flavour punch, there are about 20 different varieties of chillies, plus wasabi and a fragrant wonderland of herbs.

It’s little wonder that the resident sheep can’t resist sneaking into the beautifully cultivated Garden of Eden around Crystal’s home, helping themselves to some of the forbidden fruit on a regular basis. Indeed, while being interviewed by a representative from The Chronicle Garden Competition, Crystal’s grandson, James Nutt, had to run off mid-sentence, to chase out a woolly intruder.

It’s hard to begrudge the sheep the

CLASS QUALIFIERS

Rural Residential is a class for any size garden that is on a property outside city or regional town areas. The judging criteria sit under those for other size Residential classes: overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

occasional treat, though, as their manure is among the reasons why everything thrives so beautifully.

“We don’t usually let them through the gardens, but at the end of the day, they do help us out,” says James, who, with sister Chloe, now does most of the heavy-lifting in his grandmother’s garden.

Nasturtiums, an edible flowering plant rich in vitamins and minerals, is a favourite among the sheep, and it shows.

“They’re pretty fat and healthy,” James says. Like the sheep, Crystal’s family is growing and thriving in this bountiful haven that she and late husband Neville created together. Now a great-grandmother to Chloe’s four-year-old daughter, Blair, Crystal’s garden is a hub for family connection, and one that nurtures her descendants, literally and figuratively.

City Front Garden

CHERYL

GANZER

21 Talinga St, Toowoomba

beautiful front garden is more than just a patch of greenery: it’s a statement, like rolling out the welcome mat to the world. For Cheryl Ganzer, winner of the Front Garden category, the sentiment couldn’t be more true.

“I get a lot of pleasure out of the pleasure people get out of the garden,” she says,

And a well-tended front garden, like Cheryl’s, draws people in, sparking joy and conversation among neighbours and visitors alike.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Front Garden option is judged from the front of the property, back to any dividing fence or natural screen, but no further than the back corners of the house. While entrants are permitted to enter a maximum of two options, they can only enter either Front Garden or Back Garden - not both.

Strategically planted and meticulously maintained, the garden includes towering shrubs and smaller, dense blooms that provide depth and texture. Azaleas, hellebores, daisies and lavender jostle for

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harsh weather conditions. But for Cheryl, overcoming these hurdles is part of the process.

“Just hose the frost off. You just get on to things,” she laughs, reminding us all that keeping a garden thriving - especially through the winter months - takes nothing if not resilience.

Front gardens, like Cheryl’s, aren’t just for

LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL City Back Garden

eisa and Serge Rossignol have retained their City Back Garden prize in The Chronicle Garden Competition for their Lorea House entry.

It’s the fourth time the couple have entered the garden in the competition, although Leisa has previously entered with a garden at a different property.

She says The Chronicle Garden Competition has always held a special interest for her having grown up and lived on the Darling Downs for the majority of her life.

“During the construction of my previous garden at Westbrook, my hope was to enter it into the competition as a way to encourage those building a garden from a bare block and to rethink the use and reuse of water,” she says.

“This was achieved and the garden received prizes in those years.

“The garden at Lorea House has been the opportunity to create the cottage garden of my dreams – a 100-year-old house, a small block, beautiful soil ... all the ingredients I had dreamed of for 30 years.

“To create this garden with Serge and have the absolute joy to share it with so many people has brought us so much joy.”

Leisa says gardening is at the core of all that she believes to be beautiful in the world.

“When we garden and we share it with others, then we share joy and a little hope,”

112 Neil St, South Toowoomba

she says.

“As with all the things that I hold dear – vintage garden and home, antiques, a peaceful garden and home to share with others – the garden provides another opportunity to live and share these beautiful things. To share this with others is a privilege and joy.”

She says the couple faced challenges this year including illness early in the season creating a very difficult preparation and planting period.

“Once planted, there has been a constant battle with possums, rats and snails.

“I’m happy with the overall effect that we have created this year.

“The cottage garden theme is carried out through the whole garden which I believe creates a garden of interest for those who visit.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Back Garden option is judged from the back of the property up to any dividing fence or natural screen, but not past the front corners of the house. While entrants are permitted to enter a maximum of two options, they can only enter either Front Garden or Back Garden - not both.

City Small Space

LENA & STEPHEN TRAYNOR

27 Buckland St, Toowoomba

ts footprint may be small, but a tour through Lena and Stephen Traynor’s garden is an around-the-world ticket for the imagination.

This trip begins in a slice of the Arizona desert, with the couple’s frontyard a veritable treasure-trove of cacti and succulents, through to striking Japaneseinspired red tori gates at the rear, complete with a backdrop of swaying bamboo.

Step across to a serene corner of the yard to enter what Stephen likes to call his “tropical rainforest hideaway,” complete with a spa.

“We come down on the weekend and have a couple of quiet beers, sit in the spa, and not worry about work,” he says.

“It feels like you’re sort of in the rainforest but still in town.”

Lena’s favourite is the front yard, where bees hum happily between vivid pig face blooms, while furry cactus legs reach out between rocks like monstrously huge tarantulas.

It’s a refreshing twist on the cottage garden you’d typically see between a white picket fence and sweet weatherboard facade such as theirs, and Lena wouldn’t have it any other way.

“They’re my little pets,” she says of her cacti.

Embracing a celebratory mood as The Chronicle Garden Competition marks its 75th year anniversary, the couple set up a party scene, complete with teddy bears in rattan chairs, fairy lights and even a disco ball, under the rear patio.

Local possums invite themselves to the party most nights, although they aren’t the most courteous guests, and have taken the area’s playful wooden sign, ‘The Naughty Corner’ quite literally.

“They seem to like the party area,” says Stephen.

“Between the poop and them eating some of the plants here, that has been a bit of a challenge.”

Excessive rains, wind and frost also proved a challenge over winter, especially for the cacti, while Lena lovingly wrapped her daisies in a special blanket to keep them protected from the wild weather.

The rewards though, are plentiful, and other than the possums, Stephen and Lena have loved welcoming visitors to their

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garden throughout their time entering the competition.

“We were surprised at how many people came through for a look and we spoke to probably every one personally,” Stephen says. “It was nice to get feedback and meet all those people.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Small Space option is for a unit, courtyard, balcony, pergola, or shadehouse area under 80sq m or potted plant collection. Entries are judged on design, health and vigour of plants, impact and presentation, and maintenance.

BELINDA & REG LEHMANN City Productive Area

22 Murphys Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights

ruit trees, flowers and vegetables are all part of the diverse mix of Belinda and Reg Lehmann’s beautiful Blue Mountain Heights garden. The Murphys Creek Rd property – which took out the honour of top Productive Area in this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition – boasts a number of distinct spaces.

“We’ve got a lot of themes going on around the house,” Belinda points out.

“We’ve got the Japanese garden. In the back we’ve got a cottage garden, we’ve got a native garden.

“Reg has got his fruit trees out the back and his vegie patch. And there are a lot of roses – there’s lots to see.”

The couple agree their favourite aspect of the property is the peaceful Japanese garden. Belinda says it’s a lovely space to sit in the mornings and they often have their morning coffee there after working in the garden.

“It’s a lot cooler here underneath the shade of the oak and it’s just nice and peaceful,” Reg adds.

Toowoomba’s recent spell of hot weather created a “major challenge” for local gardeners but Reg says it wasn’t all bad news.

“We had like a week of hot weather and everything was just really, really suffering,” he says.

“All we can do is just keep watering, watering and watering because there’s

nothing else.

“Some of the things like the daffodils we would have hoped would still be flowering, but the heat’s just knocked them.

“But other things that we didn’t think would be flowering are because the heat’s popped them along.”

The couple say their favourite element of the annual garden competition is being able to share their labour of love with others and interacting with visitors.

Belinda says everybody is so excited and keen to ask questions.

“We probably didn’t enter really for the competition, but more so maybe just for the people,” Reg adds.

Similarly, Belinda says a move to sell flowers is proving beneficial in more ways than simply financial.

“We’ve met a lot of people through the flower stall,” she says.

“It’s just a lovely thing to do and it’s going really well.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Productive Area option is for a garden area that comprises of edible plants such as vegetables, herbs, and/or fruit trees, vines and bushes. Entries are judged on criteria such as cultural practices, sustainability, crop stages, crop variety, and maintenance.

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City Footpath Garden

MERV BUCKLEY

14 Sprott St, Wilsonton

flush of pinks and purples mix with bushy natives and classic perennials in Merv Buckley’s winning garden.

The sturdy white arbour over the front gate is his favourite part of the garden - as different as it is from anyone else’s in the street - and it certainly gives that “wow” factor that has earnt Merv the City Footpath Garden first prize.

It wasn’t an overnight project, however, even though these days the garden is a lot more set-and-forget.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Footpath Garden option is a garden no wider than 500mm on the front boundary of a property. It also must adhere to Council guidelines about alterations, improvement or vegetation on local government areas/council controlled areas. The garden is judged on visual impact, cultural practices and plant health, appropriate plants, and overall appearance.

“I started quite a few years back, and it’s sort of just developed on the way through,” Merv explains.

“I planted some plants in and my neighbour at the rear (when they were still there) helped me a little bit and telling me what to put where and taught me a little bit.

“They had a garden (in the competition) several times; they took out the championship and everything, so they were really good.”

Merv’s goal in his garden is to make it as interesting as possible, using different

shapes, smells and colours to do so, as well as making it attractive for the local birdlife. During carnival time, he enjoys sharing his garden with others and answering all the questions that visitors have, from identifying plants to giving advice on starting out.

“I just say, ‘Get what you want and just make a start’,” Merv says.

“I’ve probably killed as many plants as I got to grow, but in the end you get on top of it.

Mother Nature knows how to do it; I just follow the way she points me.”

THIS GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

City First-time Entry

CHRISTINE PURCHASE

or the first time in more than seven years, Christine Purchase has claimed the First Time Entry prize with her new garden.

The calming and tranquil green space at her Andersson Court address in Highfields will put you at ease, with a couple of noteworthy spots amongst the native flowering plants.

“My favourite place is out the front because I can eat breakfast with the birds singing and playing around in this part of the garden, which is like a foresty garden with a bit of a meadow,” she says.

“At lunchtime, I like to sit in my outdoor area where I can see lots and lots of greenery, and it’s just so calm and lovely.

“Then every now and again, my favourite part is the rainforest section around the back because rainforest’s my first love.”

The theme of Christine’s garden centres around biodiversity, which comes as no surprise given her first love.

Tropical rainforests, in particular, are considered biodiversity hotspots given they are home to a variety of life forms, from plants to animals, interacting with each

16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields

other.

Because Christine mostly stays at home, she thought The Chronicle Garden Competition was a way of getting the word about biodiversity out to the public by creating a biodiverse garden.

“I’ve got almost 95 per cent Australian native plants, but I’ve got about 30 per cent now of local plants and that’s extremely helpful for bringing in the local insects, the local wildlife, the local everything,” Christine says.

“I don’t add anything to soil other than compost (and) have a lot of ground covers that keep the soil cool, so looking after the

soil is so important.”

Christine’s hope is that her garden will convince others to go home and plant even a small amount of their garden as a biodiverse space to help with shade and the health of plants and animals alike.

A First-time Entry refers to any sized garden that has not been previously entered in the competition by the current owner. An entrant also cannot win this category if the property was purchased from a previous garden entrant who won in the past three years.

City Under-45 Gardener

6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty

ntering The Chronicle Garden Competition prior to retirement is no small feat, but this year’s Under 45 Years category winner, Tiffany Wicks, has shown it can be done in the most impressive way possible.

Tiffany has made an artform of building and caring for her amazing cottage garden at 6 Fairholme St, Mt Lofty, while she raises her young family. Careful thought and consideration go into every element as she improves her craft.

At first it was an incredibly steep learning curve as she planted drought-tolerant plants early on, only to find rotted lavender bushes, drooping stems and yellowing leaves when the rains came.

Mounding garden beds, enriching soils and providing plenty of compost was another part of the learning curve thanks to the cutand-fill block that was bare subsoil when she first moved in.

But after plenty of trial and error, heeding the advice of the Toowoomba region’s

most talented green thumbs and not compromising on providing space for her three young children to run and play, the results are incredible.

Originally a fan of perfect, manicured gardens and flawlessly trimmed hedges, Tiffany eventually fell in love with the organised chaos of the cottage garden style.

Barrows bursting with violas and petunias are placed among cascades of colour and adorable cottage garden blooms like poppy and alyssum, with strategically placed border hedging and topiaries providing structure. The children’s play equipment just adds to the charm.

Tucked around the side of the house is a picture-perfect paved area leading to a stunning greenhouse built from repurposed and recycled materials, complemented by a rustic potting bench and another raised bed bursting with colour.

Tiffany would love to see as many young entrants get involved as possible and has had an incredible time building her plot

CLASS QUALIFIERS

This option is open to entrants who are 45 years old or younger. Under-45 Gardener is judged by the same criteria as many of the others: overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

quite literally from the ground up.

“If you’re thinking of entering, it’s amazing,” Tiffany says.

“It’s definitely not a totally breezy journey and there are a lot of difficulties. You’ve got to juggle work, family, whatever you have, but, yeah, it’s definitely wonderful.”

THIS GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

City Over-70 Gardener

CHRISTINE PURCHASE

aking home three category prizes this year is all in a day’s work for seasoned gardener Christine Purchase.

In addition to winning the Over 70 Years Gardener category, Christine also collected the Small Residential and First Time Entry prizes.

For the past two years, she has been working to create her biodiversity-inspired garden with well-chosen flowerings.

The biodiversity theme can be linked to her love of rainforests. Stepping into this space offers a comforting and tranquil environment influenced by the cool, green tones that make up a majority of the space.

“I’m looking after my soil by adding compost. I have a lot of ground covers that keep the soil cool, so looking after the soil is so important,” Christine says.

“I’ve got almost 95 per cent Australian native plants, but I’ve got about 30 per cent now of local plants and that’s extremely helpful for bringing in the local insects, the local wildlife, the local everything.”

Characterised by a variety of lush plants

16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields

and leafy vegetation of varying types, heights and sizes that are fed by an underground water tank, an ecosystem now thrives.

The underground tank was a benefit for Christine who says it supplied enough water for the space she had to work in, versus having a massive, sprawling space needing multiple tanks.

“That’s the situation I came from with my husband. We had a garden up the road, which was three quarters of an acre, and we did have a lot of water, tank water,” Christine says.

“Coming here where I’m by myself, yes I’ve had to keep it small and manageable.”

Christine wasn’t planning to enter her garden this year, but felt the message behind her biodiversity theme was an important one to highlight.

She hopes her garden will convince others to go home and plant their own biodiverse space. She says whether it’s a whole backyard or just a small area of garden, anything can help with shade and the health of plants and animals alike.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

This option is open to entrants who are 70 years old or older. Over-70 Gardener is judged by the same criteria as many of the others: overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

City Floral Garden

6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty

rganised chaos takes a surprising amount of planning. For Tiffany Wicks’ winning entry in the Floral Garden category of The Chronicle Garden Competition, a huge amount of planning was involved in making her cottage garden look like it doesn’t have a care in the world. The best part is that visitors are sure to leave their cares behind as they soak up the natural beauty.

Stocks and hydrangeas tower over artfully placed daisies, alyssum, pansies and petunias, while ranunculi and poppies peep out cheerfully from the mass.

Carefully planned pathways wander between beds bursting with colour and Tiffany rose to the challenge of researching the needs of every plant to give them the best chance of thriving in the conditions after learning from past mistakes. Timing is everything in a garden competition and this year everything is perfectly poised to offer garden visitors a display to remember, from delicate cherry blossoms through to scattered terracotta pots and tin buckets of annual colour that complete the cottage garden theme. Between heatwaves and frosts it wasn’t easy, but Tiffany says the challenge is all part of

the excitement and she thrives on a tight deadline.

“I love gardening and I’m also really into sort of giving things your best crack,”

Tiffany says.

“For me, it’s very creative and there’s a timeline.

“So unlike other things that I do in terms of paintings and whatnot, I finish it.”

Despite the dazzling array of colour greeting guests on arrival at 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty, a careful eye could spot the care taken in plant selection. The results are simply stunning.

“I like to stick to a colour scheme and that is pink, blue, purple, white, and the occasional bit of yellow to bring out the blues and the purple,” Tiffany says.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

Floral Garden was a new option added into the competition for 2023. The entry is judged on visual impact, plant selection and placement, health and vigour of plants, and sustainable practices used.

THIS GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

NARELLE HURSE Regional Front Garden

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema

rees, shrubs, lawn, flowers and more combine to create a picturesque outbreak of colour that has earned Narelle Hurse the Regional Front Garden award in The Chronicle Garden Competition.

The front grounds at 4 Cashmore St in the small rural town of Wyreema, about 15km southwest of Toowoomba, are a special place for Narelle in the spring.

“My favourite part of the garden would depend what time of year it is,” she explains.

“At the moment, it’s the front garden but I love how the front garden leads into the garden room at the side of the house here, because it’s such a tranquil area.”

The house sits on an 838sq m block and Narelle has used the space extremely effectively for an impressive journey throughout the plot to highlight her love of horticulture.

But there were challenges this year with, among many others, frost and heat to overcome.

“Challenges, there’s always challenges,” she says.

“Time is probably my biggest challenge, but, anyway, I’ve worked around that. And then nature is always throwing her best at us and, with the frosts and the heat – the unseasonal heat this time of year - I’ve learned just to grow plants that are hardy

and suit those conditions.”

Advice is always important in life, and for gardeners, it is no different. Narelle admits she has not always followed guidance.

“Probably the best advice I was given - and I can’t say I followed it and I regret that now - is to plan your garden first,” she says.

“We all get very excited when we’re starting a garden, and we rush out and we buy our favourite plants, and we put them in and hope that they grow and, a lot of times, they don’t because they’re not suited to those conditions or they need more protection.” She says she was told to start with trees and shrubs and just be patient and wait for them to grow.

“And then, you know, in a couple of years, you’ve got a nice lot of protection there for those more tender plants,” she says.

“It’s very good advice. It just requires a bit of patience, which a lot of us don’t have.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Front Garden option is judged from the front of the property, back to any dividing fence or natural screen, but no further than the back corners of the house. While entrants are permitted to enter a maximum of two options, they can only enter either Front Garden or Back Garden - not both.

Regional Back Garden

CRYSTAL STARK

702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest

hloe Nutt has fond childhood memories of visiting her grandparents’ Crows Nest farm, and imagining herself as a character in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel, The Secret Garden.

“It’s sacred to us,” says Chloe.

“I was very blessed with the childhood I had here - it’s a beautiful place.”

In a wonderful example of history repeating, Chloe now watches her own daughter, Blair, 4, running around the rambling garden, helping herself to the juicy bounty of fruits that grow between swathes of wisteria, native bottle brush trees and blossoms.

“She absolutely runs wild in the gardens,” Chloe says.

The farm is home to Chloe’s grandmother, Crystal, and mum Rhonda, who lives there as Crystal’s carer.

Now in her mid 80s, Crystal continues to weed, plant and cultivate, albeit from a seated position, while leaving the heavy lifting to Chloe and her brother James, or “Muscles McGee” as the matriarch lovingly calls him.

Nestled around the homestead of Crystal’s incredible property that stretches more than 340ha, the garden’s magic comes, in part, from the fact that it has not been bent

to the will of its human creators. Informal and free from rules, it is simply governed by the plants within it, just as nature intended.

“There’s no structural design. it’s simply arranged around where the plants will flourish the most,” Chloe says.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Back Garden option is judged from the back of the property up to any dividing fence or natural screen, but not past the front corners of the house. While entrants are permitted to enter a maximum of two options, they can only enter either Front Garden or Back Garden - not both.

“The only structure is that shaded plants go in the shade, and plants that love full sun go in the sun.”

In this way, berries pop out between Toowoomba violets, while medicinal herbs cuddle up to a spectrum of edible blooms.

For young Blair, the overflowing garden beds present a colourful treasure-hunt for tasty goodies, just as they did for her mum.

Away from the main homestead, the property’s gates are open to visitors, with Chloe and James operating events company Blue Haze Events, hosting weddings and other occasions.

Having received multiple awards over the years, including awards across three categories in this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition, the word has certainly gotten out about Chloe’s “secret garden”. However, it’s a secret she’s happy to share, and believes there’s enough magic to go around.

“It’s even better now that we can share it with the rest of the world,” she says.

GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

Regional Small Space

NARELLE

HURSE

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema

yreema resident Narelle Hurse has retained the Regional Small Space award in The Chronicle Garden Competition.

She claimed the 2023 title for the garden at her Cashmore St address and 12 months later is again celebrating the prize for her work on the 838sq m block.

While other competitors may go for succulent, native or perennial gardens, Narelle has a rustic theme to her garden.

“I think with my garden, I love the plants and I love the flowers, but more than anything, I love styling my garden,” she says.

You know, it’s a lot of hard work. I don’t know how many bags of stones I carried in, but, anyway, we’re getting there, and hey, I don’t have to go to the gym.

~ Narelle Hurse

“I love creating little vignettes – you know, little scenes - and I’ve tried to stick to a rustic theme because I like the look and like a rustic vintage theme.

“You’ll see a lot of rust pieces around and things that I would do a lot of up-styling –

buy things second-hand and then up-style them and paint them a rusty colour or whatever.”

Narelle also points out that there are certain areas within her garden for certain plant types, like bromeliads and succulents. It’s all coming together now, and she loves the look that it gives.

She even made a dry creek bed down one side in the backyard in response to the drainage problem she had at the side of the house that used to get flooded badly in heavy rain.

“I thought, ‘Well, I’ll make a dry creek bed’ and so that’s how that evolved because the backyard is on a bit of a slope.” Narelle says.

“I do all the work myself and the backyard doesn’t have any access for vehicles, so that means carrying everything in by bag.

“You know, it’s a lot of hard work. I don’t know how many bags of stones I carried in, but, anyway, we’re getting there, and hey, I don’t have to go to the gym.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Small Space option is for a unit, courtyard, balcony, pergola, or shadehouse area under 80sq m or potted plant collection. Entries are judged on design, health and vigour of plants, impact and presentation, and maintenance.

Regional Productive Area

MERV & ALMA FOWLER

7 Bowden St, Pittsworth

he importance of the 75th Chronicle Garden Competition is not lost on Merv and Alma Fowler, who’s winning address displays a 75 in pink and white rose form.

Also at the couple’s 7 Bowden St address in Pittsworth is a bountiful display of richly coloured blooms, an assorted vegetable garden and beautifully established trees and shrubs, all of which helped deliver the couple the Productive Area prize.

Merv and Alma love a bit of everything in their garden, but for Alma the shade house growing everything is a favourite of hers.

For Merv, the top spot is taken by the vegetable garden growing various produce including cabbages, cauliflowers, beetroot and lettuces.

Keeping the garden in bloom came up against a couple of challenges including critters chomping away at planted seedlings and not enough water being supplied to their garden. Despite these obstacles, their bountiful garden has had a couple of exciting additions this year, such as snapdragons and livingstone daisies.

As a seasoned gardener, something Merv remembers when he’s gardening is the

concept of trial and error.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Productive Area option is for a garden area that comprises of edible plants such as vegetables, herbs, and/or fruit trees, vines and bushes. Entries are judged on criteria such as cultural practices, sustainability, crop stages, crop variety, and maintenance.

He says every time you go somewhere, you see something that may or may not be good, leaving you the option to follow it or not. Whatever your choice, you take it onboard and learn from it.

“Our approach is that when people come through to have a look at our garden, they say, ‘I feel I could do this’,” Alma adds.

“It’s not a garden that’s set out for that colour, it’s just an overall effect we try to get. The people feel comfortable and that they can do something like that themselves.”

Familiar with the competition, Merv and Alma have entered The Chronicle Garden Competition for many years.

Merv says the best part of the competition is the different people you meet, usually only when the garden competition is on or if they’ve decided to enter.

“I always like conferring with them and learning different things, talking different things,” he says.

These exchanges have also included plants and seeds, with the couple receiving sweet peas to plant eight years ago that Alma says have come up every year since.

PETER & AMANDA ROBERTS Regional Footpath Garden

12 Tooth St, Nobby

or Regional Footpath Garden winners Amanda and Peter Roberts, the joy of The Chronicle Garden Competition comes down to the people.

“Our favourite part of the competition is all the people that you meet, the like-minded people - and they’re all different, but they’re all the same as well,” Amanda says.

“The people who have been planting gardens for 50 years and still doing it, and helping other people who know nothing, like us - we’re beginners,” Peter adds. It’s the second year the couple have entered, and it hasn’t been without its challengeslike the extremes in temperature we’ve been experiencing this year.

“We raised all of our little plants from seeds and seedlings in our courtyard, which faces the north, and that was great until the weather got really, really, really cold,” Amanda explains.

“ We set up a net and covered it with black plastic and protected it from the cold dropping down on to all the seedlings, but then we had to madly rush around trying to protect them from the heat.

“That was our biggest challenge and the plants have been affected, but we managed to salvage as many as we could.”

The couple have focused on more lush foliage this year, with the goal of their garden being a refreshing respite from the heat come summer, but they also truly came to the party following the 75th anniversary theme for The Chronicle Garden Competition.

“We really like the theme of ‘It’s a Party’ and we went with that: we’ve got the 75 signs, one inside made out of about 300 paper flowers which we constructed ourselves, and we have archival footage running inside as well,” Peter says.

“We invited the community to join in; the school kids have decorated the park and it’s looking really good.”

“And we just made our window display areas as bright and as party-ish as we could get them,” Amanda adds.

The enthusiasm and effort has paid off for the couple, as they also took home the spontaneously-added Best Display for 75-year Anniversary special award for The Chronicle Garden Competition 2024.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Footpath Garden option is a garden no wider than 500mm on the front boundary of a property. It also must adhere to Council guidelines about alterations, improvement or vegetation on local government areas/ council controlled areas. The garden is judged on visual impact, cultural practices and plant health, appropriate plants, and overall appearance.

Regional First-time Entry

ROBERT & SUSAN FRANKLIN

he creation of a creek several years ago has brought new life to Robert and Susan Franklin’s Hampton property.

And, as winners of the first time entry category in The Chronicle Garden Competition, they’re keen to share their favourite garden component with other enthusiasts.

“We put it in about three years ago and tried to make it look very natural,” Robert says of the creek, which was constructed with granite brought up from Stanthorpe.

“It was just trees and grass which I used to mow and then a designer from the Sunshine Coast came and designed the creek for us and did an amazing job of

making it look natural.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

A First-time Entry refers to any sized garden that has not been previously entered in the competition by the current owner. An entrant also cannot win this category if the property was purchased from a previous garden entrant who won in the past three years.

Robert says the design of their peaceful sanctuary involved dealing with numerous issues. “I think the biggest challenge was to incorporate the new garden at the front with what’s already we’ve been done to make it seamless,” he says.

“So adding some granite boulders, because the creek’s all granite, was a challenge.

“And then I think the other challenge was planting deciduous with evergreen and making sure you’ve got all seasons covered.”

Sue also votes for the creek as her “favourite part” of the garden.

“But I also like all the flowering plants we put in because my passionate hobby is flower arranging,” she says.

“So I pick from the garden quite regularly and when we plant, we have that in mind. I have my flower room at the back here and, I look out on to the garden and yeah, it’s lots of inspiration.”

There’s also a sense of fun throughout the Franklins’ property, with a cubby house, play area and a chess set all featuring, along with a picking garden and some “quirky railway crossing stuff” at the back.

The couple say they were inspired to enter as a means of showing off their garden to like-minded green thumbs.

“We just love gardens and we love showing people our garden,” Sue says.

“And if people grab some ideas, that’s even better,” agrees Rob.

Under-45RegionalGardener

THIS GARDEN ONLY OPEN WEEKENDSSEPT 20-22; SEPT 27-29

MATTHEW DOLLEY

atthew Dolley is proudly flying the flag for the younger generation of Toowoomba green thumbs.

As the winner of the Under 45 Years Gardener category, he is thrilled with how his Wyreema property is taking shape –despite the recent challenges thrown up by Mother Nature.

Several weeks ago there was a -4.5 degree frost – a big frost so close to judging - and more recently daytime temperatures were well over 30 degrees.

“The extremes from one to the other has definitely been a challenge,” Matthew says. “I’ve been out here at 10pm throwing blankets over things and trying to keep as much frost off the garden as possible.”

Featuring a vibrant blend of perennials and annuals, his Cashmore St garden is still “quite young”, Matthew says. He loves that some trees are now starting to get established and that birds are starting to interact and come into the garden as well. Roses take pride of place among the colourful mix of blooms.

Matthew has a soft spot for using heritage roses because they grow really well and are a big focal point of the garden.

As a long-time Toowoomba local, Matthew says becoming involved in The Chronicle Garden Competition – the centrepiece

24 Cashmore St, Wyreema

of the annual Carnival of Flowers – is a natural step. And he urges other younger green thumbs to consider getting involved.

“Growing up in Toowoomba, it’s ingrained in you that Carnival is a part of being a Toowoomba-ite, so that’s sort of part of where it comes from - and just my love of horticulture and the love of entering and showcasing and sharing the plants that I grow,” he says.

The biggest thing that I can say about the competition is that it’s fun. It’s not about having the perfect garden. It’s about having a garden that represents you and if you’re into gardening at all, at any age, it’s so good for your health.

~ Matthew Dolley

“You get to meet great people and you get to talk to other gardeners - we’re all connecting.

“So, definitely, if you’ve got any heart for gardening and any heart for our area and what carnival does for Toowoomba, I recommend you ente because you’ve got nothing to lose.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

This option is open to entrants who are 45 years old or younger. Under-45 Gardener is judged by the same criteria as many of the others: overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

Over-70RegionalGardener

SHIRLEY

CRONK

123 McLean Rd, Pechey

or Shirley Cronk, having an award-winning garden this year was against all odds.

A strange weather pattern with extremes of cold and an early warm spring made things in the garden challenging.

Plants like Shirley’s dianthus sat dormant since being planted in March, while her daffodils flowered and were finished almost as soon as they were planted.

And then there were the irises.

“I really love the iris because I think the iris are going to help me out a little bit this year. They love the cold winter,” Shirley says.

“They like heavy frosts, and I’ve never had them with the stems the length they are this year.”

Iris might like the frost but after Shirley had entered, conditions became so dry and the frost was so bad that she contemplated withdrawing.

But she isn’t one to back down from a challenge, even when she feels like giving up. In fact, setting herself a challenge is one of the things she loves about The Chronicle Garden Competition.

“I thought, ‘Only a coward withdraws. I’ll put every effort into it’,” Shirley recalls.

“Then we had that beautiful rain. I had well over an inch of rain and everything came along and everything just burst, and I am just so happy.

“The grandchildren and greatgrandchildren were here on Sunday and

then again yesterday afternoon, and they said ‘You should be proud of your garden’, and I said ‘Oh, I am just so happy this year to think that was what it was like and now the way it is’.”

Surprisingly, Shirley says while the garden is totally different this year, she didn’t plan anything - but her love and enjoyment for the hobby shines throughout the property. She credits it with helping keep her healthy, fit and happy.

“There isn’t anything nicer than working in the garden and having the little fairy wrens come around and the other little birds and their twitter, twitter, twitter,” Shirley says.. “They’re my pets and that doesn’t cost me anything to keep them.”

This option is open to entrants who are 70 years old or older. Over-70 Gardener is judged by the same criteria as many of the others: overall appearance; layout and design; cultural practices, sustainability and plant selection; and general maintenance and garden features.

ROSS & ROS WACKERLING Regional Floral Garden

347 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook

ne of the things Ros Wackerling loves about her garden is how it shifts with the seasons.

“My favourite part of the garden changes throughout the year,” Ros says.

“In the heat of summer, the shady areas are always the best, and then in winter it’s always nice to find a nice, warm nook to sit with a chair and a cup of coffee.”

But no matter the weather, there’s always a constant: flowers. So it’s fitting, then, that Ros’ garden has been named best Floral Garden in this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition.

It’s a garden more than 21 years in the making and one that Ros happily describes as “chaotic cottage”.

“The particular theme of my garden is cottage and I try to stick with pink, white and purple,” she explains. “But as you see, there’s also reds and yellows, and other colours come in as well.” Ros says weather was a huge factor in getting the garden ready for this year’s competition, the variation in temperature extremes the biggest challenge.

Several weeks ago there was a frost down to -3 degrees and then within two weeks there was a stretch of seven days above 31 degrees.

“We just have to take what Mother Nature

gives us,” she says simply. Ros loves how - at this time of year - her garden is not just a personal sanctuary but also a communal space that brings joy to others.

“My favourite part is definitely talking to the like-minded gardeners that enter, but also the visitors. The visitors are just the best part, hands down.

“Where we as gardeners see the little things that we would like different, or where we could have put another plant in, the visitors don’t see that. They just see what’s flowering and they love it. It’s just the best.”

CLASS QUALIFIERS

Floral Garden was a new option added into the competition for 2023. The entry is judged on visual impact, plant selection and placement, health and vigour of plants, and sustainable practices used.

Budding Gardener

17 Faith St, Rangeville PEPPA

ou wouldn’t know from her gardening efforts that Peppa Munn has only just entered her teens.

Inspired by her mum Kylie, Peppa is this year’s Budding Gardener category winner in The Chronicle Garden Competition.

Like many of this year’s entrants, Peppa had plenty of ups and downs contending with frosts and early heatwaves, but the effort she put in has paid off in spades.

The pint-sized green thumb said her display this year was inspired by bees, and the bees obviously appreciated the effort, moving in as soon as the blooms began to blossom in the garden.

“When we went to the plant shop, I looked at lots of the plants that had bees on them,

and I bought them,” Peppa says of her motivation for plant selection.

Poppies were at the top of the list as her favourite flower, closely followed by floral garden classics like pansies, snapdragons and a range of spring bulbs.

Peppa’s dad Tim looks after the lawncare side of things and said there was plenty of trial and error involved in getting the gardens looking so lovely, but the family loved the challenge.

Mum Kylie said they were so proud of Peppa’s previous efforts that they had allotted extra space in the garden just for the young plant enthusiast.

Their aim was to inspire Peppa’s care for the world around her, and the youngster has certainly taken the lesson on board.

MUNN

Introduced in 2023, the Budding Gardener encompasses City and Regional and is for entrants under 18 years old.

CBD Business Premises

ADRA OP SHOP

29 Bell Street Mall, Toowoomba City

o commemorate the 75th anniversary of The Chronicle Garden Competition and Carnival of Flowers, Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and The Chronicle joined forces for a special new category. The chamber has celebrated Carnival in previous years with a business window display contest carnival in the CBD. However, his special anniversary year was a perfect opportunity to incorporate it as CBD Business Premises in the garden competition.

Judged by the chamber’s Lucas Wegener and Clayton Menyweather of Little Pig

Consulting, 13 entrants vied for the title, with ADRA Op Shop of 29 Bell Street Mall coming in first place.

Operated by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the op shop sells a wide range of second-hand clothing and bric a brac - both of which are utilised well for their winning window display - as well as toys, linen, books, furniture, and electrical goods.

The window display can be viewed from the street, however if you want to pop in and have a look at the wares while in the area, ADRA Op Shop is open 9am to 3pm, Monday to Thursday.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

Held in conjunction with Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, this category is open to all businesses within the Toowoomba CBD. It’s a requirement that shop front decorations be viewable from the footpath, and be in the spirit of The Chronicle Garden Competition - incorporating themes of gardening, the 75th anniversary, and colour.

Not-for-Profit Premises

WYREEMA COMMUNITY GARDEN

14 Umbiram Rd, Wyreema

ovelist Lewis Carroll says it best in that “the only way to achieve the impossible is to believe that it is possible”.

For the Wyreema Community Garden, bringing to life the impossible from the 1951 classic film Alice in Wonderland has seen them take out the top prize in the Notfor-Profit Premises category.

The Wyreema Community Garden group’s effort and attention to detail is driven by their collective goal of shining a spotlight on their community garden.

“We entered the competition as a challenge to give our community garden group a goal to strive towards and as a way of letting the broader community know where we are and what we do,” they say.

“The winning part of our garden is the people who come along to our garden group; without them our garden would not be what it is today.”

Located alongside Wyreema Hall, the garden party features appearances from beloved characters like The Mad Hatter, Alice, the March Hare, the Red Queen and her army of playing card soldiers.

Surrounded by a variety of colourful blooms, leafy vegetables and other

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Not-for-Profit Premises category encompasses both City and Regional. All the Trophy or Product Prize categories are judged on the same criteria (except Budding Gardener): visual impact, health and vigour of plants, diversity of plant species, and maintenance.

wonderland trinkets, the garden aims to recreate the magic and whimsy of the classic film.

“We have enjoyed the theme, It’s A Party, for this year’s competition,” the Wyreema Community Garden group says.

“It is the 75th birthday of the Carnival of Flowers (1950) (and) it is the un75th birthday of the original Alice in Wonderland movie (1951), our garden’s party theme.

“The competition showcases Toowoomba’s talented gardeners (and) there is a category for everyone to be part of the event. It gets people out in their gardens and brings people together during the festivities.”

While gardening, the group have come across several challenges they managed to weed out this year, from army worms attacking their corn crop, fighting off garden pests like snails and caterpillars, to battling the frost.

The Wyreema Community Garden was established just last year in March with this year being their second entry.

“We love the positive physical and mental aspect (gardening) provides (and) we enjoy watching both our flowers and vegetables grow and being able to share these with others,” they say.

Commercial Premises

TOOWOOMBA TAFE

100 Bridge St, Toowoomba

walk through the Toowoomba TAFE garden is a whimsical, rambling journey, a source of inspiration to the horticulture students that study there, and a soothing break-out space for other staff and students across the TAFE’s diverse course offerings.

The journey curves along crushed rock pathways, where visitors are greeted by cheery crowds of daisies and the gently waving branches of trees laden with fuchsia blossoms, while red-tipped hedges stand sentinel at the boundary.

The path narrows and grows a little wilder

as it transitions to stepping stones, leading to a wrought iron setting, surrounded by hearty clusters of lavender, in a scene that wouldn’t be out of place on a postcard from Provence. A patch of clipped lawn invites visitors to pause and take it all in, with a gentle knoll serving as nature’s pillow. This expansive garden also includes a classic gazebo, the perfect place to soak in the surrounding beauty and catch the sweet perfume of blossoms carried on the breeze. If this is where the region’s next cohort of horticulturalists is being trained, it’s safe to say the future of Toowoomba’s parks and nurseries is in good hands.

CLASS

The Commercial Premises category encompasses both City and Regional. All the Trophy or Product Prize categories are judged on the same criteria (except Budding Gardener): visual impact, health and vigour of plants, diversity of plant species, and maintenance.

School Premises

ST MARY’S COLLEGE

129 West St, Toowoomba

here is more to school than just life in the classroom and the environment at St Mary’s College, Toowoomba certainly helps to create an impressive atmosphere.

The established gardens at the college have deservedly claimed The Chronicle Garden Competition School Premises prize.

Students and visitors are welcomed to the college by an array of colour and shaped foliage, also well positioned to be viewed from passing traffic and by pedestrians on the corner of Margaret and West streets, while the grounds in front of the Brothers’ House on West St also feature a similar theme.

St Mary’s College, established in Toowoomba in 1899, is a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition for boys in years 5 to 12.

The gardens sit among the other leading features at the college including modern classrooms complete with air conditioning, data projectors, speaker systems, Apple TVs, specialised teaching and learning areas, a chapel, multipurpose indoor complex, multiple modern computer rooms, rugby league and soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts, a gymnasium, pool, state-of-the-art cultural centre and specialised music facilities.

The School Premises garden is looked after by the staff or school gardener, and both City and Regional are judged together. All the Trophy or Product Prize categories are judged on the same criteria (except Budding Gardener): visual impact, health and vigour of plants, diversity of plant species, and maintenance.

BIDDESTON STATE SCHOOL Student Garden

2425 Cecil Plains Rd, Biddeston

he motto of Biddeston State School is Laborare et Ludere which translates to “work and play”.

It’s a fair assessment of what the 40 or so students have been up to over the winter months, prepping their school grounds in advance of The Chronicle Garden Competition.

Worthy winners of the Student Garden Category, the kids have painstakingly transformed the extensive grounds, gardens and vegetable patches into spaces they can cultivate and that they can all be proud to learn and play in.

Not only is the garden a beautiful place to relax in and enjoy, the upkeep also provides students with the opportunity to learn important skills like responsibility and taking pride in their work.

CLASS QUALIFIERS

The Student Garden is looked after by the students of the school only, and both City and Regional are judged together. All the Trophy or Product Prize categories are judged on the same criteria (except Budding Gardener): visual impact, health and vigour of plants, diversity of plant species, and maintenance.

Accommodation Premises

YUKANA

258 Spring St, Kearneys Spring

tunning gardens and courtyards are a crucial part of what makes Yukana a wonderful place to call home.

The Kearneys Spring complex – which offers a mix of independent retirement living units and aged care - is a peaceful environment in which to stop and literally smell the roses.

Vibrant expressions of colour and life burst from Yukana’s perfectly manicured grounds and blooming garden beds, which combine to offer a perfect park-like setting enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. In making their assessment, judges looked at the Spring St complex’s visual impact, the health and vigour of the plants, the diversity of species and level of maintenance.

Established in 1990, Yukana has been a central part of Toowoomba life for more than three decades, providing a caring, comfortable home for seniors – with its gardens adding to its sense of community. Lush lawned areas fringed with carefullytended flowers, trees and shrubs help create a place residents are proud to call their home for life, providing all with great joy and a sense of comfort.

Independent living unit residents also have their own private space in which they can continue their love of gardening and create their own patch of paradise.

The Accommodation Premises category encompasses both City and Regional, and is judged on visual impact, health and vigour of plants, diversity of plant species, and maintenance.

ROBERT & SUSAN FRANKLIN Rod MemorialHultgrenAward

4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton

he coveted Rod Hultgren Memorial Encouragement Award has been won by firsttime entrants Robert and Susan Franklin, of 4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton. The award is in honour of Rod Hultgren, who passed away in 2017 and was a passionate gardener and long-time ABC Gardening talkback expert.

Rod won Grand Champion garden in The Chronicle Garden Competition numerous times and shared his passion for gardening with his late wife Maureen, with both keen to encourage people to enter the competition.

He was a familiar voice across generations of Darling Downs gardeners, offering gardening advice for more than 20 years on the ABC airwaves.

With the award intending to encourage new gardeners - and hence with only firsttime entrants being eligible - newcomers Robert and Susan certainly fit the bill. With a passion for gardening and creating space for people to enjoy, the couple have designed their garden with a series of

rooms, from the delightful creek to the ‘picking garden’ and the play area, complete with a cubby house and chess set.

A favourite part of the garden for both Robert and Susan is the creek, which was designed to look as natural as possible and installed about three years ago, using granite from Stanthorpe.

“I also like all the flowering plants we put in because my passionate hobby is flower arranging,” Susan says.

“So I pick from the garden quite regularly and when we plant, we have that in mind.”

In addition to the gorgeous flowering plants are snippets of Robert’s history.

“I grew up at Stanthorpe near a railway line, so there’s a bit of quirky railway crossing stuff at the back of the garden,” he says. Judge and ABC Gardening talkback expert Penny McKinlay says it’s obvious how much love and attention the Hampton couple have put into their garden.

“I can see the amount of work that has already gone into this large garden but also the future potential of their labour of love,” she says.

It’s a garden to watch out for in the future; it could one day be a Grand Champion garden. ~ Penny McKinlay

With so many good first-time entrants it was difficult to choose who the award would go to this year.

A record 20 gardens entered in this year’s Rod Hultgren Memorial Encouragement Award and the standard of all entries is amazing.

The true benefits of gardening have been highlighted this year as well.

One entrant, a resident living with dementia in an aged-care complex, was said by staff to get so much joy out of gardening that it was really beneficial to her, while another entrant living with post-traumatic stress disorder says his garden has been his therapy.

Special Award

BEST DISPLAY FOR 75-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Discover the incredible effort The Chronicle Garden Competition 2024 entrants made for celebrating the 75th anniversary of the competition and Carnival of Flowers

t the end of only the first day of judging this year, the team recognised the incredible response to The Chronicle Garden Competition’s request for gardeners to include a display to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the competition. There were garden beds with ‘75’ inscribed with blooms, custom-made metal and wood garden decorations, pennants, banners - even a huge ‘75’ on the roof of one home!

As a result, it was decided that a lastminute special award be added to 2024’s Competition: Best Display for 75-year Anniversary.

THE WINNERS

First Place: Peter and Amanda Roberts, 12 Tooth St, Nobby

Second Place: Val Hohn, 18 Short St, Pittsworth

Third Place: Shirley Mundt, 101 WellcampWestbrook Rd, Wellcamp

Highly Commended: Michael Glennon, 5 Ross St, Mount Lofty

Highly Commended: Annette Kingsford, 34 Gowrie St, Kingsthorpe

PETER AND AMANDA ROBERTS

VAL HOHN

ANNETTE KINGSFORD

MICHAEL GLENNON

SHIRLEY MUNDT

BEHIND THE CURTAIN A Glance

The Chronicle Garden Competition garden liaison Mike Wells gives a peek behind the scenes of what goes into our award-winning gardens each year, and all the planning involved

ave you ever wondered about how much planning and preparation our The Chronicle Garden Competition gardeners need to do to get their entries into shape for judging and the subsequent public open days during September each year?

Planning begins as soon as the Competition gardens are closed after the second weekend of having them open.

Notes are taken as to which tree, shrub, perennial and annual varieties have performed well and flowered on time for judging as well as for the opening 10 days. Good performance may include consistent germination from seed, transplanting easily from seedlings, growing quickly after germination or transplanting, resistance to pests and diseases, rapid response after fertilising, and plants reaching their peak flowering times around judging and open days.

Next comes removal of any spent springflowering annuals followed by some soil improvement through the incorporation of good quality organic matter such as composts, manures and/or organic fertilisers.

Planning begins as soon as the Competition gardens are closed after the second weekend of having them open.

~ Mike Wells

At this stage it will be vital to prune any perennials, shrubs and trees that have finished their spring flush of blooms so they can produce new foliage and thicken up for the next flowering season.

After a well-earned Christmas break, many gardeners then begin researching and readying to order their spring-flowering annuals, bulbs and perennials.

Annuals are ordered from local seedling growers, and bulbs and perennials from local nurseries and online retailers.

Planting time for annuals and bulbs ranges from March/April right up to June/July.

It’s imperative that The Chronicle Garden Competition gardeners research their

planting times as any flowering plants need to be budding up during August and beginning to burst into bloom from early September onwards.

This could mean that some gardeners are trying to hold back a plant from flowering by removing buds, and conversely, for others their efforts are put into trying to coax some late bloomers into flowering on time.

So remember, when visiting the gardens of our wonderful The Chronicle Garden Competition entrants, please thank them for their year-round efforts to keep our Toowoomba region truly the garden region of Australia!

Enjoy a Weekend OF FLORAL FUN & JOY

Only have a weekend to spend in the Garden City for The Chronicle Garden Competition and Carnival of Flowers? Here’s a couple of suggested itineries to help you get the best out of your 48 hours

he Chronicle Garden Competition is a centrepiece of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, with passionate gardeners throughout the city, and wider region, planning and working for a whole year. And a major part of their drive is for visitors to enjoy the beauty they have created.

So make the most of your visit to the Garden City and check out the municipal parks and private gardens throughout the region.

WEEKEND

1: SEPTEMBER 21-22

Saturday:

Queen’s Park has long been the epicentre of festivities for Carnival, so start your Saturday morning with a wander through the gorgeous Botanic Gardens. For a bird’s eye view, take a turn on the ferris wheel, and visit the Info Hub to get the lowdown on everything happening.

Take a stroll down Lindsay St to see the gorgeous grounds of Toowoomba TAFE College, then make sure you stake out a prime position in the CBD for the annual Grand central Floral Parade from 10am.

A walk through the CBD will reveal some delightful entrants, such as Hot Property at Suite 2/200 Hume St, Burke & Wills Hotel at 554 Ruthven St, Little Pig Consulting at 6/256 Margaret St, ADRA Op Shop at 29 Bell St Mall, and Magenta Community Services at 88 Russell St.

Grab a quick bite to eat at one of the #trEATS participating eateries before heading to Les Stephson’s garden at 161 Perth St; Les has created a beautiful display that has been providing joy for a long time. On your way to see Picnic Point’s gardens, call in at Bob and Val Ford’s place (19 Burke St), St Joseph’s College (54 James St), Dorothy Newell (1/456 Mackenzie St), Alana Bulgarelli (12 Dippel St), Simon and Sheldine Underwood (81 Nelson St) and Heather Smith (114 Nelson St).

Check out the Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Garden at 5 Fern Drive, Kearneys Spring while you’re in the area.

Sunday:

Heading out of the city for your Sunday morning is a great option to start the day. Head to Nobby (just over 30 minutes south of Toowoomba) to see Nobby Craft and the Sister Kenny Memorial Museum, both in Tooth St.

Also stop by Peter and Amanda Roberts’ “Pepperina” garden (12 Tooth St). As well as the beautiful blooms, the Roberts’ will be screening footage from the 1953 Grand Parade to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of carnival.

While you are south of the city, call into Pittsworth to see McKinlays Nursery (5 Briggs St), St Stephen’s School (20 Murray St), Pittsworth State School (42 Hume St), Mervyn and Alma Fowler (7 Bowden St) Margaret and Barry Stafford (14 Collins St) and Valerie Hohn (18 Short St).

As you work your way back towards Toowoomba, take a detour into Westbrook to see Ross & Ros Wackerling’s (347 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd) or to Wyreema to see the Wyreema Community Garden (14 Umbiram St), Matthew Dolley’s at 24 Cashmore St and Narelle Hurse’s 4 Cashmore St.

While on the south-west side of the city, head out to the Toowoomba Showgrounds for the Carnival of Trains (open 9am to 4pm; cost $5 entry for adults and children 16 years & older).

On your way back to State Rose Garden at

Newtown Park call in at Glenvale Villas, Glenvale Christian School (623-661 Boundary St), Michael Fogarty (40 Hursley Rd), and Our Lady of Lourdes School (2 Ascot St).

Stop by Sacred Heart Primary School (263 Tor St) for the Toowoomba Bromeliad & Succulent Society Spring Sale & Show (open from 8am to 4pm) and don’t forget the Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Garden at 14 General Gordon Ct, Cotswold Hills (entry $5).

WEEKEND 2: SEPTEMBER 28-29

Saturday:

Kick off your weekend at the inner city beauty that is Laurel Bank Park. Climb the viewing platform and get an overview of the manicured, and themed garden beds. Stop by the Garden Info Stand and have a chat with the Toowoomba Regional Council gardeners – and remember to tell them how much you love the displays! There’s also food trucks and live music in the park.

Once you have had your fill of Laurel Bank head to Tiffany Wicks’ garden at 6 Fairholme Street.

As you drive north out of town, stop by the Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Gardens at 37 Murphy’s Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights, 2 Blue Meadow Ct, Blue Mountain Heights, 5 Horizon Ct, Highfields and 11 Horizon Ct, Highfields.

Stop in Highfields and explore Sheryl Lothian’s “Rosebud Gardens” (2 Oak St), as well as the gardens of Christine Purchase (16/21 Andersson Ct) and Linda Lane (2 Rees Dr), as well as Raymond Murphy’s fence display (79 Highfields Rd). It’s also a good opportunity to check out the Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum & Park (73 Wirraglen Rd) before taking the New England Highway toward the High Country hamlets.

On your way pull over at Geham State School (9625 New England Highway), and stop at Robert and Susan Franklin (4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton) and Shirley Cronk (123 McLean Rd, Pechey) and Crows Nest

Tourist Park (7558 New England Hwy). Grab some lunch at Nolans Block, Crows Nest, and then check out Steve and Chris Feldman (7 Cedarwood Dr, Crows Nest), John and Lenore Ferris (3 Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest) and Crystal Stark (702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest).

Sunday:

UniSQ’s (487 West Street, Toowoomba) Gumbi Gumbi Gardens and Japanese Garden Ju Raku En provide a great starting point for the day.

Just down the road is Downs Steam Tourist Railway Museum (16 Cambooya St). After you have finished exploring Downs

Steam, head to Wilsonton to check out Mervyn Buckley’s (14 Sprott St) and Rhani Abra’s (3 Caldwell St) gardens and the Wilsonton Agricultural Field Study Centre (275 North St).

If you continue west from Toowoomba on the Warrego Highway, you’ll be able to detour to Annette Kingsford’s garden (34 Gowrie St, Kingsthorpe) before heading to Oakey and Judith Maker-Field’s entry (123 Bridge St, Oakey) and Australian Army Flying Museum (Bawden Blvd - formerly Museum Dr Swartz Barracks). Then loop back to Christine Bartkowski’s garden (59 Goombungee - Meringandan Rd, Meringandan West) to finish the weekend.

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Your Local’s Guide To GETTING BACK TO NATURE

As well as all the fabulous The Chronicle Garden Competition floral displays to see, Toowoomba has many parks in and around the city. Here’s a few of our favourites

etting back to nature, letting the kids run wild, enjoying a picnic - there’s many benefits to checking out a local park.

As the Garden City we have a plethora of them, so it can be tricky to know which ones are worth visiting on face-value, especially if you’re pressed for time.

Here’s just a few we love, even if they’re not the traditional tourist attraction parks:

BOYCE GARDENS

Open daily from 9am to 4pm, these gardens are a hidden gem.

Originally created and maintained by Leslie and Margaret Boyce over a timeframe of 60 years, the property is now held in trust with the University of Queensland. The six-hectare property encompasses stunning gardens, forest, and park, and is truly a sight to behold with natural rainforest, eucalyptus woodland, and more.

Where to find it: 6 Range St, Mount Lofty

DAVIDSON ARBORETUM

A spot for tranquillity among the busyness of spring, this park is a lovely place to stop for a breather.

It consists of one hectare of trees with avenues and walkways throughout, in addition to an arbour and rest shelter. The majority of trees are deciduous, with ornamental trees and northern-hemisphere shrubs, and the collection includes flowering trees like magnolias as well. Where to find it: Entrance between 11-13 Cawdor Rd, Highfields

ROGERS PARK

About one-and-a-half hours’ drive from Toowoomba, this peaceful sanctuary is set among the Hoop pine plantations of Yarraman State Forest.

Named after a forester who once lived in the area, Rogers Park is filled with mature jacaranda trees providing shade - and the renowned purple blooms come November - and also includes barbecue facilities perfect for a picnic. Where to find it: Yarraman State Forest, D’Aguilar Hwy, Yarraman

TOOWOOMBA WATERBIRD HABITAT

It’s easy to drive past this waterbird habitat and not even know it is there, but it’s well worth it to park the car and explore.

Set across 19 acres of imitated natural wetlands, the park includes a lagoon and three permanent lakes, grassland, mudbanks, reedlands, and islands for the local waterbirds’ needs. As well as a lovely place to walk, jog, or simply enjoy the serenity, there are also several information boards throughout the park for education. Where to find it: 10 Waterbird Dr, Rangeville

LEMWAY AVENUE PARK

This lovely suburbian park features a playground for the kids, as well as pathways through a pine avenue, across the waterways, and along maple-lined walkways. If you’re lucky, you might meet some friendly ducks or moorhens. Where to find it: off Lemway Ave, Kearneys Spring

GLEN LOMOND PARK

For the adventurous among us, Glen Lomond is the entryway to a few excellent walks. Renowned as one of the most difficult in the Toowoomba region, Hell Hole Falls trail takes about two hours to complete but is worth it for the view of

the falls at the bottom of the gully and the vistas during the hike. For those less excited for the challenge, there is also the Glen Lomond Bridle Trail and Spur Track that are quicker and easier walks through the beautiful bush.

Where to find it: Burraway Ct, Middle Ridge

PEACEHAVEN BOTANIC PARK

Beautifully landscaped and offering three welcoming lawn areas surrounded by established gardens, Peacehaven Botanical Park is set on 4.7 hectares and is the ideal spot to catch the myriad of colours that come with the setting sun as you look out across the incredible vista of Gowrie Junction and Bunya Mountains. Where to find it: 56 Kuhls Rd, Highfields

QUEENSLAND STATE ROSE GARDEN

So much more than just another green space in the Garden City, Newtown Park covers 12 hectares and its popular rose garden features around 2000 varieties of the fragrant bloom. The gardens began with multiple plantings of Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses, dedicating special colours to individual beds, and has literally grown to be one of the most impressive collections in the state. With its grand pavilions and walkways, complemented by barbecue

facilities and children’s playgrounds, Newtown Park is a great venue to enjoy the wide-open spaces with family and friends. Where to find it: corner of Taylor and Holberton sts, Newtown

SPRING BLUFF

This railway station’s gardens have long been celebrated for their vibrant mix of petunias, snapdragons, poppies and many more annuals combining to create a colourful canvas to welcome visitors. With more than 150 years of railway history, Spring Bluff is open from dawn to dusk daily and often plays host to live music bands during September.

Where to find it: McCormack Dr, off Murphys Creek Rd, Spring Bluff

LAUREL BANK PARK

Probably one of Toowoomba’s best-known parks, Laurel Bank really comes alive during September. You’ll find a playground and clean lawns perfect for picnics, complemented by mature trees, topiaries, scented gardens, wisteria arbour, and floral garden displays throughout. Where to find it: cnr Herries and West sts, Toowoomba City

QUEENS PARK

As well as being home to Frogs Hollowwhere markets, sideshow alley, circuses and more are found throughout the year - and September’s Festival of Food and Wine, Queens Park is home to our Botanic Gardens. Really coming alive during

September, you’ll find beds and beds of stunning blooms as well as established trees and more.

Where to find it: 43-73 Lindsay St, East Toowoomba

PICNIC POINT

Perhaps Toowoomba’s most recognised and visited parkland, the Picnic Point area has been wowing visitors for more than a century. Set high on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, the lookout area provides sweeping panoramic views across the Lockyer Valley and, of course, iconic Table Top Mountain. There’s also the beautiful waterfall gardens, and escarpment walks. Where to find it: 164 Tourist Rd, Rangeville

Highfields Pioneer Village

13th to the 22nd September 2024

Visit the Cottage Garden & Have some Billy Tea & Damper or Stay Longer & explore this wonderful Pioneer Village!

Entry to the Griinke Cottage Garden, Big Cow & see the Bird feeding $5 ea. Billy Tea & Damper–$8ea–Free entry to the kiosk.

Normal Entry fees apply to the Village: Adults- $20, Conc-$15, Child $8, Fam (2A+ 4 Ch) $50, Under 5 yrs FREE. Includes Entertainment, Big Cow, Carnival Garden, Big Cow and Museum Buildings. Open 10am to 4pm Daily

Mini Steam Train Rides/Vintage Bus Tours- 15th, 22nd & 29th September

Bee Keeping– 22nd Sept. Butter & Cheese Making 15th & 22nd Sept.

Rides- $5 Adult, $3 Child. Sausage Sizzle available every day.

Working Draught Horse- 15th, 21st, 22nd Sept. Run entirely by Volunteers! Billy Tea & Damper available everyday.

13th to the 22nd Sept.

Cottage Garden, Butter Making, Whip Cracking, Fire Museum, Transport Museum, Ambulance Museum, Farmer’s Innovations Display, Tour of the Big Cow, Damper Making, Animal Nursery.

Entertainment

15th Sept– Greg Carter 10am

Cactoblastis 1pm

21st Sept– Cathy Drummond 10:30am

21st Sept– Did you Spot it? 1:00pm

22nd Sept– Jeanie Cuskelly 11:30am

Visit the Griinke Cottage Carnival Garden entrant Non-Profit

1st to 30th September

73 Wirraglen Rd, Highfields QLD 4352 0746 966 309

Your Local’s Guide

TO GREAT COFFEE SPOTS

The Garden City has been referred to as a mini Melbourne many of times over the years, but it can be hard to know what coffee shop or cafe to pick in a pinch. Here, we break some down for you

t can be thirsty work, visiting all the award-winning The Chronicle Garden Competition gardens. Our city has a plethora of cafes and coffee shops scattered throughout, ideal for a break and that much-needed caffeine boost. Here’s some of our favourites:

COPPER BENCH

This quiet cafe off Ruthven St is decked out in (you guessed it) copper, down to the warm tones of the cutlery.

As well as being an excellent spot to stop for breakfast, brunch or lunch, the coffee blend here is superb and have earned the owners a sect of loyal locals.

If their house blend isn’t quite your stuff, there’s also a couple of other blends on offer.

Where to find them: 428 Ruthven St, Toowoomba City

THE BAKER’S DUCK

If you’re tired of consistently asking for a stronger cup of joe, the coffee at Baker’s Duck will be heaven for you. Say goodbye to “can I have an extra shot please”, and don’t forget to pick up a delicious sweet or savoury pastry while you’re there.

It’s a popular place, especially on weekends, but don’t let the line put you off: it moves

surprisingly fast.

Where to find them: 124 Campbell St, Toowoomba City

BANTER COFFEE KITCHEN

It’s easy to blink-and-miss it with this quaint cafe in the city centre of Toowoomba, but it’s well worth the stop. As well as excellent coffee, you’ll find the walls decked out with art from whichever local artist is currently exhibiting and selling their pieces.

Where to find them: 229 Margaret St, Toowoomba City

RUBY LANE FLOWER CO

The baristas here are among some of the friendliest you will come across in the Garden City.

This gorgeous hole-in-the-wall coffee shop also offers stunning fresh bouquets of flowers and a small range of gifts like ceramic reusable coffee cups and candles that smell devine.

Where to find them: Tenancy B/60 Russell St, Toowoomba City (the Rowes precinct)

THE OTHER BIRD

Sister to city-based The Finch, this cafe and restaurant boasts excellent service, coffee, and meals in a leafy, quiet(er) patch at the top of the Range.

Open 6.30am to 2.30pm on weekdays, they’re ideal for a proper stop at lunchtime - or for dinner on the weekend.

Where to find them: 2 Margaret St, East Toowoomba

SIX OF ONE COFFEE ROASTERS

With a roastery on-site in the old flour mill buildings situated on the northern edge of the CBD, you know you’re getting fresh coffee at Six of One.

The team are keen to chat all things coffee and roasting, or you can experiment with the 25 different coffees (hot and cold) - or even enjoy one of the six coffee flights they offer.

There are also a few tasty snack options, making this stop perfect for morning tea. Where to find them: 1A/279 Ruthven St, Toowoomba (The Mills Precinct)

MY LITTLE BLUEBERRY

The township of Crows Nest is well worth the stop and explore while you’re out this way for The Chronicle Garden Competition country gardens.

Set in the historical Nolans Block, this patisserie and cafe offers delicious pastries and cakes as well as a selection of pies and sandwiches.

Where to find them: 1 Thallon St, Crows Nest (Nolans Block)

Celebrating Carnival WITH EXCLUSIVE POTS

To celebrate 75 years of the Carnival of Flowers, Darling Downs Potters’ Club created 75 specialedition plant pots, each custom decorated by artists and members of the community

ith the only instruction being that the design had to be Carnival of Flowersinspired, nine guest artists were all set to decorate the handmade pots. With the other 66 pots completed by members of the Darling Downs Potters’ Club, these nine special guests were invited to create a pot themselves to commemorate the important part their organisations have played in 75 years of Carnival.

Mayor Geoff McDonald decorated the Toowoomba Regional Council’s pot for Carnival of Flowers, while The Chronicle Garden Competition’s was decorated by The Chronicle GM Erika Brayshaw.

Other pots were decorated by representatives from Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Gardens, Cobb+Co Museum, Grand Central Floral Parade, and the organisations behind the Native Orchid Society of Toowoomba Spring Show, Toowoomba Bonsai Group Exhibitions, Toowoomba Bromeliad and Succulent Society Sales & Show, and Toowoomba Clivia Society Annual Show.

All 75 numbered pots are completed, glazed, fired, and ready to be sold alongside their certificates of authenticity exclusively at the Info Hubs during Carnival for $175. The pots are large enough to fit a standard nursery indoor plant pot.

Toowoomba Chronicle EXHIBITION GARDENS

Each year, generous locals open their gardens to the public as a way to raise funds for charity. Celebrating 51 years of operation in 2024, the Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Gardens have raised more than $920,000 since their conception in 1973

oowoomba has long been recognised as the Garden City, with the Carnival of Flowers and The Chronicle Garden Competition running jointly since 1949. In the 1970s, ten-times grand champion gardener Cec Swenson decided to withdraw from the competition to leave the top awards open to other gardeners. However, he still wished his garden to be open for public viewing during Carnival since each year he had local and interstate garden lovers enjoying the splendour of his garden. And so, the Exhibition Gardens were born. Each year, the garden owners who have chosen to display their property select a suitable charity of their choice, and volunteers from the organisation sell and collect entry tickets at the gate. The gate takings are then pooled and divided equally between the chosen charities.

1 VAL PEACHEY: 5 FERN DR, KEARNEYS SPRING

Starting this garden with her late husband Ron in 1992, Val has an integrated garden with structural evergreens, weeping standard maples, and a range of roses, alstroemerias, hellebores, bulbs and salvias. The garden is beautiful all year round with a variety of perennials flowering at different times of the year, but it truly comes to life in spring with a display of flowering annuals such as larkspurs, foxgloves, orlaya and hollyhocks among the roses.

A walk through the gated archway, covered with a climbing rose and clematis on the western side of the house, reveals a montana clematis, salivas and other

perennials, with a rondeletia, little gem magnolia, a michelia and a flowering plum. As well as a vegetable patch, the back garden features scadoxus, a variegated weigelia, philadelphus, variegated spirea, magnolia, salvias and succulents.

The fernery on the eastern side houses clivias, orchids, ferns and hanging baskets. Emerging from the fernery, you are greeted by camellias, azaleas and a large beaucarnea (pony tail).

Always searching for new and interesting plants, Val loves a nursery visit and really enjoys sharing her garden and chatting to the Carnival visitors. A variety of plants will be for sale.

Charity: Toowoomba Hospice

2 SUE HAWKINS: 37 MURPHYS CREEK RD, BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS

Welcome to Red Gables, a great example of an evocative 70s Toowoomba garden which has been allowed to constantly evolve over the past 40-plus years.

Lovingly tended by its original owner, Sue Hawkins, the garden still retains many of the original trees and shrubs including camelias, rhododendrons, azaleas, conifers and a magnificent native frangipani at the front of the house.

Making the most of its Toowoomba Range location, the garden is positioned perfectly across a north-eastern slope of the escarpment with magnificent views both across to Highfields and Hampton. Access through the garden is via a number of bluestone paths and paving, which reflects Sue’s use of local materials.

There are also many pieces of statuary, some serene, some quirky, which provide accent and interest throughout.

The front garden is planted to make the most of the northern sunshine, while the rear southern garden has many shady nooks.

Sue has taken the opportunity over the years to plant these nooks and indulge her passion of ferns and shade-loving camellias. The rear courtyard especially is a welcome cool retreat on hot summer days.

Sue found a mid-19th century cast iron rotunda in a local antique shop and this elegant structure has been placed in the highest position in the rear garden. The rotunda now provides support and shelter for a number of Sue’s favourite shrubs and climbers, including her absolute garden favourite, a magnificent luculia.

This very showy, rampant shrub has rose pink flowers with a strong vanilla perfume.

Sue hopes you enjoy your visit to Red Gables, and that you take your time to appreciate the journey of her garden over the past four decades.

Charity: Blush Cancer Care

3

CHERYL AND IAN FEENEY: 2 BLUE MEADOW CT, BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS

Framed with a backdrop of tall spotted gums, Cheryl and Ian’s garden looks like a botanical park.

The various gardens have their own focus – the secret garden, the magnolia garden, the orchard garden, the bottle tree garden, the ornamental pear garden, the Himalayan cedars, a mature Rothmannia and pin oaks,

THE DETAILS

Gardens Open: 9am-5pm, from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 29

Cost: $5 entry, cash only

Enquiries: 07 4635 5232

among others.

The gardens are a passion of Cheryl’s, who has grown many plants herself.

The driveway gardens have the added challenges of always being in shade and have root competition from the liquid ambers lining the driveway.

There are many varieties of fruit trees in or near the orchard garden which is sown with flowering perennials to attract bees and insects.

Dotted amid the garden are several resting places where the beauty of the grounds can be appreciated.

Weddings have been held in the leafy southern side of the driveway as well as near the old woodshed.

Cheryl’s passion for gardening is evident and you are invited to enjoy the beauty and serenity of this peaceful dwelling.

Tea and coffee available.

Charity: Base Service

4 ADRIAN AND GAIL WOCKNER: 5 HORIZON CT, HIGHFIELDS

Adrian and Gail’s garden predominantly features all Australian native plants. These plants are grown on three levels.

The garden has a variety of rooms which include a rainforest, campfire area, fairy garden and a dry creek bed where native grasses abound.

Dotted throughout the garden is a collection of old farm memorabilia and unique recycled metal art created by

Adrian.

Many grafted, non-grafted and standard grevilleas are planted throughout the garden.

From a bare block, the first plantings commenced in mid-2011 and, with the added challenge of clay soil, the garden continues to evolve.

Grevillia, eremophila and acacia field study trips have enabled the couple to collect many rare and endangered plants from the wild and propagate them from cuttings. Plants have been selected to flower year round and provide a haven for native birds, insects and wildlife.

Adrian and Gail believe their garden is “a country garden in the city”. This reflects their love of the bush.

Most of the garden is wheelchair accessible. Enjoy a cuppa and country cooking overlooking the garden on spacious lawns.

Charity: LifeFlight

5 JILL

Jill and Rod have a year-round garden. Trees and shrubs form the background with annuals in the foreground spaces providing colour for spring.

A display of weeping grevillea, callistemon, eremophila, westringia and euphorbia along with geraniums, hybrid tea and bush roses, perform well throughout spring and summer.

A display of orchids, clivias and hanging baskets can be admired in the fernery and a dry creek riverbed with a bridge has been incorporated at the back of the house. There are beautiful views from the garden to the south and west leaving it open to all elements. However, the sunsets can be stunning.

Jill and Rod came to this bare block and have had much pleasure creating this lovely

garden despite clay and rocks under the topsoil.

The habitat they have provided is a wonderful haven for birds and animals in the area. The front garden has a succulent display surrounding a rusted metal grass tree.

Jill and Rod have previously had success in The Chronicle Garden Competition. Please enjoy your visit to Eloura, which means a pleasant place.

Plants, jams and honey will be for sale.

Charity: Anglicare

6 LESLEY AND MICHAEL CONWAY: 14 GENERAL GORDON CT, COTSWOLD HILLS

Cleve Cloud began when Lesley and Michael started developing the droughtaffected block that had been part of the Cotswold Hills horse stud.

Over the years, the garden has developed into a space that has been enjoyed by family and friends.

The block is a blend of native garden in a cottage style.

Sections of the garden consist of pathways to wander along which are bordered by trees and beds of shrubs, perennials and seasonal colour - all suited to grow with low water needs.

The couple try to grow as many plants as possible that are endemic to the area and use gardening practices that protect the natural environment to foster biodiversity. The garden has an eclectic display of structures and pieces made from recycled materials.

Unique garden decor by Mooh Garden will be for sale.

Lesley and Michael look forward to sharing their story of how they created their own piece of calm that is a privilege to care for.

Charity: RFDS

AND ROD OSBORNE: 11 HORIZON CT, HIGHFIELDS

What’s On DURING SEPTEMBER

Discover the events on for Carnival of Flowers in the Toowoomba region during The Chronicle Garden Competition open gardens from September 20-29

TOOWOOMBA ORCHID SOCIETY SPRING SHOW

When: 9am-4pm, Friday, September 20, to Monday, September 23

Where: Cnr of Phillip & James St, Toowoomba City

What: Get ready for an orchid extravaganza! This show will feature a wide variety of orchids from various genera, as well as plenty of plants for sale. There will also be potting demonstrations and a help desk for hints and tricks, plus market stalls with various crafts and Devonshire teas available.

Cost: $4 adult entry, children free

TOOWOOMBA BONSAI GROUP EXHIBITION

When: 9am-4pm, Friday, September 20, to Sunday, September 22

Where: Rose Cottage, 129 Holberton St, Newtown

What: Take a glimpse into the traditional styles and species of bonsai from Japan and China at the Toowoomba Bonsai Group Exhibition, featuring large and small bonsai, including flowering trees, Australian native species, conifers, pines, deciduous and tropical species in various landscapes and forest settings.

Cost: $4 entry with children under 16 years free

NATIVE ORCHID

SOCIETY

OF TOOWOOMBA SPRING SHOW

When: 9am to 5pm, Friday, September 20, to Monday, September 23

Where: St Johns Lutheran Church hall, 431 Bridge St, Toowoomba

What: The Native Orchid Society of Toowoomba Spring Show provides a colourful exhibition of native Australian and exotic orchids, alongside knowledgeable growers who can provide advice on how to care for these lovely plants.

Cost: $4 entry with children under 15 free

NOBBY CARNIVAL CELEBRATION

When: throughout September

Where: Sr Kenny Park, Nobby

What: Enjoy a break in a local park while checking out the festive atmosphere the Nobby community has worked hard to create. The children of Nobby State School have created decoations that will be hung throughout the park as well as bunting at 75 themed decorations.

Cost: Free

COBB+CO HANGING BASKET DISPLAY

When: 9am-4pm daily until Monday, October 7

Where: Cobb+Co Museum, 27 Lindsay St, Toowoomba East

What: Celebrating an impressive 11 years, the Hanging Basket Display will be on show throughout the whole Carnival of Flowers time. More than 50 uniquely crafted floral hanging baskets have been created by community organisations, individuals, and schools, to the 75th birthday theme of It’s a Party. Visitors will also be able to vote for their favourite in the People’s Choice Awards.

Cost: $12.50 adult, $10 concession, $6.50 children 3-15 years old

ST LUKE’S FLOWER ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: 9am-4pm daily, Friday, September 20, to Wednesday, September 25

Where: St Luke’s Anglican Parish, 152 Herries St, Toowoomba

What: Back again with another spectacular floral display created by the St Luke’s floral group, this year’s event will also include local artist Olga Bakhtina exhibiting her artwork, music concerts each day at 12pm, and the Toowoomba Spinners, Weavers and Dyers group showcasing their arts and crafts. There will also be refreshments available, and plant and second-hand book stalls.

Cost: $2

TOOWOOMBA BROMELIAD & SUCCULENT SOCIETY SPRING SALE & SHOW

When: 8am-4pm, Saturday, September 21, and Sunday, September 22; 8am-2pm Monday, September 23

Where: Sacred Heart Primary School, 263 Tor St, Toowoomba

What: Discover the best of the region’s plants at this incredible event. With more than 200 tables of plants for sale, you’ll find eager local growers keen to showcase and sell their bromeliads, succulents, and other foliage plants.

Cost: $4 adult entry, children free

TOOWOOMBA GERANIUM SOCIETY SHOW & SALE

When: 8.30am-3pm, Saturday, September 21, and 8.30am-2pm, Sunday, September 22

Where: Masonic Hall, 58 Neil St, Toowoomba City

What: Check out a stunning display of colours, shapes and sizes of geraniums at this show and sale. Plants will be available for sale, and the Society’s knowledgeable members will be available for help and advice if you have any questions on how to grow your geraniums.

Cost: $2 entry, with children under 16 free

SUCCULENT FEST

When: 8am-2pm, Sunday, September 22

Where: Bunker’s Hill P&C Association, 315 Bunkers Hill School Rd, Westbrook

What: Get your green thumb ready - the sixth annual Succulent Fest will have an amazing selection of succulents, bromeliads, indoor and outdoor plants, garden items, herbs, flowers, local produce,

handicrafts and artisan wares.

Cost: $2, with under-15s free

CARNIVAL OF TRAINS

When: 9am to 5pm daily until Sunday, September 22

Where: Toowoomba Model Railway Club, Toowoomba Showgrounds, Glenvale Rd, Glenvale

What: Discover the world of model railways where the grass is green and the flowers bright and colourful. You can watch the trains run through their beautiful scenery or visit the model railway museum while the kids check out the ‘U’ drive train or colouring in activities.

Cost: $5 adult entry, with accompanied children under 16 free

BRICKS IN BLOOM

When: 9am to 4.30pm, Saturday, September 28

Where: Glenvale State School, 224 Glenvale Rd, Glenvale

What: Immerse yourself in a floral experience like no other – instead of paving gardens with bricks, check out gardens built with them.

There will be flowers, mosaics, scenes, iconic Toowoomba locations, and more, all built by Lego creators.

There will also be the opportunity to build your own minifigure to take home for $5, or the kids can enter the mosaic competition.

Cost: $5 adult entry, $2 children aged 5-17 years, children under five free

Toowoomba Multi Service Centre

Enabling clients to pursue pleasurable, active and independent lives.

The Toowoomba Multi Service Centre operates 24/7 from our beautiful Queensland style cottages supporting older Australian residing in Darling Downs. We offer community support services that support you to remain at home and keep you actively engaged within your community.

Services available:

• 24-hour Respite @ our centre, your home and more

• Social support

• Lifestyle and recreational support with outings, trips away & more

• Physiotherapy

• Occupational Therapy

• Exercise Physiology

• Home maintenance

• Domestic assistance

• Dementia helpline

• Carer support & education

• Home care packages

Whether you prefer the convenience of accessing our Centre or us coming to you, we are committed to providing you with flexible and comprehensive care.

We accept referrals from family, friends, medical practitioners, nurses, and other avenues. Our services can be accessed through Government funding as well as private pay.

8 Buckland Street, Toowoomba QLD Web: alzheimersonline.org

In Bloom and on the Move

WITH MAZDA CX-90

Wippells Mazda kindly lent The Chronicle Garden Competition judging team their new flagship large SUV, the Mazda CX-90, for transport during garden judging week

azda’s flagship large SUV, the CX-90 is a hybrid that is “responsive, powerful, comfortable, [and] feature-rich”, according to The Chronicle Garden Competition judging team. The group of four were treated to travelling in the vehicle for their week of assessing gardens, and appreciated the spaciousness and great leg room - as well as reporting that having plenty of cup holders during their busy and dehydrating week was a “god-send”.

The CX-90 fit the adults, their camera equipment, goodie bags, and more with room to spare, and while the vehicle “as a result is quite big, the turning circle is

great”. Doors that open impressively wide was also greatly useful to the team.

Very smooth to drive over all surfaces, and quite silent for a car with large wheels.

The SUV is available in both 3.3L mild hybrid turbo petrol and 3.3L mild hybrid turbo diesel, and boasts an intelligent drive system entitled Mi-Drive, which adapts to the surroundings and conditions, as well as technology such as facial recognition that will then adjust the seat, steering wheel, and door mirror position based on your preferences. It also has the ability to switch

sport to towing mode and even off-road for when life gets even more adventurous. Check out the all-new Mazda CX-90 for yourself at Wippells Mazda, 169-181 Herries St, Toowoomba, or call the Sales Department for more information on (07) 4631 9990.

Fun and FunkyGARDEN COMP HISTORY

With 75 years of history, there’s bound to be some out-of-the-ordinary happenings and stories told as time passes - here’s a few we’ve found

t’s in humanity’s nature to tell stories, especially when we’re part of a community and when the passage of time is involved.

Some members of the team who put this Guide together have been working with The Chronicle Garden Competition for more than 15 years and have heard their share of stories!

Some are more factual than others, of course - like clearly tall tales and attempted jokes around fertiliser for the garden. Others, however, are based on recollections of gardeners, ephemera, and old judging sheets - like one from 1956, when 40% of entrants to the Farm Garden

category were oddly disqualified due to being “found to not be working farms”. And still others work to truly showcase the amazing community our competition gardeners are, like a letter from the 2010 curator at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens who reveals a donation of clivia seeds from an award-winning gardener had started to shoot. Who knows, some of the current clivia collection there might be from a Toowoomba garden!

It’s been an incredible 75 years of the competition, building a legacy for the gardeners of Toowoomba’s future, and here’s to another 75 years of telling stories and building community.

CHERYL GANZER, 21 TALINGA ST, TOOWOOMBA

DOROTHY NEWELL, 1/456 MACKENZIE ST, MIDDLE RIDGE

TIFFANY WICKS, 6 FAIRHOLME ST, MT LOFTY

KYLIE & ROSIE PEEK, 4 HELLER ST, RANGEVILLE

JILL MCHUGH, INFINITE CARE MT LOFTY, 69 STUART ST, MT LOFTY

MARIA KELFIECE, INFINITE CARE MT LOFTY, 69 STUART ST, MT LOFTY

ALANA BULGARELLI, 12 DIPPEL ST, MIDDLE RIDGE

MICHAEL GLENNON, 5 ROSS ST, MOUNT LOFTY

JAMES FEEZ, 72 STUART ST, MT LOFTY

SHERYL LOTHIAN, 2 OAK ST, HIGHFIELDS

RAYMOND MURPHY, 79 HIGHFIELDS RD, HIGHFIELDS

ROBERT & SUSAN FRANKLIN, 4 KAY-ANN CT, HAMPTON

LINDA LANE, 2 REES DR, HIGHFIELDS

BOB & VAL FORD, 19 BURKE ST, TOOWOOMBA

LES STEPHSON, 161 PERTH ST, TOOWOOMBA

DENNIS & JANET MITCHELL, 6 HAYLE CT, KLEINTON

CHRISTINE PURCHASE, 16/21 ANDERSSON CT, HIGHFIELDS

STEVE & CHRIS FELDMAN, 7 CEDARWOOD DR, CROWS NEST

CRYSTAL STARK, 702 ANDURAMBA RD, CROWS NEST

MOYA MOHR, 1 PATERSON ST, SOUTH TOOWOOMBA

KYLIE, TIM & PEPPA MUNN, 17 FAITH ST, RANGEVILLE HIGHFIELDS

CHRISTINE BARTKOWSKI, 59 GOOMBUNGEE-MERINGANDAN RD, MERINGANDAN WEST

SHIRLEY CRONK, 123 MCLEAN RD, PECHEY

KUSHLA GALE, 37 GORDON AVE, WESTBROOK

BELINDA & REG LEHMANN, 22 MURPHYS CREEK RD, BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS

CAROL MULLEN, 26 CHOPIN ST, ROCKVILLE

SERGE & LEISA ROSSIGNOL, 112 NEIL ST, TOOWOOMBA

DAVID POLLARD, 200/63-65

DRAYTON RD, HARRISTOWN

JAMES RITCHIE, 6 HENNESSY ST, HARRISTOWN STEVEN MAHONEY, 36 CHARLES ST, NEWTOWN

MERV

LENA

RUBY BRUNNER, 38A CROWN ST, RANGEVILLE

RHANI ABRA, 3 CALDWELL ST, WILSONTON

JOHN & LENORE FERRIS, 3 PERSEVERANCE DAM RD, CROWS NEST

ANNETTE KINGSFORD, 34 GOWRIE ST, KINGSTHORPE

MICHAEL FOGARTY, 40 HURSLEY RD, TOOWOOMBA

JUDITH MAKER-FIELD, 123 BRIDGE ST, OAKEY

GRAHAM EDMONDS, 19 DODD ST, NEWTOWN

MERV BUCKLEY, 14 SPROTT ST, WILSONTON

& STEPHEN TRAYNOR, 27 BUCKLAND ST, TOOWOOMBA

ENTRANTS:

Exhibition Gardens

Val Peachey, 5 Fern Dr, Kearneys Spring................. Sth O14

Sue Hawkins, 37 Murphy’s Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights ............................................ Nth S1

Cheryl & Ian Feeney, 2 Blue Meadow Ct, Blue Mountain Heights ............................................ Nth R1

Lesley & Michael Conway, 14 General Gordon Ct, Cotswold Hills ....................... Nth F8

Adrian & Gail Wockner, 5 Horizon Ct, Highfields HF E13

Jill & Rod Osborne, 11 Horizon Ct, Highfields HF E13

Accommodation Places

Glenvale Villas, 182-184 Hursley Rd, Glenvale ......... Nth I15

City Golf Club — Motel, 777 Ruthven St, Toowoomba Sth Q9

Jolly Swagman Accommodation Park, 47 Kitchener St, East Toowoomba Sth T17

Crows Nest Tourist Park, 7558 New England H’way, Crows Nest CN T15

Burke & Wills Hotel, 554 Ruthven St, Toowoomba ... CBD R9

Yukana [open weekends only], 258 Spring St, Kearney Springs .............................. Sth R14

Budding Gardener

Peppa Munn, [open weekends only] 17 Faith St, Rangeville Sth W9

Commercial Premises

Magenta Community Services, 88 Russell St, Toowoomba City CBD Q5 Proterra Group, 2 Aubigny St, Toowoomba .............. CBD U9

Toowoomba TAFE, 100 Bridge St, Toowoomba ....... Nth T13

Nolan’s Block, 1 Thallon St, Crows Nest CN S8

McKinlay’s Nursery, 5 Briggs St, Pittsworth PW G12

CBD Business Premises

Accession3 Business Advisers Pty Ltd, 420-422 Ruthven St, Toowoomba ........................... CBD S6

ADRA Op Shop, 29 Bell Street Mall, Toowoomba ...... CBD S6

Anjou Nail Spa, 78 Russell St, Toowoomba CBD Q5

Burke & Wills Hotel, 554 Ruthven St, Toowoomba CBD R9 Empire Theatre, 56 Neil St, Toowoomba ................. CBD T8 Erlandson Finance, 1/186 Margaret St, Toowoomba . CBD S8 Hot Property, Suite 2/200 Hume St, Toowoomba CBD T11 Little Pig Consulting, 6/256 Margaret St, Toowoomba CBD O6

Magenta Community Services, 88 Russell St, Toowoomba CBD Q5

McConachie Stedman, 180 Hume St, Toowoomba .... CBD U9

Ray White Commercial Toowoomba, 145 Herries St, Toowoomba ................................... CBD R9

Red Sand Sisters, Shop 4/217 Margaret St, Toowoomba ..................... CBD S6

Soul Kitchen Co, 386 Ruthven St, Toowoomba CBD S6

Not-For-Profit Gardens

Rink 46, 46 Gipps St, Drayton ................................ Sth L13

City Golf Club — Slice Café, 258 South St, Toowoomba ...................................... Sth R8

City Golf Club — Clubhouse, 254 South St, Toowoomba Sth R9

DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum, [weekends only] 16 Cambooya St, Drayton ............. Sth L12

Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum & Park Inc 73 Wirraglen Rd, Highfields ....................................... HF J4

Tony’s Community Ltd, 174A James St, Toowoomba City .......................... CBD P12

Tony’s Community Op Shop, 232 North St, Rockville ......................................... Nth O10

Wyreema Community Garden, 14 Umbiram Road (Wyreema Hall), Wyreema RG S14

Australian Army Flying Museum, Bawden Boulevard, Swartz Barracks, Oakey RG Q7

Nobby Craft Group, 3 Tooth St, Nobby RG T19

School Gardens

Glenvale Christian School, 623-661 Boundary St, Glenvale ............................. Nth G15

Harristown State School, 332 South St, Harristown ........................................ Sth O8

Kate’s Place Kindergarten and Early Learning, [open weekends only] 260 Ramsay St, Middle Ridge Sth U13

Our Lady of Lourdes School, 2 Ascot St, Newtown Nth N14

St Joseph’s College, [open weekends only]

54 James St, Rangeville Sth U7

St Mary’s College, [open weekends only]

129 West St, Toowoomba Nth P15

Geham State School, 9625 New England Highway, Geham ........................ RG W7

St Stephen’s Catholic School, [open weekends only]

20 Murray St, Pittsworth ....................................... PW H12

Student Gardens

Wilsonton Agricultural Field Study Centre, 275 North St, Toowoomba Nth L9

Our Lady of Lourdes School, 2 Ascot St, Newtown Nth N14

Darling Downs Adventist College, 451 McDougall St, Toowoomba Sth I6

Biddeston State School, 2425 Cecil Plains Rd, Biddeston .............................. RG P11

Pittsworth State School, [open weekends only]

42 Hume St, Pittsworth......................................... PW G12

City Gardens

Carol Mullen, [open weekends only]

26 Chopin St, Rockville Nth O8

Belinda & Reg Lehmann, 22 Murphy’s Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights Nth S1

Tiffany Wicks, 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty Nth W13

Graham Edmonds, [open weekends only]

19 Dodd St, Newtown Nth P11

James Feez, [open weekends only]

72 Stuart St, Mt Lofty ........................................... Nth T11

Jill McHugh, [open weekends only]

69 Stuart St, Infinite Care Mt Lofty ........................ Nth T11

Maria Kelfiece, 69 Stuart St, Infinite Care Mt Lofty .. Nth T11

Rhani Abra, 3 Caldwell St, Wilsonton Nth J9

Steven Mahoney, 36 Charles St, Newtown Nth M14

Kushla Gale, 37 Gordon Avenue, Newtown ............. Nth O11

Michael Fogarty, 40 Hursley Rd, Newtown ............... Nth L15

Michael Glennon, 5 Ross St, Mt Lofty Nth U10

Cheryl Ganzer, 21 Talinga St, Mt Lofty Nth T9

Mervyn Buckley, 14 Sprott St, Wilsonton ................... Nth J9

James Ritchie, [open weekends only]

6 Hennessy St, Harristown Sth O7

Sonya & Matthew Campbell, 10 Michael St, Westbrook...................................... Sth D14

Katrina & Rod Byrd, 4 Joalcon Ct, Westbrook .......... Sth A16

Kylie & Rosie Peek, 4 Heller St, Rangeville Sth Y10

Heather Smith, 114 Nelson St, Middle Ridge Sth S17

Alana Bulgarelli, [open weekends only]

12 Dippel St, Middle Ridge Sth U18

David Pollard, [open weekends only]

200/63-65 Drayton Rd, Harristown .......................... Sth O9

Dorothy Newell, 1/456 Mackenzie St, Middle Ridge . Sth V14

Sandra Norris, Unit 9, [open weekends only]

233 McKenzie St, Centenary Heights ....................... Sth V10

Jeff & Cathy Aitchison, [open weekends only]

51 Whitman St, Westbrook Sth E14

Kylie, Tim and Peppa Munn, [open weekends only]

17 Faith St, Rangeville Sth W9

Leslie Stephson, 161 Perth St, South Toowoomba Sth T7

Moya Mohr, 1 Paterson St, South Toowoomba .......... Sth R8

Ruby Brunner, 38A Crown St, Rangeville ................. Sth W8

Serge & Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil St, South Toowoomba Sth S7

Simon & Sheldine Underwood, 81 Nelson St, Middle Ridge Sth S17

Stephen & Lena Traynor, [open weekends only]

27 Buckland St, Harristown Sth O9

Val & Bob Ford, 19 Burke St, Rangeville .................. Sth W8

Christine Purchase, [open weekends only]

16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields ................................ HF H7

Linda Lane, [open weekends only]

2 Rees Dr, Highfields ................................................ HF I9

Sheryl Anne Lothian, 2 Oak St, Highfields

“Rose Bud Gardens” ................................................ HF K7

Raymond Murphy, 79 Highfields Rd, Highfields HF G6

Dennis & Janet Mitchell, [open weekends only]

6 Hayle Ct, Kleinton HF F3

Regional Gardens

Annette Kingsford, 34 Gowrie St, Kingsthorpe RG S9

Judith Maker-Field, [open weekends only]

123 Bridge St, Oakey RG Q8

Matthew Dolley, [open weekends only]

24 Cashmore St, Wyreema RG T14

Narelle Hurse, [open weekends only]

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema RG S14

Margaret & Barry Stafford, [open weekends only]

14 Collins St, Pittsworth ......................................... PW E13

Valerie Hohn, [open weekends only]

18 Short St, Pittsworth ........................................... PW G8

Mervyn & Alma Fowler, 7 Bowden St, Pittsworth ...... PW C10

Peter & Amanda Roberts, 12 Tooth St, Nobby RG T19

Christine Bartkowski, 59 Goombungee-Meringandan Rd, Westbrook RG T7

Ross & Ros Wackerling, 347 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook RG S11

Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook RG S11

Robert & Susan Franklin, 4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton ...... RG X6

Shirley Grace Cronk, 123 McLean Rd, Pechey RG W4

Crystal Stark, 702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest RG Y1

Steve & Chris Feldman, 7 Cedarwood Dr, Crows Nest CN W17

John & Lenore Ferris,

3 Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest CN W13

WINNERS:

City Gardens

City Grand Champion:

Tiffany Wicks, 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty ............ Nth W13

City Reserve Grand Champion:

Cheryl Ganzer, 21 Talinga St, Mt Lofty Nth T9

City Small First Prize:

Christine Purchase, [open weekends only] 16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields ................................ HF H7

City Small Second Prize:

Sandra Norris, Unit 9, [open weekends only] 233 McKenzie St, Centenary Heights ....................... Sth V10

City Small Third Prize: Maria Kelfiece, 69 Stuart St, Infinite Care Mt Lofty .. Nth T11

City Medium First Prize:

Cheryl Ganzer, 21 Talinga St, Mt Lofty Nth T9

City Medium Second Prize:

Serge & Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil St, South Toowoomba Sth S7

City Medium Third Prize:

Stephen & Lena Traynor, [open weekends only]

27 Buckland St, Harristown ..................................... Sth O9

City Medium Third Prize:

Val & Bob Ford, 19 Burke St, Rangeville .................. Sth W8

City Large First Prize: Tiffany Wicks, 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty ............ Nth W13

City Large Second Prize:

Belinda & Reg Lehmann, 22 Murphy’s Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights Nth S1

City Large Third Prize:

Alana Bulgarelli, [open weekends only]

12 Dippel St, Middle Ridge Sth U18

Front Garden First Prize:

Cheryl Ganzer, 21 Talinga St, Mt Lofty ...................... Nth T9

Front Garden Second Prize:

Belinda & Reg Lehmann, 22 Murphy’s Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights .......... Nth S1

Front Garden Third Prize:

Val & Bob Ford, 19 Burke St, Rangeville .................. Sth W8

Front Garden Third Prize:

Stephen & Lena Traynor, [open weekends only]

27 Buckland St, Harristown Sth O9

Back Garden First Prize:

Serge & Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil St, South Toowoomba Sth S7

Back Garden Second Prize:

Moya Mohr, 1 Paterson St, South Toowoomba .......... Sth R8

Back Garden Third Prize:

Carol Mullen, [open weekends only]

26 Chopin St, Rockville ........................................... Nth O8

Small Space First Prize:

Stephen & Lena Traynor, [open weekends only]

27 Buckland St, Harristown Sth O9

Small Space Second Prize:

Sandra Norris, Unit 9, [open weekends only]

233 McKenzie St, Centenary Heights Sth V10

Small Space Third Prize:

Christine Purchase, [open weekends only] 16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields

Floral Garden First Prize:

H7

Tiffany Wicks, 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty Nth W13

Floral Garden Second Prize:

Cheryl Ganzer, 21 Talinga St, Mt Lofty ...................... Nth T9

Floral Garden Third Prize:

Leslie Stephson, 161 Perth St, South Toowoomba ..............................Sth T7

Productive Area First Prize:

Belinda & Reg Lehmann, 22 Murphy’s Creek Rd, Blue Mountain Heights Nth S1

Productive Area Second Prize:

Steven Mahoney, 36 Charles St, Newtown Nth M14

Productive Area Third Prize:

Sheryl Anne Lothian, 2 Oak St, Highfields “Rose Bud Gardens” HF K7

Footpath Garden First Prize:

Mervyn Buckley, 14 Sprott St, Wilsonton ................... Nth J9

Footpath Garden Second Prize:

Sandra Norris, Unit 9, [open weekends only]

233 McKenzie St, Centenary Heights ....................... Sth V10

Footpath Garden Third Prize:

Michael Glennon, 5 Ross St, Mt Lofty ..................... Nth U10

First Time Entry First Prize:

Christine Purchase, [open weekends only] 16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields HF H7

First Time Entry Second Prize:

James Feez, [open weekends only]

72 Stuart St, Mt Lofty Nth T11

First Time Entry Third Prize:

Katrina & Rod Byrd, 4 Joalcon Ct, Westbrook .......... Sth A16

Over 70s First Prize:

Christine Purchase, [open weekends only] 16/21 Andersson Ct, Highfields ................................ HF H7

Over 70s Second Prize:

Mervyn Buckley, 14 Sprott St, Wilsonton Nth J9

Over 70s Third Prize:

Leslie Stephson, 161 Perth St, South Toowoomba Sth T7

Under 45s First Prize:

Tiffany Wicks, 6 Fairholme St, Mount Lofty Nth W13

Under 45s Second Prize:

James Feez, [open weekends only]

72 Stuart St, Mt Lofty ........................................... Nth T11

Under 45s Third Prize:

Alana Bulgarelli, [open weekends only]

12 Dippel St, Middle Ridge .................................... Sth U18

Regional Gardens

Regional Grand Champion:

Narelle Hurse, [open weekends only]

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema ...................................... RG S14

Regional Reserve Grand Champion:

Crystal Stark, 702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest RG Y1

Regional Small/Medium First Prize: Narelle Hurse, [open weekends only]

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema ...................................... RG S14

Regional Small/Medium Second Prize:

Matthew Dolley, 24 Cashmore St, Wyreema RG T14

Regional Small/Medium Third Prize:

Valerie Hohn, [open weekends only]

18 Short St, Pittsworth

Regional Large First Prize:

John & Lenore Ferris,

PW G8

3 Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest ..................... CN W13

Regional Large Second Prize:

Robert & Susan Franklin,

4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton ...........................................

Regional Large Third Prize:

Mervyn & Alma Fowler,

7 Bowden St, Pittsworth

Regional Rural Residential First Prize:

RG X6

PW C10

Crystal Stark, 702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest RG Y1

Regional Rural Residential Second Prize:

Shirley Grace Cronk, 123 McLean Rd, Pechey RG W4

Regional Rural Residential Third Prize:

Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook ................ RG S11

Front Garden First Prize:

Narelle Hurse, [open weekends only]

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema ...................................... RG S14

Front Garden Second Prize:

Matthew Dolley, [open weekends only]

24 Cashmore St, Wyreema RG T14

Front Garden Third Prize:

Valerie Hohn, [open weekends only]

18 Short St, Pittsworth PW G8

Back Garden First Prize: Crystal Stark, 702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest .......... RG Y1

Back Garden Second Prize:

Robert & Susan Franklin, 4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton ........................................... RG X6

Back Garden Third Prize: Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook RG S11

Small Space First Prize:

Narelle Hurse, [open weekends only]

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema

Small Space Second Prize:

RG S14

Shirley Grace Cronk, 123 McLean Rd, Pechey ........... RG W4

Small Space Third Prize:

Mervyn & Alma Fowler, 7 Bowden St, Pittsworth ........................................ PW C10

Floral Garden First Prize: Ross & Ros Wackerling, 347 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook RG S11

Floral Garden Second Prize: Christine Bartkowski, 59 Goombungee-Meringandan Rd, Westbrook RG T7

Floral Garden Third Prize:

John & Lenore Ferris,

3 Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest ..................... CN W13

Productive Area First Prize:

Mervyn & Alma Fowler, 7 Bowden St, Pittsworth ........................................ PW C10

Productive Area Second Prize:

Ross & Ros Wackerling, 347 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook RG S11

Footpath Garden First Prize:

Peter and Amanda Roberts, 12 Tooth St, Nobby RG T19

Footpath Garden Second Prize:

Valerie Hohn, [open weekends only]

18 Short St, Pittsworth ........................................... PW G8

First Time Entry First Prize:

Robert & Susan Franklin, 4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton ........................................... RG X6

First Time Entry Second Prize:

Margaret & Barry Stafford, [open weekends only] 14 Collins St, Pittsworth PW E13

First Time Entry Third Prize:

Judith Maker-Field, [open weekends only] 123 Bridge St, Oakey RG Q8

Over 70s First Prize:

Shirley Grace Cronk, 123 McLean Rd, Pechey RG W4

Over 70s Second Prize:

Crystal Stark, 702 Anduramba Rd, Crows Nest .......... RG Y1

Over 70s Third Prize:

Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook ................ RG S11

Under 45s First Prize:

Matthew Dolley, [open weekends only] 24 Cashmore St, Wyreema RG T14

Special Awards

(City and Regional combined)

Best Display for 75th Anniversary First Prize:

Peter & Amanda Roberts, 12 Tooth St, Nobby.......... RG T19

Best Display for 75th Anniversary Second Prize:

Valerie Hohn, [open weekends only]

18 Short St, Pittsworth PW G8

Best Display for 75th Anniversary Third Prize:

Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook RG S11

Best Display for 75th Anniversary Highly Commended:

Michael Glennon, 5 Ross St, Mt Lofty Nth U10

Best Display for 75th Anniversary Highly Commended:

Annette Kingsford, 34 Gowrie St, Kingsthorpe RG S9

Peppa Munn, [open weekends only] 17 Faith St, Rangeville Sth W9

Accommodation Premises

First Prize:

Yukana [open weekends only], 258 Spring St, Kearney Springs Sth R14

Second Prize:

Crows Nest Tourist Park, 7558 New England Highway, Crows Nest CN T15

Third Prize: Glenvale Villas, 182-184 Hursley Rd, Glenvale Nth I15

Commercial Premises

First Prize: Toowoomba TAFE, 100 Bridge St, Toowoomba Nth T13

Second Prize:

McKinlay’s Nursery, 5 Briggs St, Pittsworth PW G12

Third Prize: Nolan’s Block, 1 Thallon St, Crows Nest CN S8

Not-for-Profit Premises

First Prize: Wyreema Community Garden, 14 Umbiram Road (Wyreema Hall), Wyreema RG S14

Second Prize: Tony’s Community Op Shop, 174A James St, Toowoomba City ........................... Nth O10

Third Prize:

City Golf Club — Clubhouse, 254 South St, Toowoomba ...................................... Sth R9

School Premises

First Prize: St Mary’s College, [open weekends only] 129 West St, Toowoomba ..................................... Nth P15

Second Prize: Glenvale Christian School, 623-661 Boundary St, Glenvale Nth G15

Third Prize: Our Lady of Lourdes School, 2 Ascot St, Newtown Nth N14

Student Garden

First Prize: Biddeston State School, 2425 Cecil Plains Rd, Biddeston RG P11

Second Prize: Our Lady of Lourdes School, 2 Ascot St, Newtown ............................................ Nth N14

Third Prize: Wilsonton Agricultural Field Study Centre, 275 North St, Toowoomba ...................................... Nth L9

ABC Rod Hultgren Encouragement Award

First Prize: Robert & Susan Franklin, 4 Kay-Ann Ct, Hampton RG X6

CBD Business Premises

First Prize: ADRA Op Shop, 29 Bell Street Mall, Toowoomba ...... CBD O7

Second Prize: McConachie Stedman, 180 Hume St, Toowoomba CBD P9

Third Prize: Soul Kitchen Co, 386 Ruthven St, Toowoomba CBD O7

KATRINA & ROD BYRD, 4 JOALCON CT, WESTBROOK

SIMON & SHELDINE UNDERWOOD, 81 NELSON ST, MIDDLE RIDGE

ROS & ROSS WACKERLING, 347 WELLCAMP-WESTBROOK RD, WESTBROOK

VALERIE HOHN, 18 SHORT ST, PITTSWORTH

SHIRLEY MUNDT, 101 WELLCAMP-WESTBROOK RD, WELLCAMP

SONYA & MATTHEW CAMPBELL, 10 MICHAEL ST, WESTBROOK

HEATHER SMITH, 114 NELSON ST, MIDDLE RIDGE

JEFF & CATHY AITCHISON, 51 WHITMAN ST

MARGARET & BARRY STAFFORD, 14 COLLINS ST

NARELLE HURSE, 4 CASHMORE ST, WYREEMA

MERVYN & ALMA FOWLER, 7 BOWDEN ST, PITTSWORTH

PETER & AMANDA ROBERTS, 12 TOOTH ST, NOBBY

SANDRA NORRIS, 9/233 MACKENZIE ST, CENTENARY HEIGHTS

MATTHEW DOLLEY, 24 CASHMORE ST, WYREEMA