The Chronicle Garden Competition 2023 Visitor's Guide

COMPETITION 2023

Visitor Guide

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.

The Chronicle GARDEN COMPETITION 2023

CONTENTS

THE TEAM

Writers: Jessica Kramer, Alice Williams, Stephen Nadin, Jenna Martin, Melanie Collins, Savaira Ratukula, and Kate Salemme

Design: Jessica Kramer, Mark Stansall, and Jeffrey Brown

Sub-editor: Katrina Sichlau

Product Manager: Joshua Slade

Photography and Media: Bev Lacey and Little Pig Consulting

General Manager: Erika Brayshaw

Welcome Notes

FROM OUR CITY LEADERS

Mayor Geoff McDonald, Toowoomba Regional Council

The world-renowned Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has been enthralling crowds for generations. The Chronicle Garden Competition, as a foundation event in Australia’s longest running horticultural event, remains a central attraction for visitors.

On behalf of Council and the community, I acknowledge the hard work and skill that is involved in planning and tending to your gardens for many months throughout the year. Your dedication helps The Chronicle Garden Competition uphold our reputation as the Garden City and a region that is blessed with beautiful landscapes.

I encourage all visitors and locals to take the time to be inspired by these home gardens, along with our stunning civic gardens and parks. Toowoomba Regional Council, as the major sponsor of The Chronicle Garden Competition, is proud to see this foundation event as part of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, which provides a significant boost to the Toowoomba Region’s economy. We again look forward to welcoming you to the Garden City. Enjoy the beauty of spring’s explosion of colour and excitement.

Peter Lock, Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank

Spring has arrived, which means it’s time for the iconic Carnival of Flowers! It is a cherished tradition that embodies the essence of Toowoomba’s identity.

Heritage Bank is thrilled to again support The Chronicle Garden Competition. It remains at the very heart of what the Carnival is all about since the Carnival concept was first developed back in 1949. The Garden Competition takes advantage of the natural ingredients that make Toowoomba unique. Our soil, climate and mountain location are the perfect ingredients for growing amazing gardens. It showcases the efforts of those who put their heart and soul into creating garden masterpieces simply for the love of the city, and for the joy they bring to the many visitors.

Heritage is proud of its Toowoomba roots and takes great pride in giving back to our heartland and helping to build our local community. This year, Heritage merged with People’s Choice Credit Union to create Australia’s leading member-owned banking organisation. And while we have merged, our commitment to the Toowoomba Region and supporting the community remains unchanged. The Carnival and Garden Competition are important assets to the Toowoomba region and Heritage is delighted to continue playing a role in making it happen.

Erika Brayshaw,

General Manager of The Chronicle

Welcome to this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition! We’re so excited to be back again for 2023 in our 74th year, and to see all the amazing work Toowoomba’s best gardeners have done. The Chronicle Garden Competition and Carnival of Flowers season is arguably our favourite at The Chronicle, and it’s fantastic each year to see our city come alive with flowers, music, great food, and all the visitors. As always, this season has not been without challenges for our talented gardeners. While 2022 brought a freezing winter and late frosts, 2023 has been almost its opposite with spring arriving early. Our gardeners have come out on top once again, however, busy debudding flowers so the best blooms show themselves just in time for Carnival of Flowers. I know everyone has worked hard over 2023 and are eager to share their breathtaking gardens with you from September 15-24, so a massive thank you and congratulations to our dedicated, hard-working private gardeners. I would also like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors and partners for The Chronicle Garden Competition 2023: Toowoomba Regional Council, Heritage Bank, UniSQ, Yukana, Wippells Autos, Little Pig Consulting, Pechey Distilling, and Totally Workwear.

Professor Geraldine Mackenzie, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southern Queensland

The University of Southern Queensland is delighted to once again sponsor The Chronicle Garden Competition. The dedication of our city’s gardeners, who work tirelessly all year, brings such joy and admiration 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 campus on West Street, which attract so many visitors.

Our Japanese Garden Ju Raku En, is one of the largest and most traditional Japanese stroll gardens in Australia. Our Gumbi Gumbi Gardens feature more than 100 plant species and display an extensive 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 of the entrants in this year’s Chronicle Garden Competition. The thought, work and care that goes into nurturing Toowoomba’s beautiful gardens is truly remarkable.

Looking Back:

A FLORAL HISTORY

he Garden City has watched this competition bloom into the world-renowned event it is today. 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.

HOPEFUL 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. It was such a success it drew more than 50 entrants in 1950, inspired the creation of the Carnival of Flowers and helped earn Toowoomba the title of Garden City. Toowoomba has become internationally renowned for the competition, and it brings thousands of visitors to the city annually. Even mid-pandemic in 2020, when circumstances prevented the traditional format of the competition, gardeners opened their properties virtually with the option for viewers to donate to charity.

This year, a massive 83 entries were received with 50 in the residential categories and 33 in the Commercial, Not-for-Profit and Schools section. In addition, roughly half of these were gardeners who hadn’t entered the competition in the prior year or were firsttime entrants.

CATEGORIES GALORE

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.

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 drought-affected entrants. The Grand Champion we have today has existed since 1966; for the first seven years of the competition the equivalent was winning first place in the Open Gardens category. The Regional class - and its predecessor Country - also didn’t exist initially, and

The Chronicle Garden Competition has been a stalwart of Toowoomba’s September for the past 74 years, and is still going from strength to strength

MRS MCFARLANE MAINTAINS HER GARDEN IN 1974

THE HULTGRENS IN THEIR 1992 GARDEN

LES STEPHSON

was introduced in 1967. This year, The Chronicle Garden Competition has added the Floral Garden category, as well as Budding Gardeners for the younger set.

THE TALENTED GARDENERS

The winner of the first 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.

The entrants are a dedicated group of people, with some gardeners having entered the competition for more than 30 years in a row.

SELECTING WINNERS

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. In 1981, there was a huge three judges - Cec Swenson, John Shaw, and Mrs Stan Roberts - while 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.

GRAND PRIZES

The prize pool for the competition has risen steadily over the years, from £50 in 1950 to

more than $535,000 today, including some special prizes across time such as a trip for two to Chelsea Flower Show for the major winner in 1998.

With this impressive prize pool, it’s clear this competition’s sponsors deserve a round of applause. Full credit goes to this year’s partners - The Chronicle, Heritage Bank, Toowoomba Regional Council, University of Southern Queensland, and Yukana.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Putting the competition together is a momentous task and requires the involvement of everyone at The Chronicle, from general manager Erika Brayshaw and editor-in-chief Jordan Philp, to the photography and media teams Bev Lacey and Little Pig Consulting, to the advertising, editorial and distribution staff. The Chronicle Garden Competition could not have been a success without the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.

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

THE PERRIN GARDEN OPEN TO VISITORS IN 1968

#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 for the month of September.

WHEN Fri 1 - Sat 30 Sept

LOCATION

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

COST

$10 - $20 per meal

DIRECTORY

www.tcof.com.au

Scan the QR code for all the tasty details

GRAND CENTRAL FLORAL PARADE

SATURDAY 16 SEPT AT 10AM

HOT TIP!

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 Middle Ridge Park, the joys of the film experience will be brought to life during the park’s first twilight movie screening.

WHEN Sat 30 Sept

TIME

Food trucks from 5.30pm

Feature film from 6.30pm - Chicken Run

LOCATION

Middle Ridge Park

300 Stenner St, Toowoomba

COST Free (food and drink available to purchase)

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

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC

Picnic Point is the perfect place for our Teddy Bears’ Picnic and along with locals Tambo Teddies we will be putting on a day to remember! There will be interactive games, colouringin and roving kids entertainment. Tambo Teddy families can show off their bears and all teddies are invited to parade around the park and get involved with all the fun and games.

WHEN Sat 23 Sept

TIME

8.30am - 11.30am

LOCATION

Picnic Point, Heller Street Park via Rowbotham St, Toowoomba

COST Free

QUEENS PARK

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

FERRIS

WHEEL

For a blooming marvellous view over the Botanic Gardens get on board the Ferris Wheel.

WHEN Fri 15* - Sat 30 Sept

TIME

HERITAGE BANK PARKLAND ENTERTAINMENT

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

WHEN

LOCATION

Lindsay St loop carpark, Toowoomba

COST

Adults $8

Children $4 (2-13yrs)

No cash, card payments only

TWILIGHT

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 Park features spectacular floral displays, croquet lawns, animal topiaries, thousands of petals and a great childrens' play area.

HERITAGE BANK 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

Every Fri, Sat & Sun in Sept, 9.30am - 1pm & 2pm - 5.30pm

Mon 18 - Thurs 21 Sept, 9.30am - 1pm

Mon 25 - Thurs 28 Sept, 9.30am - 1pm

COST Free DETAILS www.tcof.com.au

PROUDLY OPERATED BY STRATEGIC PARTNERS

WHEN Every Wed,

Fri, Sat in Sept TIME 6.30pm - 7.30pm

LOCATION

Meet at Laurel Bank Park Info Hub

COST

$10 per person

TICKETS

Prior bookings only www.tcof.com.au

MAJOR PARTNERS

2023 JUDGING TEAM Meet Our

CLAIRE BICKLE CITY & REGIONAL RESIDENTIAL GARDEN JUDGE

Claire is well-known for her enthusiastic presenting, writing, broadcasting and educating on her favourite topics: gardening, chooks, children and all things related to sustainability and nature. She has written for many publications and companies over the years, and currently writes regular articles for Gardening Australia, Earth Garden and Good Organic Gardening magazines, Rocky Point Better Earth Secrets, and more. Claire

DUANNE KARLE COMMERCIAL, NOT-FOR-PROFIT & SCHOOLS GARDEN JUDGE

Duanne is an avid gardener and selfconfessed plantaholic.

Now in his mid-50s, Duanne has been interested in gardening and plants since he was a child, attributing most of this passion to his gardening family - primarily grandmothers and aunt.

Duanne has worked in a number of occupations over the years, from retail to primary school teaching for 15 years. He decided to follow his passion for plants

MIKE WELLS

GARDENER LIAISON

Thirdgeneration Toowoomba resident Mike Wells has turned a lifelong passion for plants and gardening into a horticultural career spanning over 25 years.

is also a regular presenter of gardening and sustainability topics on ABC Radio Brisbane.

On her two-acre garden in Brisbane’s western suburbs, Claire keeps a collection of various poultry - from chickens and ducks to geese and turkeys - and takes pleasure in creating and working her eclectic productive-yet-ornamental garden for herself, husband and three children. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the horticultural industry, spanning a wide range of areas such as retail, TAFE, radio, journalism/writing, judging, presenting and taking gardening tours.

and trained through Toowoomba’s TAFE to attain a level four in horticulture. Duanne has worked in the nursery industry for more than 20 years, splitting his time between Warwick and Toowoomba, and now works at The Springs Garden World. He also owned a

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 for a wellknown Australian garden product business. Intent on helping to 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 also contributes a widely-read weekly gardening article in The Chronicle, having

Claire has a Diploma in horticulture, a Certificate IV in workplace assessment and training and an Advanced Certificate in permaculture design, as well as being a current member of the Horticultural Media Association and esteemed Ross Gardens tour leader.

boutique garden centre and coffee lounge, The Weeping Mulberry, in Warwick for a number of years.

Duanne’s garden, Karma Cottage, has been part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme twice. He has been a presenter at a number of garden clubs - the most recent being at Leafmore Winter School this year - and also consults and hand-draws garden plans for clients.

Duanne has a passion for interior design as well, which he combines with his love of plants. He believes gardening is good for the soul, as it provides a great outlet for exercise, relaxation and mental health.

done so since 2013, as well as numerous gardening publications.

Mike is in demand as a garden judge, a speaker for regional gardening clubs and interest groups, and loves to help solve gardeners’ problems on ABC Southern Qld every second Saturday morning at 9am. He also operates a horticultural consultancy, Wellsley Horticulture, specialising in garden design, plant selection, soil improvement, plant nutrition, and efficient irrigation, and is particularly passionate about helping homeowners turn any bare soil into a productive patch.

The Chronicle Garden Competition has a stellar judging team this year, from City & Regional Residential judge Claire Bickle and gardener liaison Mike Wells, to Commercial, Not-for-Profit and Schools judge Duanne Karle

FOR OUR GARDENERS Showing Appreciation

The whole team at The Chronicle would like to extend heartfelt thanks to each and every gardener who entered the competition this year

he Chronicle Garden Competition wouldn’t be possible without the incredible efforts of the entrants - our gardeners.

It hasn’t been an easy season, with the early spring leading to early flowering in many plants.

But from preserving through weather extremes from drought to flooding, to spending hours manually picking flower buds to prevent early blooming during warm years like this one, these locals reap the rewards of their dedication come September.

This year, more than half of the gardeners

who entered the competition are either doing so for the first time or are returning after a year or more break.

The Chronicle congratulates and thanks each of these gardeners for investing their time in the competition and Carnival of Flowers.

General manager Erika Brayshaw and the rest of the team at The Chronicle would also like to thank all of our gardeners for their continued dedication and generous spirit in sharing their floral displays with visitors.

We greatly appreciate your involvement every year and making the The Chronicle Garden Competition what it is today.

EXHIBITION GARDENS Toowoomba Chronicle

Each year, generous locals open their gardens to the public as a way to raise funds for charity. Celebrating 50 years of operation in 2023, the Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Gardens have raised more than $850,000 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 1950. 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 DRIVE, KEARNEYS SPRING

Val has an integrated garden, with structural evergreens, weeping standard maples, a magnificent conifer 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. However, it really comes to life in spring with a display of flowering annuals such as oriental poppies, foxgloves and orlaya 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 little gem magnolia, a michelia and a flowering plum. As well as a vegetable patch, the back garden features scadoxus, philadelphus, variegated spirea, succulents and a large crab apple tree. 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).

There will be a variety of plants for sale.

Charity: AEIOU Foundation

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 across to both 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 which provide accent and interest throughout.

2 SUE HAWKINS:

37 MURPHY’S CREEK RD, BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS

Welcome to Red Gables, a great example of an evocative 1970s Toowoomba garden which has been allowed to constantly evolve over the past 40+ years. Lovingly tended by its original owner, the garden still retains many of the original trees and

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 camelias. 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.

Charity: Blush Cancer Care

SUE HAWKINS, 37 MURPHY’S CREEK RD

VAL PEACHEY, 5 FERN DRIVE

THE DETAILS

Gardens Open: 9am-5pm, from Friday, September 15 to Sunday, September 24

Cost: $5 entry to one garden; $20 entry to all five Garden admission by ticket only. Cash only.

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 Rothmania and pin oaks amongst 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. Tea and coffee is available.

Charity: Base Services

4

ADRIAN AND GAIL WOCKNER:

5

HORIZON CT, HIGHFIELDS

Adrian and Gail’s garden features a variety of Australian native plants which grow on three garden levels. The garden features a variety of rooms which includes a rainforest, campfire area, fairy garden and a dry creek bed where native grasses abound. Dotted throughout the garden is a collection of old farming memorabilia and unique recycled metal art created by Adrian.

Many grafted, non-grafted and standard grevilleas are scattered throughout, while grevillea, 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.

Everlasting daisies abound throughout the garden providing spectacular spring colour. Seating is placed strategically throughout the garden where you can sit, relax and enjoy the native flowers and birds. Adrian and Gail call their garden ‘a country garden in the city’, and most of the property is wheelchair accessible. Browse the craft stalls, enjoy a cuppa and some country cooking while overlooking the garden on the spacious lawns.

Metal artwork created by Adrian will be for sale with proceeds going to Lifeflight Toowoomba.

Charity: LifeFlight

5 JILL AND ROD OSBORNE: 11 HORIZON

CT, HIGHFIELDS

Jill and Rod have a year-round garden, aptly named ‘Eloura’ which means ‘a pleasant place’. Trees and shrubs form the background, with annuals in the foreground to provide colour for spring. A display of weeping grevillea, callistemon, eremophilia, westriginia 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, while the front garden features a succulent display surrounding a rusted metal grass tree. 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, even having success previously in The Chronicle Garden Competition. The habitat they have provided is a wonderful haven for birds and animals in the area.

Plants, jams and honey will be for sale.

Charity: Anglicare

JILL AND ROD OSBORNE, 11 HORIZON CT

CHERYL AND IAN FEENEY, 2 BLUE MEADOW CT

ADRIAN & GAIL WOCKNER, 5 HORIZON CT

AT HERITAGE BANK Proud Traditions

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is an icon of our community and continues to delight locals and visitors every year

t’s a proud tradition that helps define the Toowoomba identity, and at the heart and soul of this is The Chronicle Garden Competition. As a long-time supporter of the Carnival, Heritage Bank is proud to partner with The Chronicle and all the other co-sponsors to bring the Garden Competition to life. These gardens draw thousands of people from all over the country to admire what commitment, passion, and perseverance can produce.

Although they may not use brushes and paints, the competition gardeners are true artists.

Regardless of the weather conditions, they craft living masterpieces that delight everyone who visits. And they do it all simply for the love of the city and for the

joy that their efforts give to everyone who visits. It’s a fantastic example of community spirit, and one of the many reasons Heritage Bank is proud to be a sponsor. Heritage Bank is immensely proud of its Toowoomba roots which stretch all the way back to 1875. This year, Heritage merged with People’s Choice Credit Union to create Australia’s leading member-owned banking organisation. And while they have merged, their commitment to the Toowoomba region remains unchanged. They’ll maintain a headquarters in Toowoomba and continue to have the best interests of this region at the core of their activities. As a customer-owned banking organisation, Heritage has a long history of putting its members at the focus of everything they do. The profits they make are used to support their members and the communities they live in. Whether through great banking products and services, or

actively getting behind community events and initiatives, Heritage is passionate about helping people and building stronger connections. That’s why Heritage is proud to support many of the key events and activities that make Toowoomba a place that is treasured by so many.

The Garden Competition is such an important asset to the Carnival and Toowoomba region that Heritage is delighted to play a role in making it happen.

Beyond reliance to resilience

Study Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

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.

– including the gumbi gumbi plant which was introduced to Toowoomba as a multipurpose medicine and remains a symbol of knowledge and healing today – as 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.

of the campus, these gardens were opened in 1989 by the Brisbane Consul General of Japan, and are jointly owned by the University of Southern Queensland and the Toowoomba Regional Council. 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.

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 Gaibal and Jarowir 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

Gumbi Gumbi Gardens features more than 100 plant species, including an extensive array of Indigenous flora used by the local First Nations communities. At its heart, the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens represent the acknowledgement of local Indigenous heritage, culture, and continued contribution to the region.

JU

RAKU EN

A short walk from the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens, the Japanese Garden can be found – one of Australia’s largest and most traditionally designed Japanese stroll gardens. Situated in the northern sector

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. 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.

DID YOU KNOW?

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.

GUMBI GUMBI

OF HOME & GARDEN INSPIRATION Celebrating 25 Years

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

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 follow their dream. A passion for gardening and family shaped the couple’s decision to 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 create a place where families could visit and feel inspired to create their own home oasis.

Now celebrating 25 years, The Springs Home & Garden continues to add to the visitor experience as an ever-growing centre for families to explore. The centre has just been painted, giving it a new modern look, as well as hundreds of man hours landscaping and planting new gardens around the garden centre and cafe. Kingfishers Cafe is now equipped with two playgrounds for the kids to explore while mum and dad enjoy a meal and 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. We also have have 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, sub-tropical, cool climate plants, perennials and season garden colour. Waterlily on Spring is our home of giftware and home decor, with inspiration pieces for any budget. Visitors love walking through our collections of candles, soft furnishings,

tableware, wall art, gift ideas and cards. Gift wrapping is also available with the proceeds benefiting the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s mental health section. The Springs is home to Toowoomba’s largest range of outdoor furniture, managed by Ashley’s and Marie’s youngest son Cameron. It’s a must-see for visitors looking for outdoor entertaining inspiration, with more than 75 settings on display including popular wicker styles, hard wearing timber dining settings crafted in teak or kwila and our 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 create your home oasis. We have everything you need to bring your space to life including a huge range of umbrellas, giftware, outdoor rugs and cushions. If you are looking 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. We welcome new owners of Kingfishers Cafe, Shan and Ras to the Springs family. They bring fresh energy with a focus on the dining

experience. They are pleased to announce a new event manager to make that special birthday or wedding reception the perfect event.

Ashley, Marie and the whole Springs family would love to see you during the Carnival of Flowers. Our expert staff are on hand to answer all your gardening questions. We 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.

CAMERON MCEWAN (LEFT) WITH HIS PARENTS MARIE AND ASHLEY

SERGE & LEISA ROSSIGNOL City Grand Champion

lossoming with nostalgia and brimming with life, the Rossignol’s cottage garden in South Toowoomba is a living masterpiece, serving as an inspiration to all who visit.

It was 2021 when Leisa and Serge Rossignol first opened their garden to the public for the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. The newcomers were thrilled to be crowned The Chronicle Garden Competition City Grand Champions and this year have again taken that main prize.

Their cottage garden is an exuberant expression of colour and life, woven

through with nostalgia and romance.

“The house is around 120 years old, so a cottage garden was the obvious choice of style for us,” explains Leisa.

“It’s so nice just to be able to tend to a garden that people can just wander through and enjoy.

“I love the old fashioned cottage garden plants and the spring flowering ones are always beautiful to have in the garden.”

The Rossignol’s cottage garden is a tapestry of delicate florals – sweet peas, pansies, violas, and foxgloves – coexisting harmoniously with a bountiful array of vegetables and herbs that thrive throughout

the year. Their beds and large pots are a captivating medley of plant varieties. From the five raised beds in the potager to the mix of vines set to transverse the arbour – including wisteria, Lady Hillingdon climbing rose, and two varietals of grape – an overspill of abundance is the garden’s clear aesthetic.

Speaking of the challenges this year, Leisa observes: “It hasn’t been too bad, maybe a little bit dry. But a much easier gardening season this year.”

However, she laments: “My ranunculus didn’t really quite make it this year. I don’t know what happened to them. That was a bit disappointing.”

Offering words of encouragement to budding gardeners, Leisa says: “Just have a go. Even if it’s a container, you can grow salad herbs. Even if you just want a few flowers to start with, container gardening is open to everybody. Just use a good quality potting mix and yeah, don’t forget to water it.”

Serge adds his sage advice: “And for the veggie patch, go as organic as you can. So we’ve used mushroom compost to keep things really organic, and the veggies love it.”

“I just love being able to create a home and garden for us to enjoy and to share with family and friends,” says Leisa.

Serge echoes this love for gardening, rooted in family tradition, saying: “My parents and grandparents have always had veggie

112 Neil Street, South Toowoomba

patches. I love a veggie patch. You know, why buy it when you can grow it yourself? You know what goes in the ground, so it tastes better.”

Formerly a legal secretary, Leisa has recently embarked on a new endeavour, selling old wares and flowers at popup stalls under the name Eleanor and Ruby, a touching tribute to her beloved grandmothers.

“The competition is a great way to share the love of gardening. And we love being able to have people through the garden. And hopefully if they can just take one idea home and try and do something themselves.”

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.

Serge and Leisa Rossignol’s garden is a testament to their passion for horticulture, their commitment to sharing their love of gardening, and their dedication to preserving the beauty and traditions of Toowoomba.

“It’s so nice just to be able to plan a garden that people can just wander through and enjoy.”

~Leisa Rossignol

KELLIE & MARK GERSEKOWSKI Regional Grand Champion

15 Lee Ct, Crows Nest

he third year of entering The Chronicle Garden Competition has seen Crows Nest couple Kellie and Mark Gersekowski claim the Regional Grand Champion honour for the garden at their Lee Ct home.

The rural town is located 44km northeast of Toowoomba on the New England Highway in the Darling Downs region.

At 543m above sea level and atop the Great Dividing Range, the town is also home to the Small/Medium Residential, Under 45 Years Gardener and Floral Garden titles, all won by Kellie and Mark, as well as the

Footpath Garden prize, claimed by John and Lenore Ferris at their Perseverance Dam Rd property.

Crows Nest Tourist Park also took out the Commercial Premises prize in the Business, Schools, Not For Profit categories. Entering the competition is something Kellie has always wanted to do.

“It’s a nice experience, especially the 10 days with all the people that you get to meet.”

~Kellie Gersekowski

“But then some other gardeners really encouraged me to do it,” she says. “They took me under their wing and gave me lots of inspiration and ideas. And then I’ve taken all their bits of knowledge and advice that they’ve given me along the way.”

In 2022, Kellie and Mark claimed the Front Garden and Under 45 titles, along with second prize in the Regional Small/ Medium category.

Kellie says she finds gardening to be quite relaxing and rewarding.

“It’s just a beautiful place to be,” she says. “This is my third year in the Carnival. I quite enjoy it to be honest. It’s a nice experience, especially the 10 days with all the people that you get to meet.

“And it’s rewarding for me because I get to wake up every morning and look at this.” She says flowers are a favourite for the garden.

“You kind of have to think about the challenges that you have within your own garden,” Kellie says.

“And then you have to think about that, and then create around that. But I love colour, I love flowers, and that’s why I chose to do lots of flowers, because that’s my idea of the Carnival garden. And it’s all the things that I love.”

Kellie says weather challenges are always an issue.

“The frost is always difficult for us,” she says. “And then it got quite dry. And it got really windy at one stage there.

“But yeah, there’s always challenges.”

Double snapdragons are her favourite flower this year, but Kellie says no plants are easy.

“They all have their own challenges,” she says. “But it’s rewarding.”

Her advice to budding gardens was to start small.

“Get yourself some pots, grow yourself some flowers, put them somewhere where you can enjoy them every day,” Kellie says. “And then from little things, then you can grow bigger things and start in a small area of your garden. Don’t try to garden the whole garden.”

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.

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City Reserve Champion

VAL AND BOB FORD

19 Burke St, Rangeville

CLASS QUALIFIERS

n prime position at 19 Burke St, Rangeville, you’ll find Val and Bob Ford’s labour of love – a thriving, bountiful garden, and one that has taken out Reserve Grand Champion for 2023.

A staple of the competition for 33 years, Val and Bob’s garden has become a celebrated, must-visit attraction during Garden Competition week, though, as Bob recounts, their bright blooms and perfectly manicured lawns drew a crowd even before they were official entrants.

“We had buses pulling up before we even entered to just look at the garden (on the way) to Picnic Point,” he recalls.

In fact, they wouldn’t have entered if not for a good friend, ex-champion Rod Hulgreen, who along with his wife Maureen, won the Grand Champion Garden prize six times. It

was Rod who encouraged them to join the competition.

“I thought: ‘It’s a lot of work, Rod. I don’t think I have the knack for it,’” Bob says. “But he told me I should just have a go, so we did.”

The pair came second the very first time they entered.

Back then, Bob remembers, their garden was all straight edges. “Now, that’s a no-no,” he laughs. “And it’s grown. You have no idea just how much it’s grown.”

These days at number 19 you’ll find a rambling, peaceful paradise, part Japanese Zen garden, part English country garden that is both invigorating and calming, blooms spilling with colour onto the perfectly manicured lawns of Burke St.

In fact, the foliage is so thick, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled past

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.

a wildflower meadow deep in the forest. There’s barely a trace of the house, hidden somewhere behind the blooms. For Bob, his favourite part of the garden is the arbour, or “down the back of the barbeque, with a beer”.

It sounds like the perfect spot to pull up a perch, admire the flowers, and celebrate this worthy win.

“We’ve been doing this for 33 years. You have no idea how much this garden has grown.”

~Bob Ford

Regional Reserve Champion

SHIRLEY MUNDT

101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook

fter many years of entering The Chronicle Garden Competition, and many, many plants potted and nurtured into a beautiful display of colour, Shirley Mundt is an experienced, passionate gardener. This year, she’s taken out three awards – the Regional Reserve Grand Champion, Regional Rural Residential and Regional Acreage Garden prizes.

“I’ve entered the competition for about 17 years,” says Shirley. “I love sharing it with people, I just like doing it.”

This year, her garden features a few new displays, including a mural. Amongst the brightly coloured flowers and winding pebble paths is a native garden – her most treasured place to visit.

“I do like my bearded irises, but my favourite is probably the native garden,” she says. “I like the big trees – jacarandas and gums – and other native shrubs and trees, but I really love the whole lot.”

In the rural town of Westbrook, Shirley’s property is a special stop on the tour of display gardens during the Garden Competition. Her bright acreage garden is filled with happy purple sea lavenders and vibrant pink petunias, her special garden is not only joyful but neat and tidy. Although it’s not without challenges.

While Shirley says her annuals tend to rust, which is a big challenge, there’s also the dry weather to consider, as well as water

shortages, pest control and of course any seasonal surprises that come her way. When it comes to sharing her years of wisdom in the garden with budding growers,

The seasoned gardener has some advice for budding growers, perhaps those just starting out and embarking on their first competition garden.

“Just have a go,” she says. “Even if it’s just some vegetables for you to eat.”

“I do like my bearded irises, but my favourite is probably the native garden.”

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.

~Shirley Mundt

KATHRYN JOWETT City Small Residential

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.

ilsonton resident Kathryn Jowett claimed a hat trick of top prizes in The Chronicle Garden Competition in 2022. This year, she has added another two wins to her roll of honour with the top gongs in the Small Residential and Small Space categories of the City section.

She has been entering the competition for several years and after moving to Bridge St began rebuilding the garden from scratch to claim her hat trick of prizes last year. In her garden are distressed window frames, shelves, plant pots, boots sprouting flowers and greenery, letter boxes lining a fence and more.

Kathryn says she had a very successful year last year and thought that it might be time to step down, but she was encouraged to enter again this year.

Following advice from a friend, she entered

for the first time several years ago.

“We don’t see our own things the way others see them,” Kathryn says. “And so that year, I decided I would enter and the rest is history.

“See, the thing is, when you garden nothing’s a challenge because you take it and it’s just the processes, and you take it in your stride.”

She also admits that her upbringing on a farm has helped overcome any issues, thanks to a perpetual lack (or abundance) of rain.

“I’m a farmer’s daughter,” she says. “So I grew up with drought, and I grew up with flood. I grew up with parents who got up and moved on.

“(It’s) positive thinking, to be honest with you.”

And Kathryn does have very specific advice to anyone who’s started gardening for the first time.

“Visit the Carnival gardens and talk to the people in the gardens,” she says. “Definitely be inspired.”

Her garden also includes an aeroplane made out of Coca Cola cans from 1982 and a frame with a newspaper behind it, dated 1953 – the year Kathryn was born. She also says she has given away plants that haven’t been successful to family members . “This year, I gave away to my brother those that I just can’t get to sing,” Kathryn says. “But I still have those that do sing for me. I love them. Just give me a plant to grow – I’ll give it a try.”

“Visit the Carnival gardens and talk to the people in the gardens. Definitely be inspired.”

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~Kathryn Jowett

LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL City Medium Residential

112 Neil St, South Toowoomba

rand Champions Leisa and Serge Rossignol are also this year’s Medium Residential award winners for their glorious cottage garden. Leisa was initially drawn to the property for its original pressed-metal ceilings and convenient location only a few streets from the centre of town.

“It’s a cottage in South Toowoomba and it’s around 120 years old, so a cottage garden was the obvious choice,” says Leisa. While the previous owners had renovated the kitchen and bathrooms in a modern country style, the yard had been left mostly untouched, which the pair remedied to glorious effect.

The rustic, provincial aesthetic feels like a nod to both Leisa’s love for vintage revival and Serge’s French origins. One step into the multi-award-winning garden will make

you feel like you’re in the south of France. So much so that last year the pair created a garden pop-up shop selling vintage treasures they’d sourced from country markets in France, along with bunches of cottage-grown flowers.

To transform the bare backyard of a charming weatherboard cottage near the Toowoomba CBD into an award-winning potager garden bursting with colour and buzzing with bees required meticulous planning.

The varieties of flowers, herbs and vegetables in the garden are planned nine months in advance with a series of mud maps and notepads filled with wisdom collected over the years.

“Just make sure you are planting things for the right season and timing it – timing is the tricky bit,” Leisa says. Together they’ve created a harmonious

ecosystem where bees and butterflies flit from blossom to blossom, pollinating the plants and contributing to the garden’s biodiversity.

The couple’s knack for creating a quaint natural space invokes nostalgia and draws in thousands of visitors each year during Carnival of Flowers.

“I love it, and we love being out there talking to people,” Leisa says about sharing their garden with visitors during Carnival of Flowers in September and inspiring others to explore sustainability.

“Even if we can get someone to grow a patch of lettuce in a pot, then that’s amazing.”

“Even if we can get someone to grow a patch of lettuce in a pot, then

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.

that’s amazing.”

~Leisa Rossignol

City Large Residential

SHERYL ANNE LOTHIAN

2 Oak St, Highfields

CLASS QUALIFIERS

osebud Gardens is what Sheryl Anne Lothian has affectionately named her home, which suits her rosefilled grounds to a tee. Overflowing with colour and revealing secret treasures at every turn, it’s a garden not only filled with a variety of plants and flowers, but one also bursting with an abundance of love.

around the place – I’ve got Sophie’s house and Archie’s shed and Oliver’s gym, because their father has a gym. My son’s a mechanic so there are little trucks parked out there… They just love it, and I hope that it instils something in them, (so) when they’re older they’ll remember Grandma’s place.”

Sheryl grew her vibrant garden from nothing. When she bought the property in 2019 there were no flowers, only the conifers and a few other trees.

she says. “The David Austin English Rose, Abraham Darby English Rose, Pierre De Ronsard Rose… they’re just stunning. I think roses are my pick.”

“I have eight little grandchildren,” says Sheryl. “The children just love my garden. There’s a couple of little fairy gardens

“I didn’t really want something as big as this, but I sort of fell in love – I could see so much potential,” she says. Her most treasured element is hard to choose, but it’s the sweet-smelling roses that take the cake.

“I can’t go past the perfume of a beautiful pink rose – I keep coming back to that one,”

As her garden has grown over the years, her pride in it has grown too. It’s not just a wonderful place for her grandchildren to explore and play, but also a place that lifts her mood and changes her perspective. “You’re inclined to forget all your worries when you come out here,” she says. “When you do have a bit of a down day and start to think you’re not good enough – when you see what you’ve done in your garden, you think, well, hey, that doesn’t look too bad, and you’re pretty proud of yourself. So it sort of reverses those feelings you might have had before. I think it’s the tranquillity and the peace.”

“You’re inclined to forget all your worries when you come out here.”

~Sheryl Lothian

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.

Regional Small/ Medium Residential

KELLIE & MARK GERSEKOWSKI

15 Lee Ct, Crows Nest

n the Regional Small/Medium Residential category of The Chronicle Garden Competition in 2022, Kellie and Mark Gersekowski were named in second spot for their Crows Nest entry.

Fast forward 12 months and the couple’s Lee Ct garden has claimed top spot in the category to go with their Regional Grand Champion prize, best Floral Garden and Under 45 Years Gardener honours.

A haul of four top prizes for the couple in 2023 compared to two prizes last year for the Front Garden and Under 45 categories. And it’s certainly a pursuit the couple enjoy.

“I find it quite relaxing,” Kellie says. “It’s rewarding. It’s just a beautiful place to be.

“This year, this is my third year in the

Carnival. I quite enjoy it to be honest. It’s a nice experience, especially the 10 days with all the people that you get to meet.

“And it’s rewarding for me because I get to wake up every morning and look at this,” she says, gesturing to her garden.

“The neighbours that go walking every morning along the road – they love it.” Colour and flowers come to the fore when the couple are considering what to create for the following 12 months.

When asked if there were any particular judging criteria that they were looking at when they were planning the garden, or if they just wanted to make it their own, Kellie says it came down to knowing what plants worked in the space.

“No, you kind of have to think about the

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.

challenges that you have within your own garden, and then you have to think about that, and then create around that.

“But I love colour, I love flowers, and that’s why I chose to do lots of flowers, because that’s my idea of the Carnival garden. And it’s all the things that I love,” she says. And of course, there is also the satisfaction that comes from her favourite hobby and from watching her masterpiece evolve from planning in the cold months to bursting with colour and life come the spring.

“I love flowers. And that’s why I chose to do lots of flowers.”

~Kellie Gersekowski

Regional Large Residential

CLASS QUALIFIERS

ou enter the garden through an old iron gate and a manicured lawn rolls neatly across the country plot. To one side there are garden beds full of flowers, while a pair of metal swans dance in harmony.

Elsewhere, a small wooden bridge leads to a large vegetable patch, where row after row of leafy greens and brassicas sit proudly. A small metal magpie stands guard, lest any intruder try to steal from this precious patch.

Merv and Alma Fowler’s winning large regional residential garden is quirky, luscious and fun. The pair, entrants in the annual competition since 2013, simply love gardening and love sharing their garden

with others – a garden they’ve lovingly tended to for decades.

“I’ve been here, 50-odd years,” says Merv. “At the same property. The old house was always home and then 25 years ago I built a new one … because I was too lazy to maintain the old one.”

If he’s a lazy housekeeper, that attitude doesn’t extend to the garden, which has been lovingly tended to by both himself and Alma.

“We reap the rewards of gardening,” he says. “We have so many beautiful resident birds and lizards and bees.”

Alma loves getting out in nature every day, but says that her favourite part of the garden is actually the gate, which a friend built for them using a 100-year-old

repurposed bed head. “I’ve always wanted something like that,” she says, “I’m so very happy with it.”

Besides the joy of gardening, they truly love the fun that comes with entering the garden competition and meeting new people who come through their door as a result.

“You go to the Carnival of Flowers garden show and you meet so many different people. Gardening is such a social activity. You meet them and hear their ideas and learn their stories.”

“We reap the rewards of gardening. We have so many beautiful resident birds and lizards and bees”

~Merv Fowler

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.

101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook

n the rural township of Westbrook, longtime gardener Shirley Mundt has created an oasis of colour. With an array of glowing purple sea lavenders, pale white snapdragons and vibrant pink petunias, her lively garden is a sight to behold.

One of the parts to explore in Shirley’s rural garden is her native plant area – in fact, it’s her most favourite area.

Aussie Bush Walk says the sign, inviting visitors to tour the natives on display and soak up the smells and sights of the Australian bush.

An experienced gardener and seasoned entrant into The Chronicle Garden Awards, Shirley’s been working away on improving and expanding her garden in time for this year’s entry.

“I have done lots of different things since last year,” she says.

“And I’ve added a couple of new features, including the big one – the mural. I like looking at the mural.”

She’s also fond of the bearded irises sprinkled throughout her vivid garden. As well as the myriad of colourful plants, shrubs and flowers filling Shirley’s large

CLASS QUALIFIERS

regional garden, the property is home to a dainty wooden bridge, winding pebble paths and a tranquil pond. There’s plenty of space to wander, admire and enjoy the perfumed plants and interesting designs of this award-winning garden.

added

features, including the big one – the mural.”

“I’ve

a couple of new

~Shirley Mundt

City Front Garden

VAL AND BOB FORD

19 Burke St, Rangeville

OPTION 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.

f you are looking for inspiration on how to achieve that “wow factor” when people arrive at your home, you should look no further than the magnificent yard of Val and Bob Ford, who have taken out the Front Garden category in this year’s The Chronicle Garden Competition.

Featuring a breathtaking array of blooms, Val and Bob’s labour of love has been a work in progress for several decades, something the couple chip away at on their own, even as they approach their 80s. “We have lived here since 1966, and we love

although there’s one hue he admits he’s not a particular fan of. “Orange is a colour I don’t like, and yet, clivias make such a terrific show.”

Along with the clivias, the couple’s front garden features a garden bed of ranunculus, azaleas and pansies, framed by weeping cherry trees and, the star attraction, a magnificent conifer.

“I love conifers,” says Val. “I just love them, they’re my favourite, but I particularly love the one in the front. It’s just lovely.”

“We love to bring visitors

maples and different shrubs,” explains Bob, “and then the flowers underneath just make the show.”

Keeping their garden beautiful is not without its challenges.

“This year was a warm winter,” Bob says. “You had to be very choosey as to when to debud – though it was good for no pests in the garden.”

When it comes to advice for those planning to start gardening for the first time, he recommends starting small.

“Go around to the carnival gardens and study all the different areas that they have.

LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL City Back Garden

112 Neil St, South Toowoomba

This year’s Grand Champions Leisa and Serge Rossignol have also picked up the coveted Back Garden award for their meticulously curated yet delightfully sprawling patch.

Growing up on the Darling Downs, Leisa says she has enjoyed the Carnival of Flowers from a young age.

“Carnival of Flowers is always something that you enjoy as a child and follow through, hopefully, with family,” she says.

“It’s nice just to follow that tradition that we have here in Toowoomba.”

The passion for gardening runs deep in the couple’s roots. Since buying the property in 2015 Leisa and Serge have relished the opportunity to reinvent the yard and create an abundant flower garden that could also provide them with seasonal produce.

Serge, equally enamoured with their garden, shares: “I’ve got two favourite places: the potager (the veggie patch or

kitchen garden) and also the lovely deck we built.”

For Leisa it’s all about the plants. “I love the old-fashioned cottage garden plants, and the spring-flowering ones are always beautiful to have in the garden,” she says. Their garden, which is a riot of colour and character, is a testament to their love for horticulture. From the five raised beds in the potager to the enchanting mix of vines (including wisteria, Lady Hillingdon climbing rose, and two grape varieties), the aesthetic leans towards an informal and abundant wilderness.

The journey to creating this garden paradise began with the removal of an invasive, black-mould-riddled Chinese celtis tree to make way for the potager. New pathways, crafted from repurposed brick, now meander through the garden, leading to a charming pink summer house lovingly constructed by Serge at the rear of the yard. This cherished garden hideaway is a visual

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treat, adorned with vintage stained-glass windows and a set of French doors, all found on Facebook Marketplace. It’s a testament to their commitment to preserving family heirlooms and creating a haven steeped in sentimental value. Vintage pieces collected by Leisa have found new purpose, thanks to Serge’s creative touch. Serge’s craftsmanship extends beyond the summer house; he has also handcrafted obelisks and potting benches, infusing precision and order into the garden. With this incredibly joyful backyard, Leisa and Serge embody the spirit of Toowoomba’s gardening community, inspiring us all to cultivate our own pockets of paradise.

“I love the old-fashioned cottage garden plants, and the spring-flowering ones are always beautiful to have.”

~Leisa Rossignol

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

KATHRYN JOWETT

4/459 Bridge St, Wilsonton

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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.

athryn Jowett claimed the City Small Space prize in The Chronicle Garden Competition last year and has now grabbed the top prize again. And it proves the point that a lot can be packed into a small space with the Bridge St, Wilsonton address bursting with flora at every angle.

“I don’t apply myself so much to the judging criteria as the pleasure of planning the garden,” Kathryn says.

“So I did start to plan knowing that I was entering in February, planting in March, but it’s really about my joy and my creativity and the things that I love, and that’s really what it comes down to for me.

“Yes, the criteria is part (of it), but that’s not where I focus. I focus on the pleasure and

the joy … It’s like rollicking in the surf. I just love it.”

Kathryn says she particularly enjoys the creativity of gardening and the relaxation it brings.

“I love that it lets me be fully me,” she says.

“I just I love it. I love the freedom. I love the happiness. I love the joy. I love sharing my garden.

“I think this is my sixth garden. I’ve loved every year. I had a friend who came to visit me in my previous garden and she said:

‘Oh, wow, this is gorgeous. You should enter the carnival.’”

“I’m a real nurturer. So I love nurturing and whatever the weather brings, the rain, the cold, the frost, I take it in my stride.”

As for a favourite spot in her garden, Kathryn says she doesn’t have one.

“There is no favourite spot – whatever I’m looking at is my favourite spot,” she says. But she does have a favourite plant.

“That would be my magnolia, because it has been stunning,” Kathryn says. She also has a large-leaf maidenhair fern, owned for around 15 years, which is another preferred choice. But Kathryn does admit to having challenges with some plants.

“I’ve tried to grow carnivorous plants for quite a few years,” she says. “Some I have success with and some I don’t.”

“It’s really about my joy and my creativity and the things that I love.”

~Kathryn Jowett

LOTHIAN City Productive Area

SHERYL ANNE

2 Oak St, Highfields

ith overflowing hanging pots and daisies exploding from garden beds, a watering can showering a birdbath in glass beads, and hidden shady sitting areas, Sheryl Lothian’s garden is truly a place of joy – not just for her but for her eight grandchildren too. Her colourful garden has taken out two awards this year – one for Large Residential and the other for Productive Area. And while shaping her big backyard into the glorious playground it is today has been a labour of love, it’s also been a challenge, because it’s not just her grandchildren who appreciate her garden.

“I have had trouble with the possums,” Sheryl says, explaining that four-legged gardeners get into her productive garden, wreaking havoc on her veggie patch.

“I love animals, I do. I’ve actually had a mother and baby possum here, but being so dry before the natives came out, the

bandicoots are digging and digging at nighttime and in the morning.”

Snails, too, have been a challenge.

“Last year, I picked up 471 snails one night! I came out with a bucket and a torch, and I just had to pick them up. It was just very heartbreaking – but you know, they are the challenges. I thought, well that’s 471 fewer snails that can hurt my garden!”

When the bandicoots and possums have retired, and the calming sounds of running water from the fish pond and the shade of the gazebo beckons, Sheryl’s garden is a peaceful place where she can relax and reconnect with nature. Under branches dotted with blossoms is a sitting table decorated with broken crockery – a place of positive reflection.

“I’ve got a little table that I made from China that has broken over the years, or maybe some of the children broke them when they were younger. But I kept those pieces and I put them on a table,” says

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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.

Sheryl. “It’s nice sitting at the table, looking over my English China. That brings back the positive of something negative that happened when the children were only little.

She also enjoys making friends with the local birds.

“I’ve actually got two little lorikeets that come in and sit on my hand,” says Sheryl.

“They’re wild, but they’re almost like pets. They sat on my little granddaughter’s hand the other day – she loved that, it was just beautiful.”

With more than 100 roses, as well as a variety of tulips, irises, pansies, grevilleas, paintbrush lilies and so much more, Sheryl’s productive garden is a welldeserved winner.

“I do love roses, I have over 100 roses planted here!”

~Sheryl Lothian

City Footpath Garden

LYNN & ROBYN VANDERSEE

252 Greenwattle St, Wilsonton Heights

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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.

rom having visitors admire their plants and flowers to the opportunity it provides to open up conversations with new friends, Lynn and Robyn Vandersee take great pride in their garden.

With a mix of colours from whites to reds and purples combined with greenery, plus a water feature and even a bench to sit and immerse yourself in it, it’s little wonder Lynn and Robyn have been named this year’s Footpath Garden winners. “This is our third time we’ve entered,” Robyn says.

“We like to promote Toowoomba as the Garden City, and we love having people come and look at the garden – and my husband loves talking to people.” While Lynn can’t pick his favourite flower or part of the garden, Robyn does have one

in mind.

“Ah, I love all my plants. But I have a rock rose that’s up there that’s flowering at the moment,” she explains.

“Last year it wasn’t flowering, but it’s flowering now and it’s really, really pretty.”

After all their hard work to create a tranquil yet colourful space, Lynn says there’s nothing they love more than relaxing and enjoying the view.

“Often just sitting on the back verandah looking out at this courtyard … it’s just very quiet, peaceful, and it’s colourful, and we enjoy that,” he says.

“(We) sit with a cup of coffee and really enjoy it. We sit back and enjoy the rewards of our labours.

“We do it mainly for our own enjoyment and (to add) get some colour.”

The pair are passionate about ensuring

Toowoomba lives up to its reputation as the Garden City and hope their garden will inspire others to give gardening a go. As far as Lynn and Robyn are concerned, the more flowers and greenery around the streets the better.

“Just start small, just a small garden bed or a wheelbarrow,” Robyn says to those considering starting their gardening journey.

“Then if everybody in Toowoomba did that and planted up just a small garden in the front to promote the Carnival, it would be wonderful.”

“It’s

just very quiet, peaceful, and it’s colourful, and we enjoy that.”

~Lynn Vandersee

STEPHEN & LENA TRAYNOR City First-time Entry

irst time entrants Stephen and Lena Traynor have smashed it right out of the gate with their tranquil Japanese themed garden in Harristown.

They decided to enter The Chronicle Garden Competition when a friend of Lena’s, who had taken part in the garden competition, suggested they “go for it”. “We’ve put a fair bit of effort in and we’re not really sure what other people would think of it,” Stephen says. “We decided to enter the Garden Competition because we wanted some feedback from people that are coming through to see what they think of the garden.”

Creating the Japanese inspired design drew its roots from a dry and humid weather climate.

“Originally the garden was started during

the drought time,” Stephen says.

“We looked at things like cacti and succulents, and we’ve sort of just built on that from there.

“Even though they’re low maintenance and low water, we still have to do a lot of weeding and pruning, but the original thing was mostly around cacti and succulents.”

Lena says: “Some of the plants, through frost and stuff like pigface and all that, get diseases and different things and (we) try to keep them okay – you have to baby them a little bit.”

Among the various plants and florals, their favourite is crassula ovata, more commonly known as the jade plant.

“We’re thinking the jade might be at the moment so they seem fairly hardy,” Stephen says. “They grow from a cutting but have lots of different varieties and they seem

to stay healthy at the moment, no matter what, so quite a nice plant (that’s) easy to look after.”

With their front garden offering a beautiful mix of colours and textures, it was the private sanctuary out the back that was crowned their favourite spot.

“(It’s) a bit more tropical at the back, more succulent at the front,” Stephen says.

“When wine o’clock hits it, there’s no houses down the back here, so it sort of feels like we’re in the bush.

“Even though we’re in the city it’s very, very bush-like, (and) I guess it’s a little sanctuary in town.”

“If you stick at it, eventually you’ll have something nice at the end.”

~Stephen Traynor

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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.

TIFFANY WICKS City Under-45 Gardener

Street, Mount Lofty

iffany Wicks shares her block of land with bandicoots, bush turkeys and a border collie, not to mention a husband and two very young children. But despite the challenges of keeping her plants alive and untrampled, she has taken out the Under 45 Years gardener award for 2023.

“I think I just love being out in the sunshine,” Tiffany says. “That’s what I love most about gardening. And I feel like it’s something that I can achieve that keeps getting better, as opposed to say housework with little kids.”

She entered the competition last year for the first time and – in her own words – “got a little bit addicted” to it.

“I’ve been gardening ever since I was a child,” Tiffany says. “And I kind of think it was a little bit of a joke with Damien (my husband) because I said that I always wanted to enter. And he said, “Give it a go, put your money where your mouth is’. So I just did. I just gave it a go.”

She believes the most important thing any new gardener can do is just get going.

“Just start,” she says, “I think that that’s the main thing. When I started here there was nothing, there was not a plant in the yard, and I just decided on the spot I would start and just went from there.”

Tiffany knows that gardening has its ups

and downs, and seasons play a big part. “It has been extremely warm and dry,” she says. “I’ve spent a lot of time deheading this year. But the thing about gardening is that if things don’t work out, you can just move them or change them.”

Far from letting the unpredictable nature of gardening worry her, Tiffany says it suits her.

“I’m a little bit of a fly-by-the-seat-of-yourpants kind of person,” she laughs. “And I think it is reflected in my garden.”

“I just love being out in the sunshine… that’s what I love most about gardening.”

Wicks

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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.

~Tiffany

MERV BUCKLEY City Over-70 Gardener

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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.

easoned gardener Merv Buckley has planted his way to winning the Over 70 Years Gardener with a beautiful collection of natives. Located in Wilsonton, Merv has been entering the garden competition for around 20 years and says gardening “keeps me out of trouble”.

“It’s all part of the blood now,” he says. When Merv first joined the competition, his motivation for entering was spurred on by a bet he made with his mate.

“An old mate of mine, he was going in (to the competition) and he said ‘I dare you to go’, so I thought, ‘righto’,” he says.

“He’s stopped doing it now – he’s too crook now.”

“(But) he’s always telling me where I’m going wrong.”

This year, Merv says he’s done something

different in the garden.

“Something different I’ve done this year is the sweet peas,” he says.

“I’ve never bothered (with) them, but they’re doing all right and (they) have a nice smell at night, so it worked.”

With the sweet peas growing at full strength, there were a couple of challenges Merv faced that were outside of his control to get the garden competition ready.

“(I had) a lot of trouble with the wind, and then not too much rain when you didn’t want it,” he says.

“(Also) some things were growing where they shouldn’t, and it was a bit of a problem.

“Things (were) sorted out (and) now (the) lawn’s a bit of a problem too.”

However, you’d never guess there were issues when visiting Merv’s flourishing

garden of native plants and shrubs. He says just about everything in the garden is a favourite of his, with the natives holding a special place, and his oldest tree being his favourite spot.

“My bonsais, all along the top side of the house (is where) I’ve got about 80 trees, and I’ve been doing that since 1954 (which) is my oldest tree,” he says.

“It’s a peach tree and it’s still having fruit.” Experiencing the ups and downs that come with gardening, one piece of advice that Merv would give those who are gardening for the first time is “don’t give up (and) just keep going”.

“(Gardening) keeps me out of trouble.”

~Merv Buckley

TIFFANY WICKS City Floral Garden

Fairholme Street, Mount Lofty

was so excited to enter the floral category, because I just really love flowers,” says Floral Garden winner, Tiffany Wicks, whose beautiful garden is a bright and colourful ode to flowers, springtime and country cottage charm.

“I really wanted to try to give that ‘wow’ factor with lots and lots of blooms,” she says, but adds her garden isn’t just for warmer weather. “I love my perennials as well. I’ve been trying to add lots of, I guess, drought-tolerant and hardy perennials in the mix.”

Tiffany created this garden while parenting two very small children – one of which is a newborn – and admits there have been a few challenges along the way.

“I thought I planted at the right time, but everything sort of came along a lot quicker than I anticipated. So it’s been deheading, deheading, deheading,” she laughs. “I got out of hospital early to continue deheading.”

She was also pleased with how well her stocks turned out this year, being a notoriously difficult flower.

“They’re unpredictable because you

sometimes get the singles, which aren’t as attractive,” Tiffany explains. “And also they just seem to be fickle. Their leaves go discoloured. They get on the lean, so you’ve got a stake them. They don’t like too much water. They don’t like too much food.” Despite everything, the stocks have soared, popping up throughout her garden in a vibrant display of colour, sharing space with bushes full of daisies and garden beds mopped with Queen Anne’s lace. When it comes to her favourite flower, Tiffany is partial to anything that blooms brightly and says that choosing a favourite flower is like choosing a favourite child, but if she had to pick, it would be the poppy.

“I love the poppy,” she says. “It is an annual, so obviously it doesn’t last for ages, but it always sort of makes me smile. I love how vibrant it is. When the wind blows, it looks like it’s dancing. But it is a hard question … I have quite a few favourites.”

“I really wanted to

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Wicks

give that ‘wow’ factor with lots and lots of blooms.”

~Tiffany

Floral Garden is 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.

Regional Front Garden

ROBYN STEGER

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obyn Steger had always wanted to enter The Chronicle Garden Competition, but when her husband unexpectedly had a stroke at the age of 52, her goal had to take a back seat.

“I nursed him for 20 years. He was partially paralysed,” Robyn says.

Robyn’s husband unfortunately died three years ago, and her garden is now where she feels close to him.

“I always feel I’m closest to heaven when I’m out in the garden,” she says. That’s how Robyn knew now was the perfect time to start her competition journey.

Not knowing what to expect or whether there were specific criteria she had to hit,

Robyn just followed what she felt was right.

“I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t know whether you had to have a lot of colour, I didn’t know what was expected to be in a competition like this,” she says.

“I haven’t got a lot of colour, but I think I left my run too late to put it in. (I have) a lot of self-sown stuff – I just thought I’d take a stab at it and see how I went.”

Robyn went very well. In fact, 22 Florence St, Pittsworth is this year’s Front Garden winner, and it’s fitting given all she has been through.

Her garden holds a special place in her heart and every aspect has a special meaning, right down to the flowers and plants grown inside an old car.

“I don’t think I have a favourite, they all just

mean the same,” Robyn says.

The road to winning the competition hasn’t been easy. It’s taken a lot of trial and error and dedication to noting down what was working and what wasn’t, which she’s gotten down to a fine craft – including knowing when things needed a change.

“I do plant things and then they don’t do any good,” Robyn explains. “So I shift them to another area to try and find the right spot.”

22 Florence St, Pittsworth

“I always feel I’m closest to heaven when I’m out in the garden.”

~Robyn Steger

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.

JULIE BROWN & STEPHEN BALOGH Regional Back Garden

5 Frontier Ct, Gowrie Junction

ulie Brown and Stephen Balogh have won the Back Garden category with a beautiful and thoughtful layout at 5 Frontier Ct, Gowrie Junction. This year is the second time Julie has entered the garden competition, and both years have seen her walk away with a win.

“The first time I entered was two years ago, and (I) actually won First Time entrant, so this is the second time I’ve entered, just into the backyard section,” Julie says.

“I just enjoy looking at the garden and doing the work really – it gives me a lot of pleasure.”

Deciding to enter the competition again this year wasn’t a difficult choice for Julie.

“Well, last year I did a lot of experimenting with plants and frost control because we get frost, and I thought I was on top of it, until it stopped raining months ago,” Julie says.

“I decided to enter this year because I thought I’m on top of the frost control, and a few annuals I put in thrived. (But) they’re struggling with the dry now.”

With a very big garden, the dry weather has made it hard to keep the space properly watered.

“We do have an irrigation system and a bore there, (but) it’s not adequate, so I’m

having to hand-water a lot,” she says. “This year, the pansies and violas (have) need(ed) more attention. Last year they thrived (and) this year they’re not thriving, but they’re surviving, just.”

Despite the weather issues, Julie and Stephen’s backyard has flourished with Julie pointing to a few of her favourite plants and garden spots.

“I like the osteospermums (African daisies) and the cistus. The gazanias I’m trying to encourage because they’re fairly hardy and they self-propagate,” she says.

“I’m right into self-propagating, and I call it my ‘Johnny Appleseed approach’ of just throwing seeds out and letting them settle.

“My favourite spot is probably the part of the garden around the front edge, because I planted all the cistus there a number of years ago and it flowers lovely at this time of year, so I enjoy that.”

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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.

“I just enjoy looking at the garden and doing the work really – it gives me a lot of pleasure.”

~Julie Brown

HURSE Regional Small Space

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The

he enchanting garden of Narelle Hurse at 4 Cashmore St, Wyreema has flowered a win in the Small Space category. This is Narelle’s second year of entering the garden competition, which she describes as “exciting”.

“I thought the garden looked OK, and would be fun to enter,” Narelle says. “You meet a lot of lovely people and it’s just nice to share it.”

Despite a delayed start due to surgery, Narelle decided to give this year’s competition a shot.

“I wasn’t going to (enter this year because) I had hand surgery not so long ago, which really put me behind the eight ball, so I

certain person involved with the garden competition, and thought ‘why not?’” Within the impressive layout and blossoming florals, Narelle says it is the vibrant pelargoniums that are both her favourite and most challenging plant.

“If you look around, I’ve got quite a few of them. (The) pelargoniums (and) the bearded iris are beautiful (and) my favourites, with the dahlias coming a close third,” Narelle says.

“The most challenging plant would have to be the pelargonium again because there are different varieties.

“I’ve found that each one has a different requirement to have them looking their best, so I’m sort of learning all the time.

“I’ve got over 100 varieties of pelargoniums either in the garden or in pots,” she says. Another point is getting the timing right for everything to flower together, which can

always be a challenge, Narelle says. With a real passion for gardening, she loves how you can “lose yourself in it”.

“You forget about work and everything that’s happening in your life,” Narelle says.

“(It’s) great for the mind (and) great for the soul.”

To those newcomers who are wondering how to make a start in gardening, Narelle recommends just having a go.

“Once you get your hands in the dirt, you start to get addicted to it,” she says.

“It’s so much fun watching little plants grow into big plants or seeds germinate; it’s exciting and fulfilling.”

4 Cashmore St, Wyreema

“Once you get your hands in the dirt, you start to get addicted to it.”

~Narelle Hurse

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.

MUNDT Regional Acreage Garden

SHIRLEY

he challenges of maintaining an acreage garden in regional Queensland are many. If it’s not a lack of water you’re worrying about, it’s the weeding. Or the uninvited garden invaders popping and nibbling your prized plants.

For seasoned gardener Shirley Mundt, who has taken out this year’s Regional Acreage Garden prize, she’s seen it all. But this year the challenges she faced were more inside, than out.

Her pretty garden, filled with bright pinks, purples and reds, is at odds with her rural surroundings. Her garden in Westbrook, not far from Toowoomba, is colourful and neat, filled with rocky paths and paved stepping stones that guide you through beds of flowers.

An experienced gardener, Shirley has been entering her gardens for many years – but this year proved a tricky one.

“In May, my husband had an operation,” she says of the challenges she faced when preparing to enter this year’s competition.

“Then we had a new kitchen and new floor coverings just at the time when we should have been planting, in May and June.

“So it was a challenge to get things in the ground at the right time. Everything was probably a little bit late.”

Nonetheless, Shirley managed to get her glowing garden in order – and just in time to take out not one, but four prizes.

“I like sharing the garden with lots of visitors,” says Shirley, who has opened her garden to visitors to see during the Carnival.

“I even enjoy it myself, walking around and everything’s tidy. I guess it’s just nice to have it tidy once a year.”

With a mix of flowering plants and Australian natives, it’s no surprise Shirley’s taken out the award for Acreage Garden. Maintaining a garden of that size is no small feat – even for a seasoned gardener such as Shirley.

“I like sharing the garden with lots of visitors.”

48 | THE CHRONICLE GARDEN COMPETITION VISITOR GUIDE 2023

~Shirley Mundt

The Acreage Garden option is open to gardens that surround homes on a property over 4,046sq m (one acre or more). Entries are judged on 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.

Regional Productive Area

MERV & ALMA FOWLER

7 Bowden St, Pittsworth

ow does your garden grow?” Well, if you’re Merv and Alma Fowler of Pittsworth, the answer is, it doesn’t just grow, it thrives. The winners of Best Regional Productive Area (they also won the same award last year) Merv and Alma’s whole garden is beautiful, but their productive garden positively bursts with row after row of fresh and seasonal produce. From vibrant salad greens to hearty cabbages, bright orange carrots to plump green broccoli, the garden is enough to sustain a big family throughout the seasons. Which is a good thing, because Merv and Alma have a big family.

“We share all our produce, we give it away,” Merv says. He admits his vegetable garden is his favourite part of the garden. “I just love growing vegetables,” he says, “Or trying to grow vegetables.”

Merv’s passion for gardening is quite basic - he simply adores watching things grow. For Alma, it’s more about the experience of being in nature. “Being out amongst it

and seeing butterflies, bees, birds - it’s so beautiful.”

The Fowlers love the garden season every year. They’re especially proud to be from a region which cares for and promotes gardens and they enjoy sharing their own garden with visitors.

But while the vegetable patch is Merv’s pride and joy, Alma is keen to point out there are other things in the garden that you’re not meant to eat - something she has had to make clear to a few passers-by coming to sample their veggies.

“I have to mention the sweet peas,” she says. “A lady came through on a tour of the garden and she picked the pod (of sweet peas) and she started to open it because she thought it was an eating pea. And I said to her that is sweet pea. You don’t eat them.”

“I

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just love growing vegetables - or trying to grow vegetables.”

~Merv Fowler

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.

JOHN & LENORE FERRIS Regional Footpath Garden

Perseverance Dam Rd, Crows Nest

happy partnership is the fairydust over Regional Footpath Garden winners John and Lenore Ferris’ offering.

“Lenore’s a plant enthusiast and she loves gardening and she loves to have different plants and this is her thing really and I do the work for her,” says John. Their garden is a comfy kaleidoscope of succulents, natives, winding vines, and charming cottage flowers, a celebration of the simplicity of nature’s beauty.

Lenore says: “I just love all the different flowers. Nature is such a beautiful thing. And there’s not, there’s not one that looks like the next one. So it’s amazing. And our garden is just like one of everything.”

For John, the garden offers solace and therapy: “I think it’s the therapy of it. We built a garden for our garden. We didn’t worry about judges or anything.”

Their journey, however, wasn’t without its share of challenges this year. John reflected on these difficulties, saying: “Weather mainly. It can be a bit traumatising.”

Lenore adds: “It warmed up too early this year.”

Despite meticulous planning, sometimes

nature had its own ideas. John confessed: “The ranunculus were the main failure. They started to bud up a bit too early.” Ranunculus have been a recurring troublemaker this Carnival, with many gardeners surprised at their disappointing yield.

“We thought we were being clever this year because we’re always a little bit behind,” says John. “So we planned a bit early this year. And then we got a warmer winter, and it backfired.”

Their garden isn’t just a private escape; it’s a place of shared joy and connections.

John enthused: “Enjoy it? Yeah, of course. I can’t understand why people don’t like gardening. And we like having people come here, we had people here over the weekend up from Brisbane just to have a look. It’s really rewarding.”

John and Lenore’s garden is really something special, a lovely meander for all who visit.

OPTION 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 just love all the different flowers. Nature is such a beautiful thing.”

~Lenore Ferris

PETER & AMANDA ROBERTS Regional First-time Entry

12

Tooth St, Nobby

manda and Peter Roberts just love working together. Their garden provides the perfect opportunity for their teamwork and creative flair to thrive.

First time entrants in The Chronicle Garden Competition, their gorgeous and carefully architected garden has taken out this year’s First Time Entry award. Located in Nobby at 12 Tooth St, Amanda and Peter wanted to honour the history of the area and provide another reason for people to come and visit.

“We enjoyed working together to plan a very colourful garden, and now our front windows tell a story,” he says.

“We live in a really nice little village here, it’s very historic. We have historic people here like sister Elizabeth Kenney and Arthur Henry Davis, who writes the Dad and Dave stories.

“And we wanted to add a bit of colour to Nobby and get more people to come and see all the good things we have here.”

Amanda added: “(We wanted to) just showcase the village a little bit.” They have certainly provided that. Featuring carefully planned flowers in garden beds with pops of colour, including red, white and pink, with the perfect addition of outdoor furniture in the form of chairs and even an elegant white outdoor

setting, it’s a warm and inviting space.

“My favourite thing about the garden is the pepperina tree because it has a lot of movement in the leaves and the berries are very pretty,” Amanda says.

“It evokes a lot of memories in people from their time in the country because there are a lot of pepperinas in the country.”

Amanda says they chose which plants to work with carefully, to ensure the process to the finished product wasn’t too difficult.

“We’ve deliberately selected very easy plants, so not a lot of it is challenging,” she says. “The window displays have been the most challenging. We reared them in the courtyard with a lot of sun, then brought them in and we just hope that they will survive in the shade.”

For those considering creating their own beautiful garden space, daisies are a great place to start.

“Try and keep it simple,” Peter says. “We’ve got a lot of daisies in the garden –you know if daisies work, use them. They give a good splash of colour.”

OPTION QUALIFIERS

“We wanted to add a bit of colour to Nobby and get more people to come and see all the good things we have here.”

~Peter Roberts

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.

KELLIE & MARK GERSEKOWSKI Under-45RegionalGardener

welve months ago, Kellie and Mark Gersekowski won the Regional Under 45 Years category in just their second year of entering The Chronicle Garden Competition.

Fast forward to 2023 and the couple have done it again successfully defending their crown against competitors from across the Darling Downs region thanks to an impressive array of colour and first-class design at their Crows Nest property They have received much advice and assistance from fellow gardeners over the past three years and are happy to pass on words of encouragement to someone who is just starting out on their own gardening journey.

And the key is small steps – well, small spaces.

“Start small, start really small,” Kellie suggests.

“Get yourself some pots, grow yourself some flowers, put them somewhere where you can enjoy them every day.

“And then from little things, then you can grow bigger things and start in a small area of your garden.

“Don’t try to garden the whole garden. Because once you’ve got that growing, that’s your reward and then you’re like – you beauty.

“And then you end up with what is exactly right.”

All gardeners, of course, will admit to facing challenges, and Kellie and Mark are no different with atmospheric conditions causing issues over the past year, along with frost, wind and lack of rain.

“Well, the frost is always difficult for us –always difficult,” Kellie says. “And then it got quite dry. And it got really windy at one stage there. But yeah, it’s always there –there’s always challenges.

“Warmer days, flowers earlier. Anyway, everyone experienced that. It makes you grow stronger, I love it all.”

However, Kellie does admit to enjoying sitting in the garden, taking in the rewards of the couple’s work.

“Yeah, I quite like sitting out here,” she says. “This is nice. But in the morning out the front. It’s really nice undercover.”

After receiving the 2022 award, Kellie said: “I have lots and lots of beautiful colour and special pieces dotted throughout the garden to give it its own charm.”

And 12 months on, it’s the same rewarding story.

OPTION 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.

“The frost is always difficult for us – always difficult.”

~Kellie Gersekowski

Over-70RegionalGardener

SHIRLEY

101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Rd, Westbrook

or an experienced gardener such as Shirley Mundt, there’s no challenge too great to surpass in her garden - and her efforts have been rewarded this year as she takes home the Regional Over-70 Gardener option.

“In May, my husband had an operation and then we had a new kitchen and floor coverings [put in] just at the time when we should have been planting in May and June,” Shirley explains.

“So it was a challenge to get things in the ground at the right time, and basically everything was probably a little bit late.” That being said, it worked in Shirley’s favour with the warmer winter.

“I haven’t had to do a lot of disbudding,”

she says.

When it comes to the actual plants in her garden, however, Shirley doesn’t have a particular one that is most challenging.

“I’ve had lots of experience,” she says.

“Some of the annuals tend to get rust. That’s a challenge.”

“[And] a lot of the acid [soil] things won’t grow here.

“We have pretty much neutral to a little bit slightly alkaline [soil].”

Also taking home the first prize for Acreage Garden this year, her garden is no small feat either. Stunning floral sections complement native gardens, which are Shirley’s favourite alongside bearded irises.

“I did lots of different things since last year

MUNDT

and a couple of new features. The mural is the big one, but there’s lots of other little changes,” Shirley says.

The mural is now one of Shirley’s favourite spots in her garden, as well as the area with the bearded irises.

Having gardened for many years, and entered in the competition with the current property for 10 years, Shirley says the best advice she could give to someone starting out is to just start:

Just have a go [gardening for the first time], even if it’s just some vegetables for you to eat.

~Shirley Mundt

OPTION 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.

Regional Floral Garden

KELLIE & MARK GERSEKOWSKI

ellie and Mark Gersekowski, winners of this year’s Floral Garden category, paid tribute to their fellow gardeners for the support they received following their victory.

For the couple, it’s the third time they have entered their Lee Ct, Crows Nest garden in The Chronicle Garden Competition with Kellie saying it was something she had long wanted to do and credited other local gardeners for providing lots of motivation to enter the competition.

“It was something I always wanted to do,” Kellie says. “But then some other gardeners really encouraged me to do it. They took me under their wing and gave me lots of inspiration and ideas.

“And then I’ve taken all their bits of knowledge and advice that they’ve given me along the way and created this.”

Having claimed the Regional Floral Garden title, Kellie reveals she does have a favourite flower.

“I love the double snapdragons – they’re my favourite this year,” she says. But Kellie also says there were no plants this year that were particularly challenging. “No, not difficult. They all have their own

challenges,” she says. “But it’s rewarding. It’s rewarding because I know.”

Kellie says there is a forest pansy in the award-winning garden, which is particularly special to her.

“I am very excited that it’s out,” she said. “I only put it in last year, and I was hesitant. Is it going to flower? Is it not? And then it popped in. I was very happy.”

In 2022, the couple claimed the Regional Front Garden prize and a year later, the garden is again awash with colour and blooms when viewed from the Lee Ct kerbside.

Foliage, pots, objects and timber all merge to create a colourful outlook when entering the property, with lawns also surrounded by an award-winning display of horticulture. And as Kellie admitted 12 months ago, the garden provides year-round enjoyment and not just for the month of the Carnival.

“I don’t really have a favourite spot yet, I enjoy all of it – certain parts of the garden at different times of the year,” she says.

“I love the double snapdragons – they’re my favourite this year.”

~Kellie Gersekowski

OPTION QUALIFIERS

Floral Garden is 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.

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Not-for-Profit Premises

WYREEMA COMMUNITY GARDEN

Wyreema Hall, 14 Umbiram Rd, Wyreema

he Community Garden at Wyreema is a vibrant addition to this charming rural community. Extending the Wyreema Community Hall, this garden has become a focal point for local residents. It offers a sweet place to connect with nature that’s open to all. Wyreema Park, where the community garden is located, has undergone a remarkable transformation, turning into a haven for families and outdoor enthusiasts. The park boasts a scenic walking track encircling a sports field, providing a perfect backdrop for daily exercise routines. With its picturesque surroundings and diverse amenities, Wyreema’s Community Garden invites in everyone who calls this place home.

TROPHY OR PRODUCT PRIZE QUALIFIERS

The Not-for-Profit Premises category encompasses both City and Regional, and is judged on the same criteria as School Premises.

CROWS NEST TOURIST PARK Commercial Premises

7558 New England Hwy, Crows Nest

he Crows Nest Tourist Park roves over acres of lush lawns and sustainable gardens. \It’s a carefully tended natural setting, loved for both tranquillity and adventure. The park’s self-contained cabins and caravan sites seamlessly blend modern comfort with Aussie bush charm.

In true dedication to flora and fauna, four legged visitors are always welcome when accompanied by well-behaved humans. A picturesque lake, surrounded by native

bushland, provides a peaceful backdrop for camping and birdwatching. The park even hosts an aviary home to a variety of species, from rosellas to lorikeets, adding a layer of birdsong to your visit.

TROPHY OR PRODUCT PRIZE QUALIFIERS

The Commercial Premises category encompasses both City and Regional, and is judged on the same criteria as School Premises.

GEHAM STATE SCHOOL School Premises

9625 New England Highway, Geham

t’s fitting that Geham State School is this year’s School Premises winner given the school’s motto is ‘Nurturing All Shades of Learning’. With 150 students across seven classrooms, everyone from students to teachers to parents take enormous pride in the school across all areas – from learning to building a strong community and overall presentation of school grounds. The garden plays a key role in that, both in contributing to build a supportive and inclusive community, as well as in the overall presentation of the school. With students heavily involved in its upkeep, the garden provides the

opportunity for students to learn responsibility, care and the importance of taking pride in their work. Featuring a mixture of flowers, plants and even a small cubby house, the garden is an inviting place for students, teachers and parents to visit. COMPETITION

TROPHY OR PRODUCT PRIZE QUALIFIERS

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.

ONLY $5

Get your Chronicle Garden Calendar today!

Only $5 for 12 months of beautiful garden photos. Available at Chronicle o ce, Toowoomba Visitor Centre, and pop-ups during Carnival.

TOOWOOMBA EAST STATE SCHOOL Student Garden

oowoomba East State School has a rich history. Built between 1935 and 1936, students are part of a community that has been around for nearly almost a century. Now, one of the premier primary schools in the city has added another chapter to its story, winners of the Student Garden category. It features large areas of greenery with student flair throughout, including a scarecrow, ribbons to add pops of colour and even CDs, name tags and keys dangling in surprise places to add detail and intrigue. Toowoomba East State School prides itself on upholding its tradition as a school with a supportive and caring community and an environment designed for students to thrive and learn the value of responsibility. The garden helps achieve this by giving students the opportunity to put that into action.

TROPHY OR PRODUCT PRIZE 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.

Cnr Arthur and Mary St, Toowoomba

Accommodation Premises

DAVID STANFIELD

1A Mabel St, Harlaxton

fter four years, David Stanfield has made a comeback to the Garden Competition with his eclectic and colourful garden at 1A Mabel St, Harlaxton.

“I was actually asked to (enter) because my garden is so different,” he says.

“I hadn’t planned to enter until next year, but I decided to pull out all the stops and try to get it up to a standard that people could enjoy, and we’ve managed to achieve that.”

Among the lush greenery and blooming florals, you’ll also find colourful pinwheels, a giant chess set, xylophones and triangle musical instruments floating from branches, a beautiful white piano with flowers blooming from the inside, and so much more.

“I have created lots of different spaces where people are so drawn into it that they don’t realise they’re in a garden, and that suddenly pulls them into a whole new space,” David says.

“For me, a garden is supposed to be a place that distracts you from the stress of the world (and) brings you back into connection with nature and with creation.” This sense of connection was a focus for David when mapping out his garden’s design. “My garden is really designed for

people,” he says.

“What is it that’s going to connect with people? What’s going to make people laugh? What’s going to make people relaxed? I really try to listen to the garden and see what it’s doing and try to follow its lead.

“I have a lot of shade in my garden, so I need to look at what’s growing and what’s not growing (and) what’s thriving and multiply that out. So really, I’m interacting with my garden all the time and watching.”

David also makes the most of his garden’s northern aspect, which allows the light to come in both morning and night.

“The idea is that I build things that the light will actually come through, and people can see the sunlight interacting with a garden –it’s awesome,” he says.

TROPHY OR PRODUCT PRIZE QUALIFIERS

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.

Budding Gardener

PEPPA MUNN

17 Faith St, Rangeville

eppa Munn loves being outside and in the garden, but not just for playing and spending time with friends and family.

Peppa loves to garden and was inspired by her mum, Kylie.

Featuring some beautiful flowers and a splash of the 12-year-old’s favourite things – fairies are a key theme – Peppa has been named this year’s Budding Gardener winner in The Chronicle Garden Competition.

Peppa’s favourite plants are her “snapdragons”, but ensuring they thrive isn’t

the only thing she loves about gardening. When asked what she’d say to others her age to encourage them to give in to their green thumb, Peppa says there is another thing she loves about it.

“(You) get dirty,” she says.

Peppa’s parents, Kylie and Tim, also entered this year’s competition and said the best part about gardening for their family is the quality time they spend together. In addition, they know they’re having an impact on the environment and providing Peppa with an opportunity to learn the importance of looking after our

TROPHY OR PRODUCT PRIZE QUALIFIERS

surroundings.

“(We) like the environmental side of it as well, sustainability and reusing the chickens and the veggie patch,” they said.

“And bringing up (Peppa) with understanding the environment and the landscape.”

As for the favourite part of their garden?

“Oh, where do you start?” they said.

“Love the alstroemeria that’s near the front entry, the little princess lily. It just goes crazy and has no care.

“But I do love the veggie patch – love just being in there tending to that.”

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

Rod MemorialHultgrenAward

STEPHEN & LENA

TRAYNOR

27 Buckland St, Harristown

he esteemed Rod Hultgren Memorial Award was won by first-time entrants Stephen and Lena Taylor from Buckland St, Harristown.

The award is in honour of Rod Hultgren, who was a passionate gardener, long-time ABC Gardening talkback expert, who passed away in 2017.

Rod had won champion garden in The Chronicle Garden Competition many times and shared his passion for gardening with his late wife Maureen.

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

Judge and ABC Gardening talkback expert

Penny McKinlay described their garden as a “delight to experience” from the white picket front fence through to the hidden oasis in the backyard.

The use of each space, the choice of plants and the layout were key takeaways for Penny.

“The cute cottage and picket fence frame a front garden of colours and textures,” she says.

“A short stroll down a driveway edged with bright, colourful garden boxes of petunias and a neatly trimmed photinia red robin hedge leads to a welcoming gate, which

opens onto a subtropical, tranquil oasis in the middle of suburbia.

“The Japanese-themed hidden garden has been lovingly designed and built to provide a private sanctuary for the owners and their family and friends.

“It’s a credit to them, being able to establish a garden that takes in the entire block and offers up so many wonderful experiences is truly remarkable.

“It’s a place you just want to sit in and enjoy and watch the world go by.”

With the award intending to encourage new gardeners, newcomers Stephen and Lena certainly fit the bill.

Creating their Japanese-themed garden and private sanctuary has given them some solid advice to pass onto first-time gardeners.

“Patience and it takes time and money,” Stephen says.

“But if you just stick at it, eventually you’ll have something nice at the end.

“If something dies, just find (a plant) that suits your soil and your habits (or) something that you can maintain.”

“It’s a place you just want to sit in and enjoy and watch the world go by.”

~Penny McKinlay

WEEKEND OF FUN FLORALS Your Guide To A

hile the Carnival of Flowers is on for the whole month of September and most of The Chronicle Garden Competition gardens open for over a week (September 15-24), sometimes you only have a weekend to experience what spring in the Garden City has to offer.

Fortunately, a vast majority of events are on across the September weekends, and there are even gardens that are only open from September 15-17 and September 22-24. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

WEEKEND 1: SEPTEMBER 16 & 17

Saturday:

Start your day at Queens Park, enjoying the Botanic Gardens either from the ground or from high up on the Ferris Wheel. While you’re here, check out the Carnival of Flowers Info Hub for all your other information and Carnival needs. Wander across the road to Cobb+Co Museum to peruse their Hanging Basket display and enjoy a cuppa at their cafe. Head on down to the city centre before 10am for the Grand Central Floral Parade, then journey across to Serge and Leisa Rossignol’s stunning garden at 112 Neil St. After a late lunch, head out to Glenvale for Joy Hendon’s (32 Parkview Dr) and Daniel Norton’s (1/3 Wildcard Dr) garden as well

as Glenvale Villas’ entry. While you’re out this way, pay a visit to the Showgrounds for the Carnival of Trains and Toowoomba’s Finest Craft Show.

Sunday: Start your day with a visit to the renowned State Rose Garden at Newtown Park, and check out the Toowoomba Bonsai Group Show in Rose Cottage while you’re there. Pop across to Bridge St for Kathryn Jowett’s incredible garden at Unit 4, 459 Bridge St, then head down a little further to number 431 for the Native Orchid Society of Toowoomba Spring Show at St John’s

Lutheran Church Hall.

Before lunch, check out Merv Buckley’s garden at 14 Sprott St, and Kushla Gale’s at 37 Gordon Ave.

In the afternoon, check out the Toowoomba Bromeliad and Succulent Society Spring Sale and Show at Sacred Heart Primary School, 263 Tor St, before heading to Toowoomba TAFE (100 Bridge St) for the Toowoomba Clivia Society Annual Show. Finally, follow Ruthven St out to Blue Mountain Heights where you’ll find two Toowoomba Chronicle Exhibition Gardens at 2 Blue Meadow Ct and 37 Murphy’s Creek Rd.

WEEKEND 2: SEPTEMBER 23 & 24

Saturday:

Start your day at Queens Park, enjoying the Botanic Gardens either from the ground or from high up on the Ferris Wheel.

While you’re here, check out the Carnival of Flowers Info Hub for all your other information and Carnival needs. Wander across the road to Cobb+Co Museum to peruse their Hanging Basket display and enjoy a cuppa at their cafe. Once you’re finished here, head to Serge and Leisa Rossignol’s stunning garden at 112 Neil St.

Laurel Bank Park for a picnic and enjoy the floral displays and live music with Parkland Entertainment.

There’s another Info Hub at this park if you need.

For the afternoon, head out to Glenvale for Joy Hendon’s (32 Parkview Dr) and Daniel Norton’s (1/3 Wildcard Dr) garden as well as Glenvale Villas’ entry. While you’re out this way, pay a visit to the Showgrounds for the Carnival of Trains.

Sunday:

Start your day out at Blue Mountain Heights where you’ll find two Toowoomba

Chronicle Exhibition Gardens at 2 Blue Meadow Ct and 37 Murphy’s Creek Rd. Follow Murphy’s Creek Rd down to Spring Bluff for some stunning floral displays and historic railways, then head back up and along to Picnic Point for lunch and more gardens.

In the afternoon, spend some time at Bob and Val Ford’s incredible 19 Burke St, Rangeville garden and Les and Fae Stephson’s 161 Perth St, Toowoomba South garden before immersing yourself in art with the Secret Life of Seedpods exhibition on at The Lighthouse, 126 Margaret St, and the CBD laneways art.

NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY, Highfields

ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE

DOWNS STEAM

CROWS NEST MOTEL

GLENVALE VILLAS

BEAUARABA LIVING

YUKANA

FANTASTIC LOCAL PARKS Exploring Our

As well as our competition and exhibition gardens, Toowoomba’s parks bloom with bright colour and stunning foliage throughout September

deal for a picnic break, letting the kids run around, or just enjoying the scenery, Toowoomba and surround’s gorgeous parks are a visitor favourite.

Why not pop by a few during your time in the Garden City?

LAUREL BANK PARK

As one of Toowoomba’s oldest and wellknown parks, Laurel Bank Park provides visitors a beautiful setting of lawns and gardens perfectly complemented by mature trees, barbecues and picnic areas. With its ‘all-season’ topiary, scented gardens, croquet lawns and more, the park explodes in spring offering an absorbing collection of vivid blooms - including its renowned floral picture garden with viewing platform.

Parking is available in Herries and Hill streets and there is limited off-street parking via Hill St.

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. Whether you throw together a picnic hamper or enjoy a meal, coffee or iconic Violet ice-cream at the on-site café and restaurant, the area is a popular hangout. Another attraction sure to delight every member of the family is the beautiful waterfall gardens, or the more adventurous can tackle the escarpment walks or the testing Table Top Mountain climb. Picnic Point can be accessed via Tourist Drive.

QUEENS PARK

Sitting in the heart of the city and acknowledged as the very epicentre of Carnival celebrations, Queens Park brings together our gardening heritage and superchargers it with the Festival of Food and Wine.

Set across more than 25 picturesque hectares, Queens Park is also home to the city’s Botanic Gardens, an animated parkland draw-card that is abuzz with

visitors during Carnival – and includes a ferris wheel so you can see across the gardens from above.

The Botanic Gardens and Info Hub can be found on the corner of Lindsay and Campbell streets (across from Cobb and Co Museum).

BOYCE GARDENS

The sensational Boyce Gardens Estate offers visitors six hectares of sprawling parkland, forest and garden space in Range St, Mount Lofty.

Starting from humble beginnings as a private garden for Leslie and Margaret Boyce (owners of the Toowoomba Foundry), the Boyces gave the estate to the University of Queensland in trust in May 1969.

The intention was to ‘hold the land in perpetuity’ as a Botanic Garden and natural forest for the education of the public. Now heritage-listed, the gardens offer visitors a relaxing, tranquil environment among 100+ species of trees, shrubs and vines, with 25 different ferns also recorded and a 150-year-old strangler fig. The garden is open from 9am to 4pm daily.

NEWTOWN PARK - QUEENSLAND STATE ROSE GARDEN

So much more than just another ‘green space’ in the Garden City, Newtown Park is a living slice of history, covering 12 hectares with the popular rose garden featuring around 2000 rose varieties.

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. It can be accessed via any of the bordering streets – Taylor, Holberton, Pottinger or Tor Street.

PEACEHAVEN BOTANICAL PARK – HIGHFIELDS

A popular gathering place for Highfields residents and visitors alike, 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. Beautifully landscaped and offering three welcoming lawn areas surrounded by established gardens, the park is located off Kuhls Road.

SPRING BLUFF

All aboard! The 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 can be found just down the Range off Murphys Creek Rd on McCormack Drive.

DRAYTON AND TOOWOOMBA CEMETERY GARDENS

Toowoomba’s hidden gem, the 67 acres of land were gazetted in 1882 after the first registered burial in 1866, and handed over from the Trust to the then Toowoomba City Council in 1974. The majestic trees and carefully cared-for lawns are the backdrop to intriguing stories of Toowoomba’s early residents through various headstones. Open daily from 6am to 6pm, in 2009 the cemetery was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. You’ll find it at the corner of Anzac Avenue and South Street.

Highfields Pioneer Village

Festival at The Big Cow Festival at The Big Cow

15th to the 24th September 2023

Cottage Garden Open 1st to 30th September

Visit the Cottage Garden & Have some Billy Tea & Damper or Stay Longer &

Billy Tea & Damper–$8ea–

Entry to the Griinke Cottage Garden, Big Cow & see the Bird feeding $5 ea. 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–17th & 24th

September

Bee Keeping–24th Sept. Pony Rides–20th Sept. 10am–12noon (child) Rides–$5 Adult, $3 Child. Billy Tea & Damper available everyday. Working Draught Horse–17th, 23rd, 24th Sept. Run entirely by Volunteers!

Celebrating 30 year Anniversary, 1993 - 2023!

15th to the 24th Sept. Cottage Garden, Butter Making, Whip Cracking, Fire Museum, Transport Museum, Ambulance Museum, Farmer’s Innovations Display, Tour of the Big Cow, Damper Making.

Entertainment

17th Sept–Brendon Walmsley 10am

Cactoblastis 1pm

20th & 23rd Sept–Did you Spot it?

23rd Sept–Cathy Drummond 10:30am Sausage Sizzle available every day.

Visit

AMAZING STREET ART Explore Toowoomba’s

In addition to the floral artwork that is our competition gardens, exhibition gardens, and public parks, Toowoomba has a thriving art scene. One of the main points of pride in this is the street art murals

Initially created as part of the First Coat Festival in 2014 and subsequent annual festivals, there are more than 80 incredible pieces scattered throughout the CBD in our alleys and laneways.

You can easily fill a morning or afternoon by wandering through the city centre - and there’s plenty of cafes and eateries around for a well-deserved break. Make sure to pack your walking shoes!

Some of the laneways in particular to check out include Carnival Lane, Kwong Sang Walk, and Duggan Lane.

Carnival Lane is a key pedestrian link in the Toowoomba CBD, celebrating the iconic Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. It has road frontage to Margaret and Jessie streets, creating a link between the Civic Precinct, large off-street parking areas, Walton Stores commercial precinct and the Empire Theatre.

Kwong Sang Walk is another key pedestrian link. It has road frontage to Ruthven and Annand streets and creates a linkage between the Civic Precinct, large off-street parking areas and the Empire Theatre. Head to Duggan Lane where you will find a stunning piece, then wander throughout the rest of the CBD to see some of the gorgeous street art brightening the city street.

While you can simply meander and discover the murals on your own, we’ve put together a small suggested trail starting at the Toowoomba City Library and finishing there or at Grand Central Shopping Centre.

SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR

1. Start at the Toowoomba City Library, facing the Village Green. On the building across from the library you will find a stunning mural of a black cockatoo by artist David Cragg.

2. Walk northeast towards Gallery Lane to find Elysha Rei’s artwork (photo far left) on the back of the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery building.

3. Follow Gallery Lane around until it connects to Little St, then walk east to Ruthven St (there’s another mural on the corner, on the side of the Art Gallery building). There’s plenty of cafes along this main street of Toowoomba if you want to

stop for a cuppa.

4. Travel north along Ruthven St until you reach Searles Walk, where you’ll find seven murals along the laneway.

5. Just a little further down Ruthven, on the opposite side of the road, you’ll find Union St where there is an artwork on the corner as well as four murals throughout the alley. Near the end of Union St you’ll find Chandlers Lane, where there’s a piece by Ian McCallum secreted away (photo above).

6. From the end of Union St, turn north and walk along Annand St until you reach Jessie St. You can then turn left and follow Jessie St around to find a David Houghton mural, or turn right and across to go through Carnival Lane which has artworks

painted on the walls throughout.

7. You’ll come out at Margaret St, where you can stop for lunch or cross the road to Club Lane, which connects to Chronicle Lane. There’s about seven murals between the two lanes.

8. Continue west along Margaret St on the northern side of the road to find Mark Lane and Insurance Lane just after the intersection of Margaret and Ruthven street. There’s another seven murals here.

9. Finish your journey by walking along Margaret St until you reach Duggan Lane, which has access to Grand Central Shopping Centre - or follow Duggan Lane south to the end where you’ll finish where you started at the art gallery and library.

SHELDINE AND SIMON UNDERWOOD

CAPTION HERE AND HERE

JOY HENDON

PHILIP AND ERICA PAYNTER

MOYA MOHR

SHIRLEY MUNDT

ROBERT KENNEDY AND SCOTT WILKINS

ROSS AND ROS WACKERLING

KYLIE, TIM AND PEPPA MUNN

KATHRYN JOWETT

ROBYN STEGER

DANIEL NORTON

PETER AND AMANDA ROBERTS

DURING SEPTEMBER What’s On

GARDEN TOURS

When: 9am-12pm and 1pm-4.30pm daily

Where: Various places throughout the region

What: This full-day sightseeing tour starts with being picked up from your accommodation, taking you on a journey through local sites and parks. Then, as the exhibition gardens open, the tours will switch gears to explore the stunning displays of Toowoomba and Highfields’ exhibition gardens and parks for a half-day of unforgettable adventure.

Cost: $145 pp including morning tea and lunch

ST MATTHEW’S IN BLOOM

When: 9.30am-12pm daily until Sunday, September 17

Where: St Matthew’s Church, 11 Beatrice St, Drayton

What: Visit this historic church and browse the craft and plant stalls in and around the community centre. Enjoy a Devonshire tea and be awed by the traditional floral arrangements decorating the church.

Cost: Gold coin donation for entry; $5 Devonshire tea

FESTIVAL OF THE BIG COW

When: 9am-5pm daily, Friday, September 15, to Friday, September 29

Where: Highfields Pioneer Village, 23 Wirraglen Rd, Highfields

What: Enjoy a celebration of “all things cow” and experience the history of the Australian dairy industry with hands-on activities like milking a cow and churning butter. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the Big Cow, enjoy live music, delicious food, and a visit to the Dairy Museum or the baby animal nursery.

Cost: $50 family, $20 adults, $15 concession, $8 children

ST LUKE’S FLOWER ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: 9am-4pm daily, Friday, September 15, to Wednesday, September 20

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 artists exhibiting their artwork, music concerts each weekday at 12.30pm, 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

ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL FLORAL DISPLAY

When: 9am-5pm daily, Friday, September 15, to Wednesday, September 20

Where: St Patrick’s Cathedral, 154 James St, Toowoomba

What: Step into the beauty of St Patrick’s Cathedral this spring and be enchanted by the floral display. Creative floral arrangements bring the interior of the cathedral to life with the beauty of nature and a sense of wonder.

Cost: Free

HERITAGE BANK PHOTOGRAPHIC AWARDS EXHIBITION

When: Friday, September 15, to Wednesday, September 20

Where: Art Gallery - Block B, University of Southern Queensland, 487 West St, Toowoomba

What: Into its 35th year, the Heritage

Bank Photographic Awards are open to all professional and amateur photographers. With no cost to enter, this competition encourages photographers all over Australia to explore their surroundings and capture their own little piece of history.

Cost: Free

ST STEPHEN’S – CELEBRATING 140 YEARS

When: 10am-4pm, Friday, September 15, to Sunday, September 17

Where: St Stephen’s Uniting Church, 51 Neil St, Toowoomba

What: Be in awe of St Stephen’s historic 19th century building and its stunning stained glass windows. Learn about its history through photographs and special documents or take a moment to sit peacefully among the lovely floral display.

Cost: Free

SIDESHOW ALLEY

When: 5pm-10pm Friday, September 15; 9am-10pm Saturday, September 16; 9am9pm Sunday, September 17

Where: Frogs Hollow at Queens Park, cnr Margaret and Hume streets, Toowoomba City

What: Head over to lower Queens Park for thrill seeking rides, fairy floss, dagwood dogs and showbags. Have a shot at winning a top shelf prize at one of the sideshow

Discover the events on for Carnival of Flowers in the Toowoomba region during The Chronicle Garden Competition open gardens from September 15-24

games or take in the bird’s-eye view upside down from the heart stopping 360 degree ride.

Cost: Entry is free; rides vary

NATIVE PLANTS DISPLAY AND SALES

When: 9am-4.30pm Saturday, September 16, to Monday, September 18

Where: TAFE Horticultural Pavilion, 27 Lindsay St, Toowoomba

What: Discover a stunning array of well established Australian native plants on display and ready for you to purchase in both pots and tube stocks. Experience the

beauty of native plants.

Cost: Free

TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC

When: 8.30am-11.30am, Saturday, September 23

Where: Picnic Point, 164 Tourist Rd, Rangeville

What: The ideal place for a teddy bear’s picnic, Picnic Point and Tambo Teddies are coming together to put on a day to remember. There will be interactive games all day, colouring-in and roving kids entertainment and food stalls. Tambo Teddy families can be part of the roll-call

and all teddies are invited to be in the fashion parade.

Cost: Free

SUCCULENT FEST

When: 8am-2pm, Sunday, September 17

Where: Bunker’s Hill P&C Association, 315 Bunkers Hill School Rd, Westbrook

What: Get your green thumb ready –the fifth 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

A Perfect Drive

FOR THE JUDGING TEAM

For The Chronicle Garden Competition judging week from Monday, September 4, to Thursday, September 7, Wippells Auto kindly lent the team a Mazda CX-90 for transport

n all-new vehicle and a first from Mazda, the CX-90 is a hybrid that boasts ‘perfect balance’ and truly comes with “all the bells and whistles”, according to Garden Liaison Mike Wells.

The SUV is available in both 3.3L mild hybrid turbo petrol and 3.3L mild hybrid turbo diesel, with the Garden Competition judging team being treated to the latter. Mike Wells, who was also in charge of driving for the week, was impressed by the vehicle and the amount of storage - fitting four adults, camera equipment,

“It’s comfortable and has great climate control. Love the ventilated seats!”

The Mazda CX-90 features 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 between

Explore a World of Colour

AT COBB+CO MUSUEM

The entire family will delight in a blooming brilliant range of experiences across the whole of September at Cobb+Co Museum.

urround yourself with a spectacular display of more than 50 hanging baskets, lovingly created by local green thumbs, community groups, aged care homes and local schools. Home to Australia’s finest collection of horse-drawn vehicles, step back in history and learn about life in 19th century Queensland.

Discover the region’s indigenous culture and stories in The Binangar Centre, set the kids loose in Sciencentre, and much more. Plus, don’t miss the special multi-sensory experience of Walking through a Songline. Follow in the steps of the Seven Sisters as they travel through desert lands and across the sky, mapping Country for millennia to come.

HANGING BASKET DISPLAY

Immerse yourself in a spectacular display of floral baskets and vote for your favourite in the People’s Choice award. The Hanging Basket Display will be on daily for the month of September. This event is proudly supported by Yates.

BACKYARD DETECTIVES

Explore a line-up of fun free activities for families throughout the whole spring school holiday period. Children can take part in craft activities, bee talks, museum trails and more.

September teaching Hands-on Workshops in leadlighting, silversmithing, rustic furniture, or blacksmithing.

#TREATS

Not only does Cobb’s Coffee Shop boast Toowoomba’s best scones, but for the month of September you can try the

DAVID AND GAY KEAREY

STUART AND TRISH KENEALY

MERVYN AND ALMA FOWLER

WILSONTON AGRICULTURAL FIELD STUDY CENTRE

WYREEMA COMMUNITY GARDEN

NARELLE HURSE

VICKI AND KEVIN BOND

CITY GOLF CLUB - SLICE CAFE

JEFF AND CATHY AITCHISON

VALERIE HOHN

ST STEPHEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

DULCIE BARTKOWSKI

CHERYL GANZER

JULIE BROWN AND STEPHEN BALOGH

JOHN AND LENORE FERRIS

KELLIE AND MARK GERSEKOWSKI

MICHAEL FOGARTY

KUSHLA GALE

CHRISTINE BARTKOWSKI

MICHAEL GLENNON

LINDA LANE

SHERYL LOTHIAN

DOUGLAS HOLTHAM

MERV BUCKLEY

MARIA KEIGHTLEY

ANNETTE AND GERARD KINGSFORD

RUBY BRUNNER

BELINDA AND REG LEHMANN

GRAHAM DAVIS

NEVILLE AND HEATHER MCNALTY

RON AND ROZ FALLON

ALAN REIS

DAVID STANFIELD

JAMES RITCHIE

SERGE AND LEISA ROSSIGNOL

AND FAE STEPHSON

STEPHEN AND LENA TRAYNOR

SHIRLEY CRONK

TIFFANY WICKS

SANDRA NORRIS

LYNN AND ROBYN VANDERSEE

PEPPA MUNN

ENTRANTS: Exhibition Gardens

Val Peachey 5 Fern Drive, Kearney’s Spring ............ Sth O14

Sue Hawkins, 37 Murphy’s Creek Road, Blue Mountain Heights ............................................

Cheryl & Ian Feeney, 2 Blue Meadow Court, Blue Mountain Heights ............................................

Adrian & Gail Wockner, 5 Horizon Court, Highfields ...

Jill & Rod Osborne, 11 Horizon Court, Highfields .......

Accommodation Places

Glenvale Villas, 182-184 Hursley Road, Glenvale ......

Golf Club — Motel, 775 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba ...........................

Swagman Accommodation Park, 47 Kitchener Street, East Toowoomba .....................

Crows Nest Motel, (Sebastien Arrighi-Searle)

David Stanfield, 1A Mabel Street, Harlaxton .............

Budding Gardener

Peppa Munn, 17 Faith Street, Rangeville [open weekends only] .....................................................................

City Commercial Gardens

BMS Mitre 10, 450 Stenner Street, Darling Heights .......................

Golf Club — Clubhouse, 254 South Street, Toowoomba .................................

Kate’s Place Kindergarten and Early Learning, [open weekends only] 260 Ramsay Street, Middle Ridge ...

Not-For-Profit Gardens

School Gardens

Downlands College, 72 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba...............................Nth R9

St Joseph’s College, [open weekends only]

81 Crown Street, Rangeville .................................... Sth U7

St Mary’s College, [open weekends only]

129 West Street, Toowoomba................................Nth O15

St Stephen’s Catholic School, [open weekends only]

20 Murray Street, Pittsworth .................................. PW I12

Wilsonton Agricultural Field Study Centre, 275 North Street, Toowoomba................................. Nth L9

Student Gardens

I15

Geham State School, [open weekends only]

9625 New England Highway, Geham ........................ RG W6

Darling Downs Christian School, [open weekends only]

457 McDougall Street, Toowoomba .......................... Sth H7

Toowoomba East State School, [open weekends only]

Cr Arthur & Mary Sts, Toowoomba ......................... Nth T15

Concordia Lutheran College, [open weekends only]

402 Hume Street, Toowoomba ............................... Sth R12

Pittsworth State School, [open weekends only]

42 Hume Street, Pittsworth ................................... PW G12

Gowrie State School, [open weekends only]

22 Old Homebush Road, Gowrie Junction .................. RG T8

City Gardens

Alan James Reis, [open weekends only]

108A Perth Street, Toowoomba ................................Sth T8

Graham Davis, Unit 2, 15 Truscott Street, Toowoomba ................................

James Ritchie, Unit 1, 31 John Street, East Toowoomba ................

Joy Louise Hendon, 32 Parkview Drive, Glenvale........ Sth I6

Kathryn Jowett, 4/459 Bridge Street, Wilsonton ...... Nth K10

Kushla Gale, 37 Gordon Avenue, Newtown .............

Maria Keightley (Infin8care),

69 Stuart Street, Mt Lofty .....................................

Michael Fogarty, 40 Hursley Road, Newtown ........... Nth L15

Michael Glennon, 5 Ross Street, Mt Lofty ............... Nth U10

Rink 46, 46 Gipps Street, Drayton...........................Sth K13

Golf Club — Slice Café, 258 South Street, Toowoomba

Regional Commercial Gardens

Beauaraba

McKinlay’s

Ron and Roz Fallon, [open weekends only]

Unit 84, 11 Donahue Street, Kearney Springs ......... Sth Q12

Sandra J Norris, Unit 9, [open weekends only]

233 McKenzie Street, Centenary Heights ................ Sth U10

Cheryl Ganzer, 21 Talinga Street, Mt. Lofty ............... Nth T9

Daniel W Norton, [open weekends only]

Unit 1, 3 Wildcard Drive, Glenvale ........................... Sth H5

Dulcie Bartkowski, [open weekends only]

19 Eton Street, Toowoomba .................................. Nth S17

Janice Canning, 20 Aberdeen Street, Rangeville.......sth V11

Jeff & Cathy Aitchison, [open weekends only]

51 Whitman Street, Westbrook .............................. Sth D14

Kylie, Tim and Peppa Munn, [open weekends only]

17 Faith Street, Rangeville ...................................... Sth U9

Leslie and Fae Stephson, 161 Perth Street, Toowoomba South ......................... Sth S7

Lynn & Robyn Vandersee, 252 Greenwattle Street, Wilsonton Heights .............. Nth L7

Mervyn George Buckley, 14 Sprott Street, Wilsonton .................................... Nth L10

Moya Ann Mohr, 1 Paterson Street, South Toowoomba ...................... Sth Q8

Ruby Brunner, 38A Crown Street, Rangeville ............ Sth V8

Serge & Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil Street, South Toowoomba .......................... Sth R7

Sheldine & Simon Underwood, 81 Nelson Street, Middle Ridge............................... Sth R17

Stephen & Lena Traynor, [open weekends only]

27 Buckland Street, Harristown ............................... Sth N9

Stuart & Trish Kenealy, [open weekends only]

153 Spring Street, Middle Ridge ............................. Sth T14

Val & Bob FoRoad, 19 Burke Street, Rangeville ......... Sth V8

Belinda & Reg Lehmann, [open weekends only]

22 Murphy’s Creek Road, Blue Mountain Heights ...... Nth S1

David Stanfield, 1A Mabel Street, Harlaxton ............. Nth T9

Linda Lane, [open weekends only]

2 Rees Drive, Highfields ............................................ HF I9

Philip and Erica Paynter, 19 Tennyson Court, Westbrook ............................... Sth C14

Robert Kennedy & Scott Wilkins, 255 Hume Street, Toowoomba ................................ Sth R8

Sheryl Anne Lothian, 2 Oak Street, Highfields

“Rose Bud Gardens” ................................................

Tiffany Wicks, [open weekends only] 6 Fairholme Street, Mount Lofty ...........................

Regional Gardens

David & Gay Kearey, 15 Beresford Street, Pittsworth...............................PW I14

Douglas Bruce Holtham, 2 Lalor Street, Crows Nest ....................................... CN S9

Kellie & Mark Gersekowski,

WINNERS: City Gardens

City Grand Champion

Serge & Leisa Rossignol, 112 Neil Street, South Toowoomba .......................... Sth R7

City Grand Champion

Val & Bob Ford, 19 Burke Street, Rangeville ............. Sth V8

City Small Garden First Prize

Kathryn Jowett, 4/459 Bridge Street, Wilsonton

Productive Area First Prize Sheryl

Productive

Productive

Footpath

WINNERS: Regional Gardens

Footpath Garden First Prize

John & Lenore Ferris, 3 Perseverance Dam Road, Crows Nest .................. CN W13

Footpath Garden Second Prize

Peter and Amanda Roberts, 12 Tooth Street, Nobby .......................................... RG T18

Footpath Garden Third Prize

Valerie Maud Hohn, [open weekends only] 18 Short Street, Pittsworth ...................................... PW H8

First Time Entry First Prize

Peter and Amanda Roberts, 12 Tooth Street, Nobby .......................................... RG T18

Over 70s First Prize

Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Road, Westbrook ............. RG S11

Over 70s Second Prize

Robyn Steger, [open weekends only] 22 Florence Street, Pittsworth ..................................PW E9

Over 70s Third Prize

David & Gay Kearey, 15 Beresford Street, Pittsworth...............................PW I14

Under 45s First Prize

Kellie & Mark Gersekowski, 15 Lee Court, Crows Nest ...................................... CN V13

Floral First Prize

Kellie & Mark Gersekowski, 15 Lee Court, Crows Nest ...................................... CN V13

Floral Second Prize

Douglas Bruce Holtham, 2 Lalor Street, Crows Nest ....................................... CN S9

Regional Acreage Garden

First Prize

Shirley Mundt, 101 Wellcamp-Westbrook Road, Westbrook ............. RG S11

Second Prize

Ross & Ros Wackerling, 347 Wellcamp-Westbrook Road, Westbrook ............. RG S11

Third Prize

Shirley Cronk, 123 McLean Road, Pechey ................. RG W4

School Premises

First Prize

Geham State School, [open weekends only]

9625 New England Highway, Geham ........................ RG W6

Highly commended

Downlands College, 72 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba...............................Nth R9

Encouragement

Gowrie State School, [open weekends only]

22 Old Homebush Road, Gowrie Junction .................. RG T8

Students Garden

First Prize

Toowoomba East State School, [open weekends only]

Cr Arthur & Mary Sts, Toowoomba ......................... Nth T15

Highly commended

Darling Downs Christian School, [open weekends only]

457 McDougall Street, Toowoomba .......................... Sth H7

Encouragement

Geham State School, [open weekends only]

9625 New England Highway, Geham ........................ RG W6

Gowrie State School, [open weekends only]

22 Old Homebush Road, Gowrie Junction .................. RG T8

Commercial Gardens

First Prize

Crows Nest Tourist Park, 7558 New England Highway, Crows Nest ................ CN T15

Highly commended

McKinlay’s Nursery, 5 Briggs Street, Pittsworth ....... PW G12

Encouragement

City Golf Club — Clubhouse,

Accommodation Places

Not-For-Profit Gardens

ABC Rod Hultgren

Encouragement Award 2023

ST MARY’S COLLEGE

GOWRIE STATE SCHOOL

BMS MITRE 10 - STENNER ST

CROWS NEST TOURIST PARK MCKINLAYS

CONCORDIA LUTHERAN COLLEGE - HUME STREET

PITTSWORTH STATE SCHOOL

KATE’S PLACE - STENNER ST

JOLLY SWAGMAN ACCOMODATION PARK

RINK46

DARLING DOWNS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

CITY GOLF CLUB - MOTEL

NOBBY CRAFT GROUP

Pechey Distilling Co supports the responsible consumption of alcohol.