Competition
Pandemic Garden Projects
Forget jigsaw puzzles – these tough months of Covid-19 lockdown have been an unexpected bonanza for gardeners reconnecting with their gardens and ticking off their wish list of a myriad garden projects. Now that we’re all re-surfacing with less restrictions it feels like the perfect time to celebrate the amazing garden projects you’ve achieved during lockdown.
For this month’s competition, OGV is looking for the best examples of pandemic garden projects created by Victorian gardeners. Have you finally created a veggie patch or completely reshaped and replanted a section of garden? Maybe you’ve created a lovely new garden path or converted your lawn into a perennial paradise? Perhaps you’ve been crafty and built an insect hotel or given pots or garden furniture a bright lick of paint? We’d love to see your completed project in its broader garden setting and if you have a before and after photo, all the better!
We’re delighted to announce that Heidi Martin, owner of Van Loons Nursery will be judging the competition and donating a $100 voucher as the winning prize. We're very grateful to Heidi, a horticulturalist and plant expert of many years. Van Loons Nursery is a multi-award winning garden centre on the picturesque Bellarine Peninsula. You can find out more about Heidi and Van Loons Nursery on Instagram at @vanloonsnursery and on their facebook page.
For the month of November, we’re asking you to send in pictures of your ‘Pandemic Garden Projects’ showing how they enhance your outdoor garden space. Follow the conditions of entry below to enter the competition. Entries close at 5pm on Monday 30th November 2020 – we can’t wait to see what’s been keeping you busy in the garden during lockdown!
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
- This competition is open to Victorian home gardeners only. Images of gardens designed by professional gardeners, or of commercial or public spaces, may be sent in for us to share online for inspiration. These will not be included in the judging.
- Send high resolution photos (min. 500KB) via email to operations@opengardensvictoria.org.au. Do not send images via social media.
- No more than 5 images per entry.
- All images should apply to the specific theme of the competition.
- In your email:
- include the competition name in the ‘subject line’
- describe where in Victoria your garden is
- provide a brief description of your image eg. what inspired this project, why did you choose the plants you've used, any challenges you may have faced? List all plants in each image submitted
- if you're sending multiple images, provide a separate description for each image eg. 'Image 1 Description: Backyard herb garden. Salvia rosmarinus, Allium sativum'; 'Image 2 Description: ...'
- Name your image with your family name followed by the competition name. If you're sending multiple images then add the number of each image at the end of the file name to match your descriptions eg. 'SmithCreativeContainers1' will match 'Image 1 Description'.
- If your garden has already won a competition this year you are free to share new images of a different part of your garden according to the competition theme. While you won’t be included in the judging, you may be recognised as a runner up or given a special mention by the judge
Images
Our contributor's family has lovingly created a butterfly garden on a site previously infested by jasmine. Planted with mostly indigenous plant species like epacris, goodenia and chrysocephalum, the burgeoning patch will form a soft and cottage style mosaic of flowers. The insects (and birds and reptiles) will thank him!
Main image: the whole family celebrates their new butterfly garden
Cameo images: 1. before shot - the jasmine jungle 2. project in progress - the clearing 3. after shot - project complete