Garden Gates Competition
How inviting is a garden gate! It’s a charming entry point into a garden space and can be an integral part of a garden’s identity. It can reflect the personality of the garden owner or historical significance of a garden/property. It marks the transition from the outside world to the private sanctuary of a garden. A garden gate could also frame a particular area of a garden. It could be a found object or maybe a gate repurposed from an old building or structure in the home, or one you’ve built yourself.
Our Garden Gate Competition is all about garden gates and the functions they serve in a home garden. Through the months of June/July we’re inviting you to enter with images of your garden gate, in your own garden, and the area beyond.
We will be judging around these three important functions of a garden gate in your garden:
- Design and balance – how well does your garden gate aesthetically blend in with the plantings, other structures and style of your garden. How does the size of the gate fit with the garden area? What are some key plants you’ve used in your garden that help enhance the design style of your garden gate? How does it guide the visitors eye throughout the garden?
- Welcoming yet functional – how welcoming is your garden gate to entice someone to go beyond. And if it’s important that your gate also provides privacy or security, how have you done that while keeping it visually appealing.
- Structure and materials - How did you select the materials for the gate, so that it blended with the space?? Were any recycled materials or found objects used in the gate, and did you make it yourself?
We’re so thrilled to have Andrew Kimpton from YANDOIT about judge this competition. Andrew Kimpton is a blacksmith and welder with experience in project management and construction of architectural works as well as sculptural pieces. He produces in the studio and the forge he created in Yandoit, specialising in bespoke design, hand forged iron work and a variety of metal work. This ranges from commissioned sculptures to one-off architectural artworks such as gates, doors, furniture and balustrades.
And we’re extremely grateful to him for donating a hand made garden tool to the winner.
Follow the conditions of entry below to enter the competition. Entries close at 5pm on Wednesday 31st July 2024 – so get your entries in!
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
- This competition is open to Victorian home gardeners only. The garden gate should be in your own garden. 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 five images per entry per person.
- Save each image file name as your family name followed by the competition name. If there is more than 1 image then add the number of each image at the end of the file name to match the description you write (see next condition) e.g. Hills_gardengates1, Hills_gardengates2 etc.
- Write no more than 500 words addressing the three important functions of your gate listed above.