Community votes for Garden Showcase favourites

Residents in the City of Marion have voted and selected their favourite Garden Showcase entries.

The winners of the six categories are:

• Young gardener (under 12) – Misha, age 10, from Hallett Cove. Misha has recently planted lots of butterfly-attracting flower seeds among the Double Delight roses in her front garden. Misha prepared the soil for the seeds, planted the seeds, and regularly waters the garden. Butterflies remind Misha of her late Granny and bring joy when she sees them in the garden.
• Gardening together – Oaklands Estate Kindergarten, Marion. This communal garden was planted specifically with young children and their families in mind. The garden has trees, shrubs, and plants that shade, feed and entice children and their families to learn about the world around them. The kindergarten encourages passers-by as well as families to pick fruit from the peach, lemon, and mandarin trees in the front garden.
• Edible garden – The Wild Patch, Seacombe Heights. Originally a bare grass lawn, the owners of this home garden converted it into an edible garden. They are endeavouring to be as organic as possible and apply the permaculture principles as best they can. They have also set up a community library and give away their excess produce to our neighbours. They are aiming to grow their own vegetables to reduce their carbon footprint.
• Outdoor garden – Paradise, Hallett Cove. This householder has diligently nurtured their rental garden into a wonderland paradise of colour and delight. They have transformed their barren wasteland of neglect and weeds by transplanting potted plants and cuttings into the ground which have thrived and created a lush oasis. They wanted to create an attractive and relatively low-cost garden for their young child to enjoy.
• Verge garden – Butterfly Garden, Marion. The plantings in this garden were inspired by the householder’s long-lived interest in butterflies, specifically local Adelaide species. The householder approached the Marion Council a few years ago for permission to plant on the verge and asked for a few Australian natives to start off. Since then, their love for the garden has grown and they have researched native butterflies in their area, planting specifically for them to have their host plants to complete their life cycle.
• Wildlife-friendly garden – Wandilla Street Native Garden, Seaview Downs. This garden is made up of Australian native plants with a mixture of local and interstate provenance and garden art. The owners have been developing it for over 10 years. The garden includes a paved area with seating to allow passive reflection within nature and provides us with immense enjoyment. They are attempting to introduce a garden for birds and insects to thrive in the metropolitan area.

The winner of the Young Gardener category will receive a $50 Visa Gift voucher.

The winners from the other five categories will have their choice of a $100 voucher from either Bunnings or the State Flora Nursery.

All the winners will be invited to take part in a professional photo shoot of their garden and will have these special images to keep.

The City of Marion’s Garden Showcase is in its third year with the event aiming to celebrate the wonderful gardens and gardeners across the City of Marion.

This year, for the first time, the community selected the winning entry from each of the six categories, voting for their favourite garden from an online gallery of shortlisted photographs and garden descriptions posted on the Council’s website.

The official judging period closed on November 27. Council received 34 entries across the six categories, with 464 people voting for their favourite garden.

More information about the Garden Showcase is available on the Council website.

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