2011 Tablelands Garden Awards

Ferraro 2010 Garden Winner.jpg

Ferraro 2010 Garden Winner.jpg

Entries Open for the 2011 Tablelands Garden Awards

It's time to plant the flowers, prune the hedges and propagate new plants in readiness for the 2011 Tablelands Garden Awards.

The annual awards offer residents an opportunity to show pride in their properties and win some great prizes along the way.

Cr Shaaron Linwood urged residents to start perfecting their gardens for the awards which are aimed at instilling pride in our community.

"Creating and maintaining a great garden is one of the joys of life, but it also contributes to the overall image of our community," she said.

"Nothing creates as much pride in a street as beautifully kept gardens - it shows we care about our community and that sense of pride creates a safer and more enjoyable community for everyone."

The competition will again feature eight residential categories - Home Garden, New Home Garden, Front Garden / Footpath, Native Garden, Country / Rural Garden, Pensioners / Seniors (over 60 years), Most Colourful Garden, and Vegetable / Herb Garden.

There are also three non-residential categories - Community Facilities / Clubs which includes churches and halls and club facilities, Commercial / Public Institutions which includes businesses, public and private schools, aged care facilities, semi-government buildings and industrial complexes, and for the first time, Tourist Accommodation which includes B&Bs, guesthouses, and motels.

Residents will enter the zone in which they reside - the Southern Zone will cover all towns from Walkamin south including Tolga, Atherton, Millaa Millaa, Malanda, Yungaburra, Herberton and Ravenshoe, while the Northern Zone takes in the Walkamin township and all towns north including Mareeba, Dimbulah, Chillagoe, Mt Molloy, Julatten, Kuranda, and Mutchilba.

Prizes will be awarded for first and second in each category.

A Garden of the Year will be chosen from the zonal winners.

Entrants in the Awards will also be given the opportunity to participate in two Open Days - the northern zone open day will be on Sunday 4 September, while the southern zone open day will be on Sunday 11 September.

"Last year, participants told us that they would prefer the two open days so those gardeners from the northern zone can go and see gardens in the southern zone and vice versa," Cr Linwood said.

Local businesses have again come on board to make the awards a reality.
The sponsors are: Yuruga Nursery (Native Garden category); Anza Nursery and Garden Centre (New Home - northern zone); Lakeside Nursery (New Home - southern zone); Jilinda Nursery (Most Colourful category); Mitre 10 Atherton (Home garden - southern zone); Mitre 10 Mareeba (Home Garden - northern zone); TGT (Pensioners/Seniors - northern zone); and Cr Shaaron Linwood (Country/Rural category).

Entries are available here (1.43MB) and from all Tablelands Regional Council Service Centres and Libraries.  Entries close on 12 August 2011, with judging to be done from 18 August onwards.

Inquiries can be directed to 1300 362 242.