Spring Garden Competition
Jump to: About the Competition - Categories - Judging and Criteria - Key Dates - Past Entries
Entries are now open!
The City of Ryde’s Spring Garden Competition is back again! This very popular community event has a unique ‘hands on’ quality and an ‘active’ nature to it. It provides the community with a chance to better our gardens and use it as a time to keep active, keep creative and establish a space of relaxation. This competition aims to showcase these amazing spaces that have brought encouragement and joy to many.
Entry Details
Enter the Spring Garden Competition Enter the Children's Seed Growing Competition
About the Competition
The City of Ryde has a long and proudly history of conducting the Spring Garden Competition. This established community event has been held annually for more than thirty years. The City of Ryde is one of the few local councils still organising and providing a garden competition for its local residents and local community.
The City of Ryde’s Spring Garden Competition is back again! This very popular community event has a unique ‘hands on’ quality and an ‘active’ nature to it. It provides the community with a chance to better our gardens and use it as a time to keep active, keep creative and establish a space of relaxation. This competition aims to showcase these amazing spaces that have brought encouragement and joy to many.
Categories
- Front gardens a garden area adjacent to the street which may include an entry gate or pathway leading to the front of the residence.
- Back gardens: a garden area, away from the front of the residence, which may include a swimming pool, children's play area and a deck or terrace for relaxation or entertaining.
- Courtyard or balcony gardens: private residential garden using pots, planter boxes, ornaments, walled gardens etc.
- Edible gardens: vegetable gardens, fruit gardens, permaculture gardens etc.
- Native and habitat-friendly gardens: gardens which feature Australian native plants and include habitat elements to encourage native fauna such as birds, lizards, possums, and insects.
- Local school gardens: gardens within local primary schools, high schools, and pre-schools where students and teachers have worked together.
- Community gardens: garden projects where the local community, groups or community organisations have worked together.
- Commercial gardens: gardens within local businesses and commercial organisations e.g., hotels, retirement villages, commercial premises, small and large businesses, universities etc.
- Bushcare sites: for an outstanding contribution made by a group of volunteers at a recognised Bushcare site.
- Children’s seed growing competition*: Children can enter in the following age brackets: 3-7 years and 8-12 years. The seeds to be grown are Dwarf Sunflowers. Free seeds, pot and growing instructions will be available for collection from Eden Gardens from Sunday 4 August 2024.
Note: We encourage entries in the Children’s Seed Growing category to be made before Tuesday 2nd September to allow for maximum seed growing time.
Mini Categories:
- Sensational Succulent: Showcase of Cactus and Succulents judged by The Cactus and Succulent Society of NSW.
- Jr Gardeners: Gardens created and tendered to only by young gardeners under the age of 16.
- Sustainable Garden: Gardeners using Sustainable Garden practices, including natural and technologically advanced sustainable practices.
- Sustainable Waste 2 Art: Garden sculptures, artworks and design objects made from upcycled waste materials.
Judging of Entries and Judging Criteria
All entries will be personally judged by a panel of appointed garden judges and horticulture professionals. The City of Ryde will contact entrants to confirm their allocated judging time slot for the judging panel to view each entry. Most judging will take place between 23 and 27 September 2024.
It is preferable that Spring Garden Competition entrants are present at their allocated judging timeslot and during the judging of their entry. Judging generally takes between 20 – 45 minutes depending on the size and nature of the entry.
Judging will be based on three main factors, with extra focus on enthusiasm and how families and communities created/maintained the garden.
- Maintenance - the lack of elements such as dead and diseased plants, well presented lawns, and clipped shrubs, considered water usage and overall attention to detail.
- Design - aspects such as layout, colour, use of line, form and texture, plant use and once again attention to detail within this context.
- Intent - the active participation of the entrant, level of knowledge and enthusiasm and extent of third-party assistance.
All entrants will be invited to attend a Gala Presentation Evening for the announcement of the 2024 Spring Garden Competition winners.
Key Dates
- 1 July 2024: Entries open.
- 31 August 2024: Entries close.
- September 2024: City of Ryde council officer will contact entrants to confirm their allocated time and date for judging.
- 23-27 September 2024: Garden judges accompanied by a City of Ryde council officer will visit and judge all Spring Garden Competition entries on the allocated date at the allocated time slot.
- 30 October 2024: Announcement of the 2023 Spring Garden Competition winners and place getters held at Eden Gardens.
Note: please visit the Children’s Seed Growing Competition page for more information about this competition and key dates.
Past entries
Click here to get some inspiration and view photos from some entries from previous Spring Garden Competition events.
More Information
For further enquiries call City of Ryde’s Customer Service Centre on 9952 8222.