You might just be Gardener of the Year - Big Prizes for your tiny garden

Not "Garden of the Year", but 'Gardener of the Year".
I'm so impressed with ABC Gardening Australia Magazine's competition, entries close July 27.
Even a Balcony Garden could win it.
If you make a contribution to the lives of others through gardening, you are in.

And of course you do, in so many ways.

Not just to look at: my enchanted napping garden, for happy guests

When you get good at gardening, your work becomes a blessing way beyond your railings and fences.
Passers-by are inspired, and go start their own.
You make lively connections, as you start offering and asking for help, cuttings, watering favours.
Most of all, you have a daily stage to dance upon: in the garden, you are being positive, hopeful, and in-action.
Efforts get rewarded, but never exactly as you expect.

You learn that you can control nothing, but influence everything.


Its on.
So enter, or enter a friend.
See details in this months magazine, or here.

Only 4 people will be featured, but the simple process of entering will get you looking closely at what you are doing, and your gardens evolution (and yours) will expand.

JUDGING CRITERIA 

Apart from being a blessing to the world with your garden, there a a few technical skills they are looking to applaud. Photos below are from my inner-Melbourne edible garden, now gone.

Design Judges will look at your garden’s layout to decide how well it relates to you and your needs, and to those of your site.
From micro-garden to massive, if you are making the most of what you have got, you are in the running. 

The landlord paid for materials, and the neighbour  'lent' us her garden,
for as far as we could reach in.

Sustainable features They want to know how cleverly you manage your garden’s resources.
Do you collect rainwater?
Do you recycle?
Do you compost?

Downpipe water feeds one of many irrigation ponds.

Plant choiceThe judges will consider how well you have selected your plants for your local environment, and how happily they are growing in your garden. 

A scramble of Japanese, rare breeds, and decorative edibles

We even got to practice our calligraphy and language skills

MaintenanceIf you are paying someone else to maintain it, we miss all the intimate fun of gardening.
The judges want to know how you look after your garden and how involved you choose to be.

A constant stream of volunteer gardeners came,
planted, shared my lunch and went home happy. 

Sometimes they went overboard with joyful effort:
tulle to deter  pests from strawberries.

I have so many friends who's clever, love-filled gardens I would love to share with the world. 

Michele Margolis Permaculture garden.  Steve Webbs children's garden. Norma Larson's Artist's garden. Mrs Kinoshita's rare Japanese edibles garden. And that just Sydney.

I haven't seen yours yet. 

Go on, show me.