Wellington Garden Competition

Wellington Rotary & The Wellington & District Leader Garden Competition Blooms with Local Pride

 

The town was in full bloom recently as the Wellington Rotary Garden Competition celebrated the creativity, hard work, and love of gardening that make our district so vibrant.

 

Rotary President Beth Hattenfels said it was “an absolute pleasure to visit so many inspiring gardens this year.” Whether it was a carefully tended courtyard, a sprawling country retreat, or a cheerful school garden, every entry reflected the heart and pride of the community.

 

“Each garden tells its own story,” Beth said. “Some were decades in the making, while others were newly planted with big dreams. Every gardener deserves to be proud — the standard this year was outstanding.”

 

The competition’s success was made possible through the generous co-sponsorship of the Wellington and District Leader, and the Wellington Rotary Club sincerely thanks the paper for its continued support in helping showcase local talent and community spirit.

Judges remarked that the competition was exceptionally close this year, with some gardens separated by very small margins.

Each garden was assessed on five key criteria:

Street or approach appeal – first impressions and visual impact.

Choice of plants – suitability for local climate and conditions.

Design – balance, creativity, and use of space.

Sustainability – water-wise practices, mulching, and composting.

Maintenance – tidiness, plant health, and overall presentation.

 

 Category Winners

Best Town Garden — Bryan & Kerry Robins

Best Country Garden — Trisha Scott

Overall Grand Champion – Penelope Inder

Best Rose Garden — Trisha Scott

 Prettiest Garden Bed — Bryan & Kerry Robins

 Best Non-Residential Garden — ‘Four Cats’ by Alice Mitchell

Best Small Space / Patio Garden — Bryan & Kerry Robins

Best Garden Under Five Years Old — Trisha Scott

Best Kitchen / Edible Garden — Nyasa Holmes

Best Waterwise / Drought-Smart Garden — Trisha Scott

 Best Kids’ Patch / School Garden — Wellington Public School

Scary Scarecrow- Golden Gnome Award- Michael McLauchlan.