Local Government Flower Garden Awards launched
4 February 2004
A new awards scheme to acknowledge the creative flair and good growing of local governments' parks and gardens team has been officially launched for 2004.
Called appropriately the 2004 Australian Local Government Flower Garden Awards, one will be presented in each state and territory and a national winner selected for their plantings over winter into spring this year.
"Flower gardens do much to brighten up and add colour to public spaces - whether in parks, malls or streetscapes - and these will be the first awards to recognise the work done by local government," said Mr Trevor Gay, the President of Bedding Plants Australia (BPA), a section of the Australian nursery and gardening industry sponsoring the awards.
"Time and effort goes into planning, planting and maintaining gardens. The end result is several months of colourful displays, which can even reflect special events in their colour and design."
The awards have been endorsed by the Australian Local Government Association, which represents local government at the national level.
"Councils put a great deal of time and effort into the appearance of their gardens and public spaces. We hope many councils will take the opportunity to show case their gardens displays to the nation by taking part in this inaugural BPA Flower Garden Awards," said the President of ALGA, Councillor Mike Montgomery.
Bedding Plants Australia is the national association of seedling and flowering bloomer growers and is well known for its national Flower of the Year released every year. Recent favourites have included Madame Butterfly and Pussycat pansies.
An independent judging panel will assess the entries and includes well-known gardening personality Graham Ross, and leading Victorian garden designer, Carolyn Blackman.
Criteria and entry have been made simple. Gardens or plantings need to include at least a majority planting of flowering annuals, and simple descriptions accompanied by photographs required for entry.
While registration is required by April 30, entries do not close until October 15, allowing plenty of time to show garden entries in full bloom over spring. Winners will be announced in late November.
Each state winner will receive a framed certificate, a plaque for display at the site of the winning garden and $500 wholesale value of seedlings for next season planting. The National winner will receive in addition a further $500 wholesale of seedlings and registration for their representative to attend the National Conference of the Australian Nursery and Gardening Industry in 2005.
Full details are outlined at the Bedding Plants Australia website or a brochure can be obtained by contacting mail@beddingplants.com.au
BPA backgrounder
Bedding Plants Australia Limited, or 'BPA' as it is commonly known, is one of the longest established 'sub-sections' of the Nursery and Gardening Industry of Australia. It represents a majority of the growers of flower and vegetable seedlings in the country.
BPA began 37 years ago when it launched the Flower of the Year which was particularly outstanding because of colour, plant habit or improved performance has continued since then with a new release every year, as well as other outstanding new releases for Australia in spring and autumn.
As well as the promotion of outstanding new releases, the other objectives of BPA are to:
- Promote the growing of quality plants by members and the purchase of quality plants among the public
- Encourage people to grow annuals and vegetables and educate them about the easy care nature of the products and their adaptabity to smaller gardens through container planting
- Remind people of the benefits (ie relaxation, pleasure, etc), the variety of choice and the easy care nature of flowering annuals
- Remind people that many flowering annuals don't need as much water as they think and encourage responsible use of water.
BPA is proud to sponsor the Australian Local Government Flower Garden Awards for 2004.
Released for BPA by Neville Sloss
Contact: Neville Sloss 0414562010 or at mail@beddingplants.com.au
Rohan Greenland at ALGA: 0412 859 434
