Social Housing Gardeners Recognised Across Victoria

Gardens at public and community homes across the state have been recognised in the 2015 Victoria in Bloom Regional Awards, Parliamentary Secretary for Human Services Sharon Knight announced today.

Ms Knight represented the Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing, Martin Foley, at the Ballarat Regional Awards ceremony.

Victoria in Bloom recognises the work of tenants at public and community housing properties who create gardens that bring beauty and joy, not just to the tenants, but to the wider community.

This year more than 140 entries were received from keen gardeners, across four Victorian divisions.

The divisional winners in each of the seven gardening categories will meet in Melbourne as finalists later this year, when state-wide winners will be announced. Each will receive a range of gardening goods, as well as a certificate from the Minister.

The seven categories are:

• Best balcony, small enclosed or container garden
• Best household garden
• Best edible garden
• Best sustainable garden
• Best common area garden
• Best community garden
• Best young gardener (between 12 and  25 years)

One finalist will also be named “Gardener of the Year” at the ceremony.

Further information about Victoria in Bloom can be found at www.housing.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window).

Quotes attributable to Parliamentary Secretary for Human Services, Sharon Knight

“I’m proud to announce the west divisional winners of Victoria in Bloom today. It’s a way for Victoria to recognise and thank gardeners for making our state an even better place to live.’”

“Gardens are not just places where people can go to rest and relax. They help create communities. We’ve all had a moment where we’ve been walking down a street but stopped to enjoy a particularly beautiful garden somebody worked hard to create.”

 

DIVISIONAL WINNERS

For further information on divisional winners contact Ruth Ward 0417 149 841.