Congratulations to all our local green thumbs

WE ARE very pleased to announce the main winners of the Lismore Home Garden Education Club's annual competition.

The competition attracts up to 100 home garden entrants, as well as local schools, retirement villages and businesses that compete in the commercial sections.

You may have already seen the gorgeous champion garden of Charlie and Dot Cox in The Northern Star.

The rest of the gardens are well worth a look, too.

Get in touch with the club for more details.

Happy gardening!

WINNERS

Champion Garden: Dot and Charlie Cox, 59 Walker St, East Lismore

Reserve Champion Garden: Grant Cummins, 57 Beaumont Dr, Lismore

Champion Vegetable Garden: Warren and Dawn Coles, 673 Pinchin Rd, Goolmangar

Reserve Champion Vegetable Garden: Paul and Kim Sandrin, 344 Koonorigan Rd, Koonorigan

Class winners

Town Garden: Charlie and Dorothy Cox

Country Garden: Dawn and Warren Coles

All Seasons Garden: Grant Cummins

Best Floral Display: Fay and Merv Ryan

Front Garden: Charlie and Dorothy Cox

Back Garden: Alan and Tracey Foster

Pathway Garden: Charlie and Dorothy Cox

Garden Featuring Trimmed Shrubs: Kevin Pursey

Bed of Single Variety Flowers: Glenna Fairfull

Bed of Mixed Variety Flowers: Jack and Ruth Savins

Display of Sweet Peas: Phyllis Laker

Best Flowering Shrub: Jack and Ruth Savins

Climber or Creeper Plant: Stew and Susan Playsted

Plant in a Container: Jack and Ruth Savins

Citrus/Fruit Tree in Container: Paul and Kim Sandrin

Complete Vegetable Garden: Warren and Dawn Coles

Bed of Mixed Vegetables: Paul and Kim Sandrin

Collection of Mixed Herbs: Charlie and Dorothy Cox

Display of Bromeliads: Charlie and Dorothy Cox

Display of Succulents & Cacti: Edda Witchard

Bed Featuring Rocks/Pebbles/Bark comb: Edda Witchard

Water Feature Garden: Kathleen Maguire

Bush, Shade or Greenhouse: Merv and Faye Ryan

Outdoor Living Area: Alan and Tracy Foster

Horticultural Novelty Winner: Alan and Tracy Foster

Best Ground Floor Flat/Relocatable Home/Caravan Garden: Pauline Buckland

Business/Factory/Retirement Village Garden (large): St Vincent's Private Hospital, 20 Dalley St, East Lismore

Business/Factory/Retirement Village Garden (small): Parkview Funeral Home, 43 Holland St, Goonellabah

Best Retirement Home/Village: Chauvel Village, 1 Star Ave, Goonellabah

Under 50 Students Garden: Corndale Public School

50-100 Students: Coffee Camp Public School

Over 100 students: Wyrallah Rd, Lismore

Junior Gardener: Sienna Greene

For more information contact garden club secretary Dawn Coles on 66282133. Email dcoles39@outlook.com

A colourful flowerbed of petunias. — Prune petunias back every few months to remove the spent flowers. This will encourage fresh new growth and more flowers. RiverNorthPhotography

Top pick: Petunias

Petunias are easy to grow and provide a fabulous and long-lasting flower show. Whether planted en masse in a sunny or partly shaded garden bed or in hanging baskets or pots, they will flower for months.

New Happitunia Bubblegum varieties available include:

Bubblegum Blush - pale pink/white flowers with darker pink veins and centres.

Bubblegum Fuchsia - beautiful solid fuchsia-pink flowers cover the entire plant.

Bubblegum Pink - a dazzling display of vibrant pink flowers.

Bubblegum White - crisp white flowers with a pale yellow centre.

Plant these gorgeous petunias into soil or potting mix that has been improved with some Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser and once the plants are established, feed each week with Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food. It's rich in potassium to promote lots of blooms.

Happitunias are easy to maintain. Prune them back every few months which removes the spent flowers and encourages fresh new growth and more flowers.

Source: Angie Thomas, www.yates.com.au

Poetry in nature

Whenever it rains, I feel so free

Free as a bird, rain is my life

Washing away my troubles

Quenching my sun baked soul

While others rush for cover

I stroll among the empty streets

The rain dancing upon my lips

Looking up at the gray clouds

I open my mouth to catch the rain