Blooming goodbye
Open Gardens Australia will open its final WA garden next weekend, before winding up operations at the end of the financial year. Gardens are still scheduled to open in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland until late May.
Chief executive Liz White said the Open Gardens Australia program had made an enormous contribution to the tradition of opening gardens and sharing the enjoyment of gardening.
“Supported by wonderful volunteers and a passionate gardening community, OGA has partnered with garden owners to open almost 20,000 gardens and raise more than $6 million for charities and local causes since 1987,” she said.
“We have been a big part of creating a sharing and inclusive community of garden lovers and inspired many gardeners to try new and innovative things in their own gardens.
“We have also raised millions of dollars for charities and poured thousands more back into local communities through community grants, to nurture people’s passion for gardening at a local level.”
OGA, originally called Victoria’s Garden Scheme and later Australia’s Open Garden Scheme, was founded in 1987, inspired by the model used by the UK’s National Garden Scheme.
The first WA garden to open with the organisation was Peppamanna Gardens near Bunbury in 1995.
Gandhara is the last to open with OGA in WA. It features recycled materials decorating a palette of hardy plants, framed by huge eucalypts and owned by mosaic artists who have created a garden of mostly succulents.
Gandhara, at 135 Coolibah Drive, Greenwood, will be open on May 16 and 17 from 10am-4.30pm. It will include mosaic workshops and talks, homemade scones and plants for sale. Entry cost is $8 (children under 18 free). For more information on OGA visit opengarden.org.au.
