Residents with a passion for gardening are being invited to showcase their horticultural skills and community pride in the Thornhill Manor Garden Competition, which will culminate in a spring prizegiving celebration.
The competition, which is free to enter, will be judged on October 15, with winners announced at the village’s Lotto morning tea on October 22.
Organised by Thornhill Manor’s garden club, the competition aims to encourage beautification throughout the village while recognising the dedication and talent of its gardeners.
Village resident and garden club activities co-ordinator Vicky Keenan says the competition was designed to celebrate the role gardens play in creating a vibrant and welcoming community.
“Gardens bring so much joy to village life. This competition is about encouraging residents to share their creativity, take pride in their outdoor spaces and inspire one another,” she says.
“We have gardeners with years of experience and others who have only recently discovered a love for planting. The idea is to celebrate every effort and make the competition accessible to as many people as possible.”
Residents can enter one of two main categories – self-designed gardens and professionally landscaped gardens – with sub-categories including most indigenous or waterwise gardens, roses and mixed beds, and single garden beds.
The introduction of the single garden bed category is intended to make the competition more inclusive for residents with smaller spaces or limited mobility.
“We wanted everyone to feel they could participate, whether they maintain a large established garden or nurture a single flower bed,” says Vicky. “It’s not only about size – it’s about care, imagination and creating something beautiful.”
Entrants are encouraged to submit a photograph of their garden and, where possible, include a short motivation describing their garden’s story, inspiration and gardening background. These submissions will form part of an exhibition at the prizegiving event.
Residents from other Rand Aid villages will also be invited to attend the Lotto morning tea and enjoy a walking tour through Thornhill Manor’s gardens afterwards.
Gardens will be assessed by a panel of at least three judges per category using criteria including creativity, planting combinations, colour and texture, maintenance, accessibility, waterwise practices and overall design.
Category winners will each receive a R500 cash prize — along with what Vicky jokingly describes as ‘bragging rights’.
Entry forms are available from the village office and entries close on October 13.
