6 & 7 October 2012

The Grahamstown office of Pam Golding Properties, in conjunction with the Umthathi Training Project, will again co-ordinate the Gardens of Grahamstown competition for residents of Grahamstown only. Gardens may be entered in the following categories:

• Category 1: Small Gardens (under 500m²)
• Category 2: Medium Gardens (500m² - 1000m²)
• Category 3: Large Gardens (over 1000m²)
• Category 4: Township Gardens

Small Gardens:
Winner - Wilf & Barbara Stout, 33 Kings View Estate
Runner up - Robyn James, Elizabeth House & The Suite, Worcester Street

Medium Gardens:
Winner - Robyn James, St Aidan's Guest House, Worcester Street
Runner up - Irene Ellis, 3 Cartwright Street

Large Gardens:
Winner - Vernon Marais, Arequipa Rose Garden, 15 Belmont Street
Runner up - John and Rosalyn Davies, Albany Cottage, Three Chimneys Properties

Township Gardens:
Winner - Mzam'Omhle, Mayfield Kaolin Mining
Runner up - Thabisa Edna Sihawula, 4623 Extension 7

ENTRANTS

SPRING is in the air, and Sarah is excited about the thought of summer blooms flourishing in this Grahamstown garden.

Prizes:

The winners of the four categories will each receive R500, which has been generously donated by the Grahamstown office of Pam Golding Properties. Runners Up will receive hampers with a selection of garden products. Prizes will be awarded at the prize giving to be held in the Eden Grove Blue Lecture Theatre at Rhodes University (adjacent to the festival venue) on Saturday 29 October at 4.30pm.

Open Gardens:

As per the conditions of the competition, the gardens of the winners and runners up in each category will be open to the public at the following times over the weekend of the Festival:

• Saturday 29 October, 9am - 2pm
• Sunday 30 October, 10am - 2pm

Judges:

Warren Lange of HortCouture
Warren is a graduate of Pretoria University where he obtained a Bachelor in Landscape Architecture. After working for a number of years as a landscape architect in a small firm and obtaining further qualifications, he started Hort Couture, a company that offers a holistic solution encompassing design, consulting and installation. Warren is also well known for his innovative Garden in a Box project and does regular gardening inserts on the TV programme, Top Billing. He has just launched a new company which handles the design and outsourcing of gardens for residential and commercial clients.

Jo Clinton of Jo Clinton Landscape Design
Jo Clinton graduated from the renowned Inchbald School of Design in the UK in 2006. She worked for a number of well-known landscape architects and designers in the UK before relocating to South Africa in February 2008 to undertake work for Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape. During this time she worked on a number of projects ranging in size from small urban gardens to lodges, including a private hospital landscape design. She continues to work on a handful of domestic projects back in the UK for private clients. Jo moved up to Gauteng at the beginning of 2010 and is now based in Johannesburg. She is knowledgeable in a wide range of landscape and garden design styles, and has a wide range of technical and computer skills. Her horticultural skills include a wide knowledge of plants, an understanding of particular conditions for many plant species, and the ability to identify soil types and diagnose problems related to drainage and acidity.

Jo Skae
Jo Skae was personal secretary to the Chief Horticulturist of the Pinetown Parks Department during the 70s, at which time she supervised the practical aspects of the course done by horticultural students attending the Durban Technical College. She also completed a number of courses in Ikebana, with her arrangements being displayed at the Durban Horticultural Shows. She has been a member of the Michaelhouse School Gardening Committee, and helped design new gardens and flower beds. She was again involved in school gardens while teaching at Kingswood College. Jo has undertaken various landscaping and horticultural courses over the years. From 1992 - 2004 she ran her own company called "Jo's Garden Care", offering landscaping, garden maintenance, regular pruning, seasonal planting and compost making services. After retiring to Underberg, she worked at a local nursery and was involved in landscaping and upgrading old gardens. She has recently come back to Grahamstown and does voluntary work at the Albany Museum Herbarium two days a week, mounting floral specimens under the supervision of Tony Dold.