Springtime Garden Showcase

The recently held springtime Maitland Garden Ramble annually raises funds for the Hunter Branch of Vision Australia organised by the Maitland Black and White Committee, who manned the garden gates and welcomed visitors. This ramble raised in excess of a record breaking $35,000. “Our Maitland Black and White Committee worked tirelessly to achieve this amazing amount of funds to donate to Vision Australia for the blind and visually impaired in the Hunter,” said President Heather McLaren. “I wish to thank all the sponsors headed by Martin Building Constructions and the many other supporters who were able to be part of our weekend of sunshine, beautiful and colourful gardens and friendship.”
All participating gardens were very different in their own right, from heritage homes to suburban house blocks offering diversity to keen visiting gardeners. Bouquets go to the participants all first-time exhibitors who opened their garden gates to the public during the weekend event. Carol Simpson’s creative half-acre block at Raworth is an example of what can be done on a suburban block. Working on the previous owners’ foundations, Carol has established a private oasis of native and exotic trees as well as large shrubs which have become the backbone of the garden. “This row of massive lillypilly trees were only planted five years ago and look at their height,” she explains. “Around the corner is a stunning Queensland bottle tree which is really showing its true bottle shape.”