The wait is nearly over to find out who has the most beautiful garden in Port Elizabeth. The four judges for the PE Express and Die Burger’s PE Garden of the Year competition are currently viewing the entries with great enthusiasm.

More than 50 entries were received for gardens in the small, large, water wise and company garden categories.

The judges are Louw Lochner of Remax Independent Walmer, Carmel Wolf of Sherwood Garden Centre, Wayne Hackart of Out of Africa Stone and Mimi Rupp of SmartStone.

Rupp is passionate about gardens and very excited about the competition. She believes it is important to recognise people who work hard to beautify their gardens and has given her criteria a lot of thought.

“I will definitely look at the use of space and how the design of the garden fits the area and the gardener’s individual style,” says Rupp. “The creative use of hard landscapes like paving and walls to complement the garden, as well as unique or surprising features, will catch my eye.
 
“I will pay attention to the use of colour in flowers and leaves, contrasting textures, the use of light and shade, height and width to create depth and fragrances and sounds to please the senses. It is also important that a garden attracts wildlife like birds and insects and that it is practical for people who have pets.”

Rupp will give marks for the creative use of dead spots in the garden and for interesting ways to hide less attractive features like washing lines and compost heaps. The smart use of annuals and perennials is also important. 

Hackart says it is wonderful to see people take pride in their gardens and he believes the competition will have a positive affect on the city. “Because of my work with natural stone products, I am very enthusiastic about the use of natural resources in gardens,” he says.

“I will also pay attention to the use of light, add-ons and water features to beautify a garden. I look forward to seeing how gardeners use their available space and how diverse gardens in the city are.

“Us judges will sit together to determine the winners and I believe the different criteria that each will use, will contribute to us finding the most attractive entries.

Lochner, the brainchild behind the competition, is impressed with the number of entries. He believes it is the ideal platform to showcase beautiful gardens rarely seen by the general public.
 
“It is important that the garden complements the house,” he says. “I will look out for plants that create a balance, are in tune with the design of the house and enhance the look of the property.

“As an estate agent I know how important harmony between the house and garden can be. A neat garden enhances the curb appeal and helps to create a good impression.”

Wolf says they decided to keep the first competition relatively simple so that any gardener, whether an amateur or a professional, will have an equal chance to impress the judges. “The first impression, focal points and interesting features will score points, but criteria such as passion, imagination, labour and uniqueness are also important.”

The PE Garden of the Year competition is held in conjunction with Sherwood Garden Centre, Remax Independent Walmer and Swabey Velthuysen Attorneys.

The winner in each category will receive a R5 000 gift voucher. The overall winner will be selected from the four category winners.