Guest Speaker (and RC Alexandra member) Noel McIlwraith spoke about Alexandra and District Open Gardens.
This special weekend was unfortunately cancelled this year, on the advice of emergency services, due to the flood situation, after 2 years of Covid cancellations.
One of the gardens, at Molesworth, was inundated from the Goulburn River, while the lawn at an Acheron garden had morphed into a marsh, and parking in the adjacent paddock was deemed unsafe.
The last few days have been very busy, contacting garden owners, sponsors and media. Local signwriter Julie has been very helpful in providing ‘CANCELLED’ stickers for our signage at short notice.
Good news is that all our garden owners have again offered to open their gardens in 2023. Fourth time lucky, let’s hope.
A virtual tour of the 8 gardens which were scheduled to open in 2022 is available on the Open Gardens Facebook page, and worth a look.
Alexandra and District Open Gardens started in 1991, the brainchild of Alma Hexter and Gwenda Martin, to raise money for Community Care. 16 gardens opened that first year.
Over 100 local gardens have opened their gates to visitors since the program began, between 8 and 23 each year.
In 2013 Open Gardens Weekend was the Community Event of the Year.
$180K-$200K has been returned to the community in diverse beautification projects at Kellock Lodge, Darlingford UGNH, the RSL, Football Clubrooms, CFA and local schools.
A circle of Jeffers Red maples was planted in Leckie Park, around a 3 tonne rock with a plaque commemorating 30 years of Open Gardens.
Rotary has been involved since day one, providing gate sitters, and several members opening their gardens to the community.
Our latest project is the ‘Planting Trees for the Queens Jubilee’ commemoration. OG Committee successfully applied for a Federal Government grant of $8K to plant an avenue of trees along the Maroondah Hwy entrance to Alexandra. With additional contributions from OG committee and RC Alexandra, this planting is expected to be done in late winter/early spring 2023.
