Having always had a passion for gardening and a keen eye for style, Bobbie Stacey was the deserving winner of last year’s Singleton Tidy Town Garden Competition.
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After being encouraged Bobbie decided to enter the competition and sure enough, she was rewarded for her immaculate garden.
“I have always had a passion for my garden,” Bobby tells the Argus.
“My Mother and Father loved gardening, and so I became interested in it.
“Now my children and grandchildren enjoy it, too. So it’s always been a family passion.”
The remarkable thing about Bobbie’s garden is that it largely utilises recycled materials including bedheads as garden gates, old carpet for mulch and old materials for railings and walkways.
“A lot of people say my garden is sustainable but I like to call it naturalistic,” Bobbie says.
“What I like is that my garden is easy to maintain. You plant the basics like trees for shade, but the rest just grows its own way. It’s forever changing.”
Despite her age, Bobbie’s passion remains vibrant and lively. For her, gardening is an artistic outlet and a great source of exercise.
Unlike other yards, Ms Stacey’s garden is divided into sections that reflect different styles. The first section is a French provincial theme, followed by an English styled division and the final area boasts an Italian feel.
“In every garden I’ve had I have created sections,” Bobby says.
“I am lucky that I have the ability to visualise my garden and work from there.
“I would like to add more to my terrace section and put roses along the garden wall to make it more like a traditional English garden.”
Despite having lived in her residence for over a decade now, no pen to paper planning has ever gone underway, she says.
One of Ms Stacey’s fondest aspects of having an admired garden is allowing people to come and enjoy it as much as she does.
“I was able to have the local Preschool children come over and tour the garden,” she says.
“They absolutely loved it, and I think it’s wonderful that we are able to encourage the young children to get involved in gardening.”
As well as this, Bobbie would like to be able to have small groups from the nursing home come to visit her garden in the future.
“It would be nice to have people from the nursing home come and enjoy my garden.
“They could enjoy the views and sit in the garden to have a cup of tea.”
Bobbie strongly encourages others to get on board with the garden competition, saying that it doesn’t matter how big or small your area is, as long as you have passion.
“I would definitely encourage others to enter even if you have a very little area. You can make anything into a garden. Simple pot plants or a small herb garden can still be made into something beautiful.”
With just under a month to go, the Singleton Tidy Towns Garden Committee is asking local residents to consider entering the 2016 Competition.
Gardening categories include household, shared accommodation, community, education and business, as well as good neighbours and household vegetable gardens.
This year also features a novelty section, “A Garden in a self-decorated can”, allowing even the youngest of gardeners to participate.
Entries close on the March 11, so collect your entry form from the Singleton Argus, L J Hooker or Kirkwood’s Produce for a chance to win some fantastic prizes.