Kitchen gardens shine in comp

DID you take up the opportunity to show off your thriving veggie patch as part of the Ballarat Show’s Kitchen Garden Competition?

The Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society has announced its winners for 2020, with Invermay’s Terri Creelman taking first prize in the Best Kitchen Garden category, with Alfredton’s Susan Pitman placed second and Buninyong’s June Vann third.

In Best Organic Kitchen Garden, Sebastopol’s Sarah Stockdale placed first, Ballarat’s Paula Foote and Lou Ridsdale were second and third respectively.

Delacombe Primary School has received $75 for winning the Children’s Kitchen Garden section.

Terri Creelman’s rural property is packed full of patches and trees baring nutritious goodies.

“I have a herb garden right next to my home and 20-metres away I have a general veggie patch with standard veggies, although this year we are trying chickpeas, Murnong native yam daisy, tomatillos and cape gooseberry,” she said.

“We have a hothouse which has amazing cucumbers, tomatoes, capsicums and chillies, but also ribbon plant and water chestnuts in our water section.

“We’ve got a reasonable sized orchard with a variety of trees, a big raspberry patch, brambleberries and blueberries.”

Following a period of “significant ill-health” Ms Creelman has been even more passionate about her kitchen gardening.

It’s her “exercise with a purpose,” and watching things grow in the garden each day brings her a lot of joy.

“It’s helped me mentally and physically recover wonderfully,” she said.

“You know what you’re putting on your food, there’s no pesticides, it tastes better, and you’ve got food to share with family and friends, which we do a lot.

“We don’t buy much fruit and veg during the year, because we preserve what we grow.”

First prize for Best Kitchen Garden was a $250 Growmaster voucher, second was $100 to spend at the same business, and third won a family pass to an event at the Ballarat Showgrounds in 2021.

“The competition has come at a perfect time. Government regulations have changed for fruit-tree bird netting, so with the voucher, we’ll buy a complete new set of bird netting by September,” Ms Creelman said.

“We’re going to replace it all to make it compliant.”

BAPS executive officer Elizabeth van Beek had the idea for the competition in the middle of the night.

She said receiving the entries, judging them, and contacting the successful gardeners has been a “delightful task,” in a year where the annual Show didn’t run due to COVID-19.

First prize for Best Organic Kitchen Garden was a $250 voucher to Lambley Nursery & Gardens, second was a $100 voucher to the same business, and third was a family pass to a 2021 BAPS event.