General News
7 March, 2024
Steed garden a finalist for award
Gardens, big or small, are capable of great things — they can transform properties into unique ecosystems, they can nurture green thumbs, and sometimes they can throw their caretakers under a national spotlight. Now, a lush local estate is on the...
Gardens, big or small, are capable of great things — they can transform properties into unique ecosystems, they can nurture green thumbs, and sometimes they can throw their caretakers under a national spotlight.
Now, a lush local estate is on the winning cusp of doing all three, and the community’s backing could make all the difference.
Securing a spot alongside 10 other gardens in the country, Allan and Rachelle Steed’s blossoming space is a finalist in the Garden of the Year 2023 Readers Choice Competition.
The awards are hosted by the popular TV show and magazine, Better Homes and Gardens — which will give out $3000 worth of products to the top garden, receiving the highest number of votes.
For the Bung Bong based couple, being shortlisted was a pleasant surprise after their daughter-in-law entered their garden into the contest.
“Around 12 months ago, she took all these photos and enrolled us — I remember I told her she was wasting her time,” Allan said.
“We’d forgotten about it after that too because we didn’t think we had a chance but then last week we found out we were in the final 11.”
Going from being a finalist to finally winning the title is possible for the Steeds, but they need the community to vote for them.
“We’re not really competitive but it would be nice to win and in a way it’ll be an [acknowledgment] of the love we’ve put into it,” Allan said.
“It’ll be good for Maryborough too because it might get more people to visit.”
With the garden a labour of love, there’s no shortage of award-worthy elements planted into it.
“I think it’s a really interesting garden because you can’t just see it all in one go — you need to explore it,” Allan said.
“All of it has been designed and built by Rachelle and me. We started 40 years ago and the whole thing has been a real teamwork, I couldn’t manage it without her and she couldn’t take care of it without me. We work together.
“This garden also has a lot of ‘rooms’. You can go from one area to another and it’ll be very different, with a different story.”
Upkeep of the garden takes the duo around 20 hours per week, and now, even just by reaching the final stage, Allan said their efforts have borne fruit.
“It just goes to show that sometimes you might think you’ve got something [ordinary] and then when things like this happen, you realise how far you can go,” he said.
You can put in a vote for the Steeds by visiting www.bhg.com.au/goty — scroll down to the Readers Choice Competition prompt and select Garden of the Year followed by the Melody Steed box.
Voting will close on Monday, March 11 at 11.59 pm.
