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Waverley Garden Awards

The triennial Waverley Garden Awards:

• Celebrate that gardens can bring joy and tranquillity to those around them;
• Recognise that local green thumbs contribute to the quality of our environment and wellbeing, which promote active lifestyles and social connections; and
• Appreciate that gardens come in all shapes and sizes, creatively introducing diversity and vibrancy into the community.

Award categories

• My Beautiful Garden: An award for home gardeners, garden designers and landscapers – whatever style of garden, this award is for garden lovers at large. Formal or mixed up, the overall effect is WOW.
• Innovative Gardens: You and your garden are doing something different! Your garden might demonstrate a passion for sustainability; you may have created a native habitat or have a great fruit and veggie patch. Or you are gardening in a challenging space, including terraces, indoor, balcony and vertical gardens.
• Special Street and Shared Gardens: Celebrating gardens located in public and/or shared spaces, including quality individual street-side gardens, community gardens, business and collaborative style gardens.
• Dirt Kids: Recognising that kids can be great gardeners, too!  Open to individuals and groups (under 18 years), including any type of garden within childcare centres, preschools and all local primary and high schools.
• Second Nature Habitat Garden: This award acknowledges the role that residential gardens can play in contributing to biodiverse and resilient built environments by incorporating features and approaches to support habitat, thereby providing appealing spaces for humans, plants and animals to thrive.

2025 finalists and winners

Congratulations to the finalists and winners of the 2025 Awards!

My Beautiful Garden Winner – Sarah and Tony Nelson

Second Nature Habitat Garden Winner – Susan Hely
Second Nature Habitat Garden Runner-up – Gardening at Waverley Cemetery Volunteers
Second Nature Habitat Garden Commendation – Sandy Bruns

Special Street and Shared Gardens Winner – Wayside Chapel Bondi Beach
Special Street and Shared Gardens Runner-up – David Patch
Special Street and Shared Gardens Commendation – Kim McCarthy

Innovative Gardens Winner – Bismarck House
Innovative Gardens Runner Up – Kerry Long 

Dirt Kids Winner – Bronte Early Education Centre 

Special Judges Commendation Award – Charingfield Aged Care Community

Many award winners are involved with our public gardening network in Waverley. Find out how you can get involved and make a difference in your community.

For more information, email publicgardening@waverley.nsw.gov.au.