This year the Victorian Schools Garden Program is trialing the inclusion of kindergartens. To be eligible the kindergarten must be formally connected with a primary school.

Kindergartens may apply for the Independent Schools Victoria – Sensory Garden Grant or enter an application for the Most Engaging Garden Award.

With 2700 kindergartens in Victoria, our hope is to expand the offer in the future to include all kindergartens.

The Victorian School Gardens Awards held its presentation ceremony at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens last week.

The weather gods smiled last week on the presentation of the Victorian Schools Gardens Awards at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, as rain cleared and the sun shined on the 350 students, parents and teachers in attendance.

Berwick Lodge Primary School, in pursuit of its ‘Learning for Life’ vision, secured the main Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award for its outdoor area. The school incorporates a variety of garden settings, including a community garden, sensory garden, Anzac memorial garden and soon-to-be-developed Outdoor Common Room, to contribute to an overall learning environment that heavily engages students and the broader school community.

Berwick Lodge was one of three state award winners and narrowly beat out Cornish College (located in Bangholme) and Swan Hill Specialist School for the main prize.

Cornish College has embedded sustainability its teaching and co-curricular activities for students, ranging in age from those in its Early Learning Centre to those working through their VCE.

At Swan Hill Specialist School, students take great pride in their gardens, play areas and facilities. Despite challenging weather conditions – especially over summer – students play a vital role in the planting, watering and maintenance of the school’s outdoor areas through a range of educational programs.

This year, 30 schools in total won awards for their garden programs and shared in $43,000 worth of vouchers and in-kind products.

Get Involved in 2019

The Victorian Schools Garden Awards encourage school communities to develop, grow and celebrate their gardening achievements. The awards foster a lifelong student connection with the natural environment and promote the value of outdoor spaces in progressive modern education. Established in 1977 by Paul Crowe OAM and the late Kevin Heinze, the program, now in its 41st year, is supported by the Victorian School Building Authority in partnership with Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria.

For more information on the start-of-year grants program and the end-of-year awards, and to get your school involved in 2019, see: Victorian Schools Garden Awards

Click here for 2018 VSGA Awards Results

With the Award entries closing late September, the VSGA committee has been busy judging the 120 entries from 60 schools across the state to determine this year’s successful schools.

Judging is never easy,especially with so many school undertaking amazing garden projects or running successful school garden programs.

An increase in this year’s entries and the popular category ‘Most Engaging Student Garden for Learning’, proves that gardens are now being used by schools as additional classroom with lots of learning being taken outdoors.

This year there are 20 regional Awards winners from which three State and the Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award winners will be decided.  Winners will be announced at the Presentation Ceremony at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens on the 15th November along with the announcement of the other category awards.

Click for the 2018 VSGA Regionl Awards Results.

Enter your school garden into one or all of the 10 VSGA Award categories. It’s quick and easy, submit a power point/video presentation on your garden. (View an Award winning entry)

• Most Engaging Garden for Play $1000 x 3 awards
• Catholic Education Melbourne – Most Engaging Student Garden for Learning                       $1000 x 3 awards
• Maxicrop – Best Edible Garden $1000 x 3 awards
• Independent Schools Victoria – Greatest Improvement of School’s Green Space                     $1000 x 3 awards
• Nursery & Garden Industry of Victoria – Best School Garden Exhibiting Biodiversity $1000 x 3 awards
• HMA Journalism Award for Best Horticulture Article $1000 x 1 award.  For years 7-12.
• RB Landscapes Award – Garden design and consultation Valued at $5000
• Turf Victoria Award – Turf Package provided by Coolabah Turf Valued at $4500
• Australian Growing Solutions Award – Garden Compost Package Valued at $2000
• Fleming’s Nurseries Award – Orchard Valued at $1000

Entries close Friday 7th September 2018.

During the month of May, the VSGA evaluated 210 grant applications received from 120 Victorian schools.

Forty one successful schools shared in $40,000 worth of vouchers and products and now have the opportunity to undertake their proposed garden projects.

Once again the Maxicrop – Edible Garden Grant category was the most popular, with many schools wanting to expand their produce gardens. Other popular categories were the Fleming’s Orchard Establish Grants, Australian Growing Solutions – Garden Compost Grant and Warner’s Outdoor Common Room Grant.

Please click here to view the 2018 Grant Results