The weather could not have been more perfect for the 46^th Annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Presentation Ceremony, held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, on Oak Lawns under the shade of the beautiful oak trees.

Over 460 students and teachers, from 35 schools across the State, some as far Wendouree and Mt Beauty, gathered to celebrate their school garden achievements and to find out what Award they had won.

Three regional schools, Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School in Cowes, Warrnambool East Primary School and Heywood and District Secondary College were the state finalists, with Heywood and District Secondary College taking out the grand prize of the Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award.

Heywood and District Secondary College garden boasts a hydroponic shade house; kitchen garden; aquaponics; compost bays and worm farms to support natural fertiliser for gardens beds; orchard and a chicken coop used by Food Technology classes; frog bogs; yarning circle; and a range of farm animals as part of their agriculture program. Students have been an integral part of the planning/design, building/development, and maintenance of these areas.

Over $44,000 worth of vouchers and garden products were distributed to the successful schools to continue their impressive garden programs, with categories including the Best Edible Garden, Most Engaging Garden for Wellbeing Learning and Best Improvement of a School’s Green Space, to name a few.

School gardens provide great hands-on learning opportunities while also contributing to the mental health and well-being of our students, staff and school communities. The Victorian School Gardens Program encourages schools to see the learning capabilities in developing their yards and envisions ‘every school a garden, every garden a classroom’. For more information on grants, free garden incursions, the Branch Out program, awards and teachers’ workshops, visit vsgp.org.au.

The Victorian Schools Garden Program would like to thank the Victorian State Government, Department of Education and other award sponsors for their continued support and help to grow young green thumbs and a sustainable future.

Click here for 2023 VSGP Award results.

In recognition of how busy teachers are this time of year, the closing date for the Victorian Schools Garden Awards has been extended until Thursday 28 September.

By extending the closing date, we hope to give more schools the opportunity to enter and encourage all schools to read the award categories below and consider entering.

Remember, your school garden does not need to be big or beautiful to enter (thought it might be!). The Victorian Schools Garden Awards celebrate the gardening achievements of students and their school communities in all types of gardens.

The Victorian Schools Garden Awards program recognises, rewards and celebrates the gardening achievements of schools, their students and community in existing and newly established school gardens, while also providing another opportunity for schools to receive funds or products for their school gardens.

The Awards are not necessarily rewarded to the biggest or most beautiful gardens but practical student grown gardens that incorporate learning, community and well-being into their school yards.

▪ There are $44,500 worth of prizes to be won.
▪ Enter one or more of the 11 categories available.
▪ All entries automatically qualify for Regional Awards, and the State and Kevin Heinze Perpetual Awards.
▪ To enter, submit a PowerPoint or video presentation on your garden.

For more information, please visit the Award website menu.  

Entries close Friday 8th September 2023 at 5pm 

This year, the Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) broke the record for both the number of schools/kindergartens applying for a Grant and the number of applications entered, receiving 540 grant entries from 270 schools/kindergartens across the state of Victoria.

The VSGP Committee were busy during the month of May accessing the applications and were extremely impressed by the remarkable garden projects proposed by schools/kindergartens.  Choosing the recipients was not an easy task with many great applications missing out by just a few points. Due to this fact, the VGSP has included an additional 8 Merit Grants to schools who scored extremely well yet were unsuccessful.

The VSGP Committee appreciate the time and effort taken by schools/kindergartens to enter a grant application/s and wish every garden project could be granted.

Click here to see the 2023 VSGP Grants Result

Entries for the 2023 Awards are now open and offer another opportunity for schools to receive vouchers or products for their gardens with $44,000 worth of prizes available to be won.  Awards are not necessarily given to the biggest or most beautiful school gardens, but practical gardens that incorporate learning, community and well-being.  For more information on the Awards, please visit the VSGP Awards Program section for more information.