The winners of this year's Spring Garden Competition were announced at a gala ceremony held on 30 October 2026.
This unique competition – which has been held in the City of Ryde for more than 30 years – provides the community with a chance to not only better our gardens but to also keep active, keep creative, and establish a space for relaxation.
Council's team of expert judges inspected the nominated gardens across a variety of different categories in late September and engaged in some feverish debate before selecting the eventual winners.
City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown said the 2026 competition was another resounding success.
"The Spring Garden Competition has been a highlight of our annual events calendar for some years now and the quality of the entries across all categories continues to be outstanding," he said.
"From small courtyard balconies to large backyard sanctuaries, lush commercial oases and school gardens growing an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, we have seen a wide variety of gardens representing the many people and cultures that so beautifully reflect the City of Ryde.
"The outstanding efforts of our community contribute to both our local environment and to our shared sustainability efforts."
The winners are:
BEST PRE-SCHOOL - North Ryde Community Pre-School (Kate Elwin)
BEST PRIMARY SCHOOL
FIRST PRIZE - Kent Road
SECOND PRIZE - West Ryde
THIRD PRIZE - North Ryde
BEST JUNIOR GARDENERS
FIRST PRIZE - Aidan Baum
SECOND PRIZE - Conrad Kosek-Dolan
THIRD PRIZE - Arabella & Camille (mother Melanie)
SPECIAL JUDGES AWARDS:
SPACE SOLVER AWARD - Sadhana Desai
INTERGENERATIONAL FAMILY GARDEN AWARD - Dennis Kleinberg
RECREATIONAL FAMILY GARDEN AWARD - Pradnya Panvelkar
SPECIAL GREEN FINGERS AWARD - Anne Johnson
PLANT COLLECTORS AWARD - Carmelita Jara
BEST BACK GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - Rae Roy
SECOND PRIZE - Angelina Chee
THIRD PRIZE - Anne Johnson
BEST FRONT GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - Sue Kennedy
SECOND PRIZE - Mitchell Brown
THIRD PRIZE - Dennis Kleinberg
BEST COURTYARD
FIRST PRIZE - Julie Broadhead
SECOND PRIZE - Margaret Feltham
THIRD PRIZE- Margaret Izanc
BEST BALCONY - Sam Star
BEST SUCCULENT GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - Amy Lau
SECOND PRIZE - Anne Johnson
THIRD PRIZE - Sadhana Desai
BEST EDIBLE GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - CSIRO
SECOND PRIZE - Michael Black
THIRD PRIZE - Amy Lau
BEST NATIVE GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - Liz & Paul Newtown
SECOND PRIZE - Carol Lim
THIRD PRIZE - Scott Leishman
BEST BUSHCARE SITE:
FIRST PRIZE- Greenwood Park Bushcare
SECOND PRIZE- Pages Creek National Park Group
THIRD PRIZE- Monash Road
BEST NATIVE HABITAT
FIRST PRIZE - Pamela Reeves
SECOND PRIZE - The Habitat
BEST COMMERCIAL GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - Gerard Quinn, Okey Dokey Plantscapes
SECOND PRIZE - Michael Delahunty, Living Choice Assisted Care Village
BEST COMMUNITY GARDEN
FIRST PRIZE - The Habitat
SECOND PRIZE - CSIRO Group
SUSTAINABLE WASTE 2 ART AWARD - Carolyn Glen
BEST IN SHOW – Sue Kennedy
