JUDGING OF THE COMPETITION

A three-person judging panel will determine the winning garden for each category. The panel will consist of knowledgeable professionals in field such as horticulture, greenkeeping or landscaping.

Together with how the garden meets it’s category criteria, judging will be also based on the following key factors:

1. Maintenance – Lack of weeds, dead or diseased plants; carefully manicured edging and shrubs; well-presented lawns and overall attention to detail.
2. Aesthetics – Design elements such colour, lines and form, use of texture, plant use and interesting features.
3. Sustainable practice - Environmental considerations such as rain water tanks or reduced water use, moisture retention strategies,
4. Recycling and reuse - Environmentally friendly pest solutions and plant selection.
5. Involvement – The level of participation from the entrant in the overall design and maintenance of the garden, and the use of third-party assistance.
6. Creativity – Innovative use of space, unique plant use, overall vision for the garden.

1. Entry to the Garden Competition is free.
2. All entries must be based in the Liverpool City Council Local Government Area.
3. All gardens must be located within Liverpool City Council Local Government Area.
4. Liverpool City Council staff or their immediate families; sponsors, judging panel and elected members are not permitted to enter.
5. Applicants will be required to submit a completed Garden Award Competition Application Form by the due date. Application forms will be made available from Liverpool City Council’s website.
6. An applicant can apply for more than one category, however, the applicant will only be eligible to win one category as determined by the judging panel.
7. If you wish to submit your garden for multiple award categories, you will be required to complete multiple entry forms, tailoring each one to the chosen category, and you may choose to submit different photos that are best suited to each category.
8. By entering the Liverpool Garden Competition applicants agree to allow the Judging Panel access to view their garden during business hours, upon appointment.
9. Liverpool City Council, nor the parties involved, will accept any responsibility or will be liable for any injury, loss or damage to an entrant’s property as a result of participation in the Garden Competition.
10. A three-judge panel will decide the winner of each category and consist of a field expert, community member or sponsor representative and a Liverpool City Council representative.
11. At the Judging Panel’s discretion entries may be judged in categories other than the one entered.
12. Entrants are encouraged to show the judges around their garden. The judges may ask the entrant some basic questions about their garden and gardening practices.
13. The winners of the awards for each category cannot win the same category prize for more than 2 consecutive years.
14. Applications for the ‘Best Street’ award must a collective of 3 or more households that exist side-by-side or directly across the street from each other.
15. Best Street applicants can also apply for other categories as individual entrants.
16. All prizes are awarded at the discretion of the Judging Panel, whose decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
17. Garden owners agree to allow their gardens to be photographed, filmed with written consent by a nominated person from Liverpool City Council. Photographs may be reproduced in Liverpool City Council website, social media channels, published in local media and used as promotional material by Council at its discretion. These items remain the property of Liverpool City Council.
18. If requested, a successful applicant will also be available or willing to make a representative available for publicity purposes either a media opportunity, Council publication or other publication.
19. First Prize and Highly Commended will be awarded for each category. Only First Prize winners will receive a $500 Eftpos Card Prize. The website will be updated ready for winners’ announcements on social media. All entries will receive a personalised participation certificate sent to their postal address.
20. Winners will be announced on social media through a post or video. A small editorial will feature on each winner which can also depict judge’s comments. This also provides potential for disclosing highly commended entries.
21. Winners will then be contacted to coordinate photography and prize collection.