Open Garden 2016

Only a few days to go and the garden is looking good.
There will be some amazing and rare plants for sale so be quick.

Ian and Judy Wintle’s ‘Giving Garden’

You could be forgiven for believing you’re lost in a tropical paradise walking through our garden.

Our one acre labour of love is fondly called ‘The Giving Garden’ providing many years of satisfaction and solace to our family, friends, and visitors, not forgetting the wildlife.

After finishing Uni our eldest son Scott went backpacking in Europe for a year. Only a couple of weeks before he was due to return home we received news from Switzerland that he had broken his back in a motorbike accident and would never walk again.

The months that followed drew on our mental, financial, and physical strength. It was not for a further six months that he could finally return to his home. By that time not only he needed rehabilitation Mum and Dad also did.

Our garden gave us the ability to heal, it was our rehabilitation and two decades on; it has blossomed into a lush sub tropical oasis, featuring some of the world’s most exotic and unusual plants and fruit trees.

The garden was part of ‘Australia’s Open Gardens’ from 2002 to 2013 and many thousands of visitors came to visit our garden.

For the last three years we have continued to open our garden and support a local Lions Club, we stipulated that all money raised assist disabled children. We have assisted the Lion’s Club by raising $12,523 in the last three openings.

Overall we have raised around $50,000 for charities through our 14 ‘Open Gardens’.

After 48 years of marriage Judy and I know that the time and love we have invested in our garden will continue to give us and our visitor’s joy for many years to come.

We plan to continue opening our garden for as long as we are able to as we enjoy the weekend and meeting so many fellow gardeners.

There is always something new to see in this garden and 2016 is no exception with big changes to the garden.

As usual there will be some great plants for sale, refreshments from the Lions Club and a raffle. Some visitors stay for up to four hours and they are welcome to bring their camera.

We have welcomed many bus tours through our garden and have given over 135 power point presentations to gardening and service clubs throughout South East Queensland.

Ian has his own website ‘garden product reviews.com’ and a garden blog at ‘ianjudy.blogspot.com’ over 250,000 people from over 100 countries around the world have seen our garden this way. The blog has been archived by the Queensland State Library as being of significant importance to the state of Queensland.

Ian also has a Facebook page called ‘The Giving Garden’ which has over 1650 followers and another Facebook page ‘Open Gardens and Events Queensland’ where people who intend to open their garden can post information. This was badly needed as the ‘Australia’s Open Gardens’ Scheme closed down in June 2015.

So, please come and enjoy our beautiful garden, we are sure you will not be disappointed.

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Ian and Judy Wintle’s ‘Giving Garden’

You could be forgiven for believing you’re lost in a tropical paradise walking through our garden.

Our one acre labour of love is fondly called ‘The Giving Garden’ providing many years of satisfaction and solace to our family, friends, visitors and the wildlife.

After finishing Uni our eldest son Scott went backpacking in Europe for a year. Only a couple of weeks before he was due to return home we received news from Switzerland that he had broken his back in a motorbike accident and would never walk again.

The months that followed drew on our mental, financial, and physical strength. It was not for a further six months that he could finally return to his home. By that time not only he needed rehabilitation Mum and Dad also did.

Scott has not let his parents down as his strength and determination has let him to become a successful wheelchair athlete representing Australia in both Water Skiing and Basketball. Scott is now married with two young children and works as a graphic designer.

Our garden gave us the ability to heal, it was our rehabilitation and more than a decade on; it has blossomed into a lush sub tropical oasis, featuring some of the world’s most exotic and unusual plants and fruit trees.

The garden was part of ‘Australia’s Open Gardens’ for 11 years and many thousands of visitors came to our garden.

In 2013 we hosted a special ‘Open Garden’ for the ‘Lions Club ‘and raised $5700 for a local boy suffering from Cerebral Palsy who was desperately in need of a special walker.

Overall we have raised well over $37,000 for charities through our ‘Open Gardens’.

We did the same in 2014 for the Lions Club and raised another $3000 for disabled children.

After 47 years of marriage Judy and I know that the time and love we have invested in our garden will continue to give us and our visitor’s joy for many years to come.

We plan to continue opening our garden for as long as we are able to as we enjoy the weekend.

If you have been before, please come again as there’s always something new to see in this garden.

As usual there will be some great plants for sale, refreshments from the Lions Club and a raffle. Some visitors stay for up to four hours and they are welcome to bring their camera.

We give guided bus tours through our garden and have given over 130 power point presentations to gardening clubs throughout South East Queensland.

Ian has his own website www.gardenproductreviews.com and a garden blog at www.ianjudy.blogspot.com  over 150,000 people from over 100 countries around the world have seen our garden this way.

Ian also has a Facebook page devoted to the ‘giving garden’ found at https://www.facebook.com/birkdalegarden which has over 900 followers.

Our son Scott has just returned from the USA where he was competing in the ‘World Disabled Water Ski Championships’. He won GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE medals.

He is a world champion and we are so very proud of his achievements.

Open Garden Brisbane

Ian and Judy’s Open Garden 2015

After raising $8292 for disabled children for the Moreton Lions Club in the last two open gardens, Judy and I have decided to open our garden again on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd November to again support the ‘Lions Club’ to raise money for a worthwhile cause (Disabled Children).

This year the Capalaba and Moreton Lions Clubs will be working together.

Entry will be only $7.00 and the Lions Club will be providing food and drinks.
A portable toilet will be available situated on the front lawn.

As usual Judy will be selling some amazing bromeliads and other garden plants including some rare plants that you will not get elsewhere (be quick as the rare plants  go quickly).

We also have Genny Catlan bringing a selection of beautiful caladiums to sell.

It's on the same weekend as the 'Tropical Foliage Festival' which is held in Cleveland, so you can have a great gardening day out if you visit us both.
Stacks of great plants (including Tropical Fruit Trees) will be for sale as well as fresh 'off the tree' ‘black sapote’ (chocolate pudding fruit).

Please come and see a great garden and most importantly support a very worthwhile cause.

It’s not a walk in walk out garden; it’s one you can spend several hours in.

If you have been before please come again because there’s always something new in this garden and this year has seen a lot of new work done.

Ian has his own website www.gardenproductreviews.com and a garden blog at www.ianjudy.blogspot.com  almost 200,000 people from over 100 countries around the world have seen our garden this way.  Ian’s blog has been archived by the state library as being of significant importance to the state of Queensland.

Ian also has a Facebook page devoted to the ‘giving garden’ found at https://www.facebook.com/birkdalegarden which has over 900 followers and an ‘Open gardens Queensland’ Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/984326811681625/

It’s a busy life.

Hope to see you here.