Taking pride in his garden has resulted in Stawell’s Michael Joynson winning a statewide garden competition.
Competitions are conducted by the Department of Human Services to encourage residents living in government housing to take pride in their gardens and surrounds.
Michael and his wife Josie live in a unit in Oriental Street and when they moved in three years ago, the yard was just bare dirt.
“We decided to put a bit into it, some work and some money to spruce the yard up a bit,” Michael said.
“Starting from scratch with a patch of dirt, we bought flowers and shrubs and just put the work in.”
As a result of their hard work, the Department of Human Services recognised Michael in the Victoria in Bloom garden competition 2013-14.
Department representatives attended at Michael and Josie’s unit and took photographs of the garden. These were entered into a regional competition at Ballarat, which Michael won.
He then went on to enter the state competition and took out the award for the best household garden.
Michael said he was thrilled to have been recognised.
“It really is to encourage people who live in government housing to take care of their gardens, which most people do,” he said.
“To receive a certificate and gift voucher from the competition was a bonus for doing something I would normally do anyway.
“Really, if you are going to look out the window every day at it, you may as well have the garden looking attractive.”