After garden ramble for those who miss out

Two groups of people always miss out on experiencing the gardens during the Parkes Que Club’s Open Gardens Day, that was this year held on 11 October. That's the garden owners themselves, who spend the day welcoming visitors to their own properties, and the many Que members rostered on at the racecourse to keep the event running smoothly. To make sure they don’t miss out, the club hosts a special ramble just for them - a relaxed afternoon devoted to wandering through four of the five featured gardens. Barbara Orr and her daughter Melinda Border loved Father Barry Dwyer's roses in Arana Place. Sandra Fidock, Kaye McMahon and Valeena Baker explored Ann and John Carr's garden in Arana Place. It was a chance to slow down, admire each space and enjoy the kind of conversations gardeners love most: swapping rose care tips, comparing plant varieties and sharing the little snippets of knowledge that only fellow garden enthusiasts truly appreciate. To acknowledge the amazing generosity of our garden owners who open their gardens to the public, we present them with a small thank you gift which we hope will complement their garden spaces. This year the gifts were mosaics created by Susan Maddison at SMM Mosaics. Que Club members Kay Craft, Helen Heraghty, Janene Dwyer, Lyndal Bowen, Jill Crisp, Denise Barham, Raelene Rout, with garden owners Robyn Dean and Lyn and Barry Green. PHOTO: Parkes Que Club Garden owner Robyn Dean (left) and Ann-Marie Winter (right) whose garden featured the magnificent bonsais, received their gifts from Que Club president Raelene Rout. PHOTO: Parkes Que Club Que Club president Raelene Rout presented garden owners Lyn and Barry Green with a thank you gift. PHOTO: Parkes Que Club There are still a few expenses to deduct but the club raised in the vicinity of $8000, all of which is through the generosity of those who donate to our raffle, the business houses who sell our raffle tickets, Parkes News & Gifts and the Red Chandelier for the fashion parade, and the public which supports our event each year. Through this support we are able to make a meaningful difference in our community, because all proceeds from the event go towards funding these vital programs, through the Parkes Que Club: • Sponsored eligible children to attend Life Education Van (Healthy Harold), as well as our usual donations to schools and preschools for hearing amplification systems; • Sponsoring the hearing and speech assessments for preschool children who are ready to head-off to ‘big school’; • Donations are also given to Can Assist, Ronald McDonald House, Western Care Lodge, Sprouts, Safe Haven and other charities which benefit our local communities; • Dignity and care packs for victims of domestic violence; • Books for newborn babies; • Southern Cross art therapy program; • Trauma teddies for ambulances; • Participation in Paint the Town REaD; • School backpacks for children in need. The winners of the raffle from this year's event were: • Mosaic created and donated by SMM Mosaics - Leanne Thomas; • $250 voucher from Bunnings Forbes – Cathy Clarke; • Six picnic chairs from Mitre 10 Parkes – Maureen Bootle from Narromine; • Garden art (valued $100) from Parkes News & Gifts – Trish Simpson; • $100 voucher (meal) at Parkes Railway Hotel – Merry Maloney; • $50 voucher for Dirty Gloves Nursery - Lynn Rogers. President of the Parkes Potters Group Janelle Faunt and some of her team Tracey Byrnes, Helen Faint and Sue Smeaton, Annette Witherow from the Parkes Painters Group, and Sue Black (Parkes Potters) helping out at their display at the Parkes Racecourse during the open gardens event. Delicious morning tea and lunch was available at the racecourse for hungry garden explorers - Joy Plumridge with Parkes Que Club volunteers Denise Barham, Anne Steel and Janene Dwyer. Among the gardens was Ian Moses and Ann-Marie Winter's bonsai garden in Cecile Street that piqued many people's interest. The couple had a variety of bonsais on display and they enjoy experimenting with what species they can grow and manicure into a bonsai. They had everything from pine, maple and jacaranda trees to olive and peach trees. Ann-Marie Winter said people were very curious and had a range of questions all day. They counted 120 people had walked through their garden over the course of the day. Follow Parkes Que Club on Facebook or email us at parkesqueclub@gmail.com if you'd like to learn more about the club. We have 50 members so why not join the Que and help us raise money to make our local community better. Here are some more photos from the event. Ian Moses with one of his first bonsais, a common juniper that was planted in 2006. His and Ann-Marie Winter's bonsai garden in Cecile Street was on show on 11 October. Carolyn Butler and Lyndall Bowen browsed the paintings, pottery and artwork that was on show and for sale during the open gardens. Kris Smith, Wendy Neville, Lynn Ryan and Sarah Davies take a break from a busy open gardens event. Brian and Wendy Nelson dining at the racecourse for lunch during the Parkes Open Gardens and Markets. Ian Moses and Ann-Marie Winter showed Jill Crisp and Colleen Staples around their interesting bonsai garden in Cecile Street. Hosts an Moses and Ann-Marie Winter had a variety of bonsais on display at their home in Cecile Street, including pine, maple and jacaranda trees. Even a peach tree had been manicured into a bonsai. Ann-Marie Winter with her small leaf jade from 1990 that she's managed to convert into a bonsai.