Another year has passed in what feels like no time at all—it’s truly remarkable how quickly the months seem to slip by. Now, as we reach the tail end of the year, it’s a great opportunity to look back at what we, as a rural garden club, have accomplished over these last nine months.
Our club’s calendar was packed with a variety of events and activities. We organised fundraising initiatives and hands-on workshops and had the pleasure of visiting an array of gardens both nearby and farther afield.
In April, alongside the Canowindra Balloon Festival, our club hosted another successful fundraising Open Day at Noojee Lea Homestead. This event enabled us to make another sizeable donation to Canowindra Hospital. Attendees enjoyed picnics in the beautiful grounds, sampled treats from our bake stall, and browsed through Janelle Pearce’s impressive collection of potted plants.
We also entered a vibrant float in the Gaskill Street Balloon Parade. Our entry brought colour and excitement to the parade. Were there a prize on offer, we’re confident our float would have been a winner!September saw our Annual Street Stall return to Gaskill Street, which proved to be a fantastic success. The stall was stocked with a wide variety of plants—most grown, potted, and donated by our own members.
Throughout the year, we also ran several workshops, including a June session on composting and worm farming led by Kayla Clanchy from EnviroCom Australia, as well as a talk from Alex Dalgleish of Somewhere Landscape Architects. In November, Megan Milton from Edellen Flowers guided us through a wreath-making workshop.
Our club has also been active in supporting local volunteer projects. We organised a garden cleanup at Canowindra Hospital, which included donating native plants. We continue to supply poo bags for dog walkers at the two dog poo stations in local parks.
Additionally, we have made donations to help with the community bus signage and contributed to the local Lions Club’s food van project.
This year also saw the consolidation of our two Facebook pages—one public and one for members only and the new Canowindra Garden Club website ensures our online presence remains strong.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all members who volunteered their time and made donations throughout the year. We truly couldn’t have achieved everything we did without your dedication and generosity.
Special mention and gratitude go to Anne Ward and Cheryl Wythes, who have served in various committee roles over the past 20-plus years, most recently as president and treasurer. At our Christmas function in November, both ladies were honoured with Life Membership of the Canowindra Garden Club.
On behalf of the committee, I wish all members and friends a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. We look forward to more garden adventures in 2026!
Catherine McGahey – President