Mapping Edges was invited to judge this year’s Haberfield Garden Competition. We walked with Inner West Greens Councillor Marghanita da Cruz looking at gardens in the ‘Kitchen’ and ‘Autumn’ categories.

The ‘Kitchen Gardens’ category highlighted the tradition of productive gardening in Haberfield. Many of the oral histories we researched spoke to this tradition. The criteria for judging were: health and variety of plants; well-tended soils; sustainability of water and compost; propagation and self-sufficiency. We were also looking for gardens that produced social practices such as sharing harvests and knowledge.

‘Autumn Gardens’ was a new category for the competition. It had similar criteria, but also included gardens that seasonally complemented the house and enhanced the neighbourhood. In Autumn gardens we looked for coloured foliage, flowering plants, and harvests of fruits and vegetables.

The presentation of prizes was held on Monday April 8th at St David’s Hall with Jeff Malyon as MC, and everyone in attendance celebrating Haberfield’s gardens with a playful competitive streak.