Bob and Melba Stutsel win Champion Garden for 2023

Bourke’s Champion Gardener Melba Stutsel with her offsider. Photo TWH

Celebrity gardener, local councillor and newspaper gardening columnist, Bob Stutsel, and his ‘Head Gardener’ Melba Stutsel, have won Bourke’s Grand Champion Garden prize for 2023.

The awards were presented by the Mayor of Bourke Shire, Councillor Barry Hollman on Saturday afternoon at the Bourke Rose and Spring Flower Show.

Bob and Melba won the award amongst 13 nominations in this years competition, which was judged by Mary Anne Gordon.

It’s the second year in a row that Bob and Melba have won the award, and on Sunday afternoon Bob said that he and Melba were very proud of their award.

“We won last year which was the first time we’d entered the competition, and this year we were not that confident, because you don’t expect to win two years in a row and the grass is not looking as good this year because of watering issues,” Bob said. […]

Read full results of the 2023 Bourke Garden Competition in the printed edition.