PENOLA’S Sandra Smith was blessed with wonderful weather and a generous community over the weekend and raised more than $4500 for the Leukaemia Foundation, with almost 300 people visiting the open garden event.
Ms Smith said almost all plants from the trading station went to new homes, with volunteers kept busy to cook around 100 baked potatoes for visitors.
“The day was absolutely wonderful and the amount of people we were expecting was tripled,” Ms Smith said.
“It was a wonderful day for an open garden which we believe was one of the main reasons we were so successful.
“I do think people were quite eager to start their own gardens which is fantastic.”
Ms Smith praised the efforts of volunteers and said she would host another event in the future.
“We would skip a year to allow us time to plant different things in the garden,” she said.
“But we would do it again and hope it would be just as successful.”
Ms Smith said a highlight of the day was the attendance of original garden grower, Betty Thompson.
“She began the garden and sat inside during the day with people coming in and out to speak to her,” she said.
“It was a wonderful day and was very lovely having her attend.”
The funds raised from the day will go towards acute myeloid leukaemia research, which Ms Smith is in remission for.
“The main message that I wanted to get across on the day really was that if you are able to give blood then you are also able to give stem cells,” she said.
“These stem cells are what can potentially save lives, as it is what saved mine.”
