HomeCouncilGin Gin Streetscape roses will blossom again

Gin Gin Streetscape roses will blossom again

Gin Gin roses
Bundaberg Regional Council's Nursery Manager Diane Southwell with the Gin Gin roses.

Roses which once lined the main street of Gin Gin will be transplanted back to their original positions after being cared for by Bundaberg Regional Council staff.

The roses have become a significant feature of the town and were lovingly looked after by local man John McLean for 30 years before his recent passing.

Due to the current upgrade of the Gin Gin streetscape, the roses were temporarily removed from the area but will soon be blooming again thanks to Council’s gardening guru Diane Southwell.

Working at the Botanic Gardens as the nursery manager, Diane has spent six months caring for the flowers and maintaining them through summer pruning, feeding and more.

“We have been giving the roses regular feeds and staying on top of pruning and deadheading,” she said.

“They go through a four-weekly regime where we change their food and we have planted a lot of social garlic around them to prevent aphids, which has been quite successful.

“We have done a summer prune so once they are transplanted they will look really lovely, they will come to life again and be full of flowers for people to admire.”

Gin Gin roses
One of the roses in full bloom.

Gin Gin roses special part of community

Diane said working with the roses was an important task given they were part of the history of Gin Gin.

“The roses are so significant to the Gin Gin Streetscape because they have been there for many years, it is important that we put them back,” she said.

“Over time they have been donated by many people and businesses in the community and were lovingly cared for by local man John McLean.

“He did a beautiful job, he was very well-known in the area and Council has recognised his efforts with a plaque in his honour.”

Diane said she felt honoured to have been tasked with such an important job in keeping the roses maintained.

“It has been a joy to look after them, just knowing the history and how special they are,” she said.

“The flowers have been part of Gin Gin for so many years and caring for something that other people have loved before has been a lovely part of the job.”

As part of the work, Bundaberg Regional Council have also organised granite desks to be featured along the Streetscape.

The desks, which had previously existed as bronze plaques, list the names of the individuals/families/businesses that donated towards the roses.

Other news: Gin Gin history intact as time capsule recovered

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