Green thumbs of the City of Onkaparinga council area have been acknowledged through the 2020 Mayor’s Garden Competition.

Willunga High School won the Best School Garden section for its Cultural Garden in the awards, announced late last month.

According to Willunga High School, the town name Willunga is generally regarded as coming from the Kaurna word, Willanga, which means 'place of green trees', and this certainly shines through in the cultural garden.

The garden is a place to find out about connection and respect for the land, and to learn and teach in harmony with wildlife.

Visitors to the garden will discover native plants and animals such as local Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Brown Tree Frogs and Sleepy Lizards.

Signs and artwork at the garden have been artwork influenced by Aboriginal culture.

Willunga High School's Cultural Garden. Photo: Supplied.

The garden was developed in 2011 by the school community with the help of volunteers and other organisations within the wider community.

The other section winners in the Mayor's Garden Competition were Irene Moon’s Clarendon garden, named Best Rural Garden; The Big Backyard Garden in Hackham West, named Best Community Garden; Melanie and Ben Volkmann’s Port Noarlunga garden, named Best Courtyard Garden. Dee Jones’s garden on the Fleurieu Peninsula won best Urban Garden.

The winners were selected by mayor Erin Thompson.

“Congratulations to all the winners of the 2020 Mayor’s Garden Competition which recognises local gardeners and encourages community interest in local gardens to enhance the presentation and liveability of our city,” Mayor Thompson says.

“Thank you to the volunteers at the Aldinga Community Centre for hosting the awards ceremony and to all those who nominated in this year’s competition.”