Rotary Club of Kew is sponsoring the inaugural Garden DesignFest 2004 on the weekend of November 13-14 for charity, exhibiting 30 superbly designed gardens in the eastern suburbs by some of Melbourne's most acclaimed landscape garden designers.

The chairman of the festival is John Patrick, a well-known radio and television identity whose segments are watched by many garden lovers on ABC television's 'Garden Australia' and heard on 774 ABC.

The gardens have all been planned and delivered by professional garden designers around Melbourne who have sought their respective property owner's permission to open the gardens for display and to help lift the awareness of the selected charities and raise much needed money for them.

Mr Patrick confirmed that 100% of the net proceeds of the festival will go to international, national and local charities namely: Care Australia, the Leukaemia Foundation, St Vincent Hospital's Reconstructive Microsurgery Unit and NetWorkQ.

He said "Rotary is all about service above self and there is no better way to serve for most of us than providing much needed funds to help change people's lives for the better".

If we can raise money and provide enjoyment for the wider keen gardening community then everyone benefits.

The website 'www.gardendesign fest.com' has been live and interactive since September.

A sponsors program has been created to enrol the help of the whole garden design industry: from the designers, the gardeners, the suppliers and generous community spirited corporates. Mike McFarlane, another Rotary Club of Kew member, is co-ordinating the sponsorship and logistics for this worthwhile event and he can be contacted on 0418 317 418.