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Best kept state house gardens revealed: marked increase in people growing their own vegetables
The Housing New Zealand Garden Awards National Finals came to a conclusion today in a riot of colour at the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Winners and runners up were announced by the chair of the judging panel, gardening enthusiast and broadcaster, Maggie Barry.
"I am continually impressed by the ingenuity and inventiveness of gardeners who enter this competition. Looking at the entries this year just proves to me how much can be achieved even on a budget," said Maggie Barry.
"Entries to the vegetable garden category in particular stood out this year and in these hard economic times, it is understandable that more and more people are growing their own. We are lucky that New Zealand is blessed with the climate that allows people to do so much with their gardens," she added.
Run in 11 regions, covering each of Housing New Zealand's 43 different neighbourhood units (branches) across the country, the biennial Garden Awards aim to recognise the pride and effort tenants put into taking care of properties, to encourage more people into gardening and to promote associated health and financial benefits.
Entries to the competition were open to Housing New Zealand tenants and just under 2,000 entries were received to the competition's five categories: general garden, vegetable garden, small garden, children's garden and community group housing garden. There was also a special prize for the most environmentally-friendly garden.
An analysis of entries received over the years to the various categories reveals a marked increase in the number of people growing their own vegetables. Since 2004, the number of entries to the vegetable garden category have increased from 17.5 percent (of overall entries) to nearly 26 percent. This trend is even more pronounced in urban areas like Auckland where the entries to the vegetable garden have increased from 16 percent to nearly 29 percent in the same period.
Housing Minister, Phil Heatley said: "It is wonderful to see so many outstanding entries for the Garden Awards this year. It just goes to show how much pride Housing New Zealand's tenants have in their homes. It really is wonderful and I hope more and more people take to gardening."
Lesley McTurk, CEO of Housing New Zealand Corporation said, "Once again, I am delighted by the number and quality of entries received — the judging panel had a difficult time coming to their final decisions. So many of Housing New Zealand's tenants take pride in their homes and gardens and it is important that this is recognised.
"The Garden Awards have always been popular with tenants, and this year is clearly no exception."
Ends.
Winners and runners up
General Garden Category
Winner: Beverley Hamilton, New Plymouth
Runner up: George & Lynette Murphy, Thames
Highly commended: Stanley Malcolm Hodge
Small Garden Category
Winner: Arthur & Patricia Hughes, Nelson
Joint winner: Sydney Frank Timmo, Otahuhu, Auckland
Highly Commended: Dianne Pihama, Linwood
Vegetable Garden Category
Winner: Grace Churches, Wanganui
Runner up: Daxiong Lu and Chengru Pang, Takapuna, Auckland
Highly Commended: Latai Tolutau & Vavau Otuafi, Papakura, Auckland
Community Group Housing Category
Winner: Te Roopu Taurimu O Manukau Trust, Kaikohe
Runner up: Idea Services, Whangarei
Children's Garden Category
Winner: Victor Joseph Viki, Kelston, Auckland
Runner up: Oceana & Kristal-Lea Watt, Huntly
Environmentally friendly Garden Prize
Winner: Shaun Salmon, North Canterbury
Runner up: Cherri Dougherty-Ward, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga
