Seven categories announced for this year’s GBCB Garden Competition
Competition entries close on 2 December.
The 2009 Garden Competition, run by the Golden Bay Community Board, is a chance for all gardeners to show off the fruits of their efforts. The annual competition was started with help and advice from previous TDC reserves manager Beryl Wilkes, who at the time had established a similar competition in Wakefield.
“The competition has been run for several years now and every year we have between 30 and 40 entrants in various categories,” said GB Community Board chairperson Joe Bell. “The categories are changed every year so that different gardens have a chance. I think it is a really great competition to get involved in if you like gardening.”
This year there are seven categories, and each property can enter a maximum of two categories. Judging which garden deserves first prize is always difficult, and involves a long day of visits. Each judge does an independent assessment on a scorecard and the scores are totalled at the end of the day.
“We have three judges this year and judging gardens can be quite subjective. I feel that doing it this way we get a fair response from the different judges,” Mr Bell added.
Claire Webster, TDC’s environmental education adviser, said the competition aims to encourage people to garden or to keep gardening.
“The competition is held to promote healthy lifestyle choices and pride in Golden Bay. The criteria are different for every category, but what we want to see is the effort and care taken to have a pest and weed-free garden. In a flower garden, for example, we would also look for variety and colour.”
Details of entry and category information are in the public notices of this issue. Entries close 2 December at 4pm and judging will take place on 9 and 10 December.
Ina Holst
