Shirley Papanui Community Board is piloting the edible garden awards so get growing over summer and your vegetable patch or fruit trees could earn you an award.
The competition, organised in conjunction with the Canterbury Horticultural Society, is aimed particularly at community groups and schools and is designed to encourage localized fruit growing.
We had a peek at what the judges are looking for. Make sure there aren’t any weeds and pests are banished. Plant as many varieties as you can and look at companion planting where possible. Make use of raised beds, walls and containers. They will also be looking at waste disposal i.e: recycling and may come and visit your plot in the first week in March.
St Albans gardeners should do well in this competition. The area was long known as a growing area for early Christchurch and community gardens have been sprouting up in the last 20 years and then spreading to other suburbs.
Contact Claire Philipps at the city council for application forms or email claire.phillips@ccc.govt.nz for further information. Entry closes at 5pm on the last day in February. Completed forms can be dropped into the Papanui Library and Service Centre on the corner of Restell Street and Langdon’s Road or snail mailed to PO Box 1466, Christchurch 8140
