In these hard economic times it’s great to see gardening is flourishing.
Gardening has always been a favourite New Zealand pastime but the present boom – born out of a desire for clean green food and the adverse financial times – is happening in schools, community allotments, small courtyard plots and big acre gardens alike.
It’s ‘cool’ today to grow your own veggies, fruit and herbs; they taste better and it certainly helps the budget. Gardening is also therapeutic and provides comradeship in the sharing of endeavours. This is all being rediscovered by a ‘lost generation’ of new gardeners. Children and their parents are learning peas and corn don’t have to come in a frozen pack but can be grown in the smallest garden.
And despite the gloomy economic times, people have flocked to two gardening shows this year – first Ellerslie International Flower Show in the south and now Manawatu Garden Festival in Feilding.
This month, Feilding, the proud town consistently voted New Zealand’s most beautiful (largely thanks to a caring community with a passion for beautiful civic gardens) delivered its seventh annual festival in Manfield Park’s new indoor stadium, taking the North Island’s premiere 100% garden show to another level. The decision to go to the new stadium was expensive but bold and positive. The show was a huge success – and much celebrated by gardeners.
To attract record visitor numbers and stage a high quality show in such times is a credit to the festival organisers. To produce the event in a small rural town and attract gardeners from far afield at the onset of winter is no mean feat.
And its all for charity.
