Raumati South Primary School has Yates People’s Choice Award

8 March 2013

Raumati South Primary School wins Yates People’s Choice Award

A group of enthusiastic school children have captured the hearts of visitors to Ellerslie International Flower Show and won this year’s Yates People’s Choice Award.

The Raumati South Primary School pupils, aged from six to 12 years old, and their garden Our Sustainable Schoolyard was voted number one by Show visitors – a great result for the school which is the first-ever to stage an exhibition at the prestigious event.

School spokesperson Michael Stewart says the children are overjoyed to have been given the Yates People’s Choice Award this afternoon, on top of the silver medal they had already received from the judges on Tuesday.

“They have put their heart and soul into creating this garden and show what kids can do. There has also been a lot of help from the wider Kapiti community, including the Kapiti Coast District Council that gave us a $10,000 grant, and we want to thank them all for their support.”

The school’s 6m by 6m garden contains a fruit bed, an edible flower bed, a pizza oven and herb area, a South African Keyhole garden with its own compost system, a butterfly garden area with a green roof above it, native planting for lizards, a weta bed, and a water irrigation system based around an old dairy pump powered by a bicycle, which the students can ride. Recycled pallets and old wooden car-part packaging cases were used to form the garden’s walls and decking.

The win is also good news for Christchurch’s Wharenui School, who are receiving the entire garden as a gift.

“Not only are they getting a silver medal winning garden – it is one that people at the Show loved,” Mr Stewart says.

Wharenui Primary is a decile two school and, like Raumati South Primary, an active participant in the New Zealand Enviroschools programme.

Yates Brand Manager Denise Cleverley said they are delighted to award this year's People's Choice to Raumati South Primary school.

"It is no mean feat to exhibit at one of the worlds greatest flower shows and New Zealand has shown its appreciation by voting for the sustainable schoolyard garden.

"The passion Raumati South School has for teaching their pupils about gardening and more importantly sustainability is infectious. Yates is proud to be able to award the People's Choice of 2013 to a hugely deserving winner.

“The children’s garden has been surrounded by visitors since the Show opened, with people wanting to know all about their work and the motivation behind it. I am very impressed with their efforts and the fantastic results they produced.”

Show sell-off Sunday 10 March

Many of the plants and parts of exhibits featured at the Ellerslie International Flower Show can be snapped up at bargain prices when the gates close to the public for the final time on Sunday.

Ellerslie’s popular end-of-show sale is taking place again this year and will give the public the chance to buy and use many of the native and exotic plants that have helped transform North Hagley Park into a gardener’s paradise. Money raised through the sale will go to charity.

The plants will be sold between 5 and 6pm on Sunday 10 March. People who attend the show can gain free-entry to the sale if they retain and present their ticket stub. Entry for those who do not have a valid Ellerslie ticket is $5.

“The sale is a great chance for both keen gardeners and the newly enthused to get their hands on some great plants and to put them to use in their own gardens,’’ says Ellerslie’s Managing Director Dave Mee.

“It’s also a great way for us to give back to our community as all the money raised goes to charity.’’

Ellerslie International Flower Show runs at North Hagley Park till Sunday 10 March and is open daily from 10am until 7pm, except Sunday when it closes at 6pm. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.

For more information visit www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz.
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ENDS

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