Once again Manukau gardeners have excelled themselves, and the winners of the fifth Yates New Zealand Limited and Manukau City Council Best Streets, Schools and Gardens competition will be rewarded at the prizegiving in early February.

Each year the competition grows in popularity and size. This year the organisers, Keep Manukau Beautiful. have introduced two new categories. One is ‘the Best of the Previous Winners’ section, for which 53 entries were received.

The other new category is the ‘Business and Industry award’ for factories, offices and shops which are visible from the road, for which 31 entries were received. Some of these entrants have generously donated prizes which will be given away as spot prizes on the Prizegiving night.

The new Co-ordinator of the competition Manukau City Council’s Tea Ropati said, ‘The 105 volunteer judges worked tirelessly covering the 47 zones of the city to judge the many entries and selected 27 schools, 46 streets and 138 of the best gardens for the finals.

“I have been impressed with the heart-warming stories from some competitors who have battled the elements, overcoming damage from floods and storms to produce beautiful gardens through their sheer persistence and hard work.”

Keep Manukau Beautiful is pleased with the response from schools and would like to see all 123 Manukau schools involved in the competition. Yates New Zealand have supported this section this year by providing free seeds to competing schools.

The Prizegiving will be held on 8 February at the Auckland East City Elim Church, Botany Road, Howick at 7pm. The public are very welcome to attend. There will be top entertainment from Christmas Ropati and his three piece band, great spot prizes and of course the high point of the evening, when the best of Manukau’s green-fingered residents are rewarded for their efforts over the past year.

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