Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Shirley’s small garden skills shine out
Just stick it in the ground. That’s the advice retiree Shirley Stevenson gives to budding gardeners after producing an award-winning garden.
The 88-year-old won Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough’s ‘Best Small Garden Within A Retirement Village’ award on Sunday, out shining nine other competitors.
When Stevenson received the call telling her she had won her division, she said she felt ‘‘so surprised and thrilled’’.
It was the first time the Redwood Lifestyle Care and Village resident had entered her garden into the contest, despite being a fan of previous Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough events.
‘‘It started with some function at the centre and they were seeing if people wanted to enter their gardens, and I said I would, so I wrote mine down,’’ she said. ‘‘But I didn’t think or dream I would ever get here.’’
The Blenheim-born woman said she first started gardening to keep herself occupied when she tied the knot and moved to Middlehurst Station, in the Awatere Valley.
‘‘I lived in the back country, and I didn’t know what to do with myself on so much land,’’ Stevenson said.
‘‘There were not so many bridges there back in the day, so it took time to get into town.’’
After 28-years of trial and error at Middlehurst, Stevenson moved into town and started work on her hook-shaped garden at the rest home.
‘‘Where there’s a space, I just put them in. I have no colour coordination scheme or anything,’’ she said.
‘‘I love them all. There’s no particular favourite.’’
Bare soil was the one thing Stevenson said she didn’t like looking at, encouraging her to ‘‘just stick things in’’ during her three years at the rest home.
‘‘I learnt from that what will grow and what won’t,’’ she said.
‘‘Just put it in the ground. My advice is to then see what happens.’’
Stevenson said aside from pruning her garden, she had also contributed one or two plants into the rest home’s community garden.
‘‘It [gardening] is very rewarding,’’ she said. ‘‘You’re planting them through winter, then nice days like today make it all worth it.’’
Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough judge Jenny Andrews applauded Stevenson’s efforts to win the award.
‘‘All parts of it were interesting as they followed the sun, offering cool spots in the sun and bright cheery plants in the cooler areas,’’ Andrews said.
‘‘Mrs Stevenson is a retired high country farmer’s wife [who’s prior garden offered] very difficult conditions for any plants to thrive so, at her current home, she has put the best of her knowledge to produce a lovely garden.’’
A Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough spokeswoman said Stevenson had won a framed certificate, a voucher from Selmes Rd Nursery and some Yates garden goodies. Best Independent Garden: Nigel Hutchbey Best Street: Clouston Gardens Best Retirement Village: Hospice Marlborough Best Hospitality Frontage: Middle Park Motel Best Commercial Frontage: Barber Shop, Grove Rd Best Use of NZ Natives: Southern Water Engineering Favourite Civic Space: Bythell Place Best Presented School Garden: Renwick Kindergarten