Most Beautiful Garden
Winner revealed
Karen Hurndell’s Springvale garden has won the Whanganui’s Most Beautiful Garden competition. And the Springvale gardener is already using her prize to help give back to the community.
The Whanganui Chronicle competition was sponsored by Wanganui Garden Centre, with a $500 garden voucher for the winner.
Public nominations were whittled down to six finalists who were featured in the Chronicle earlier this month and each of these received a hamper from St Johns Four Square.
Readers voted for their favourite among the finalists, with Hurndell winning the vote count.
She was thrilled with the result.
“I’m over the moon and very surprised. I think maybe because I’ve opened it up in the past I had a bigger following than I realised.”
Hurndell’s garden is the result of years of pottering, hunting down bits of art, and learning about various plants.
“I’m no Monty Don in the garden, however. I’m always learning about plants.
“Our house is situated in the centre of two acres (0.8 hectare), and it’s a very informal garden with farm gates and rustic bits and pieces.”
Hurndell will put it towards building up the garden even more.
“It’ll be so easy to spend.”
The talented gardener is opening up her property next Monday, giving tours to people who want to look through it. As well as the tour, she is also putting $100 worth of the winning voucher into a raffle, all the proceeds of which will go to support Precious Paws Cat Rescue and ARAN Dog Rescue.
“People will probably want to be nosy and come and have a look, so I thought I’d open it up.”
For Karen Cvitanovich, a staff member at the centre, she was thrilled to see the calibre of the gardens across the district over the course of the competition.
“It was great. A lot of people who entered are in here all the time, so it’s great to actually see their garden,” Cvitanovich said.
“It was a really great positive thing having a garden competition.”
Hurndell’s garden at 9 Cathro Rd will be open, weather permitting, on Monday between 11am and 3pm, or by appointment. Entry is a gold coin donation or an item of pet food, both of which will be donated to Precious Paws or ARAN. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the garden.