Three families win raised gardens

Three local families will soon be happily growing their own veges, thanks to a competition run by the Hastings District Council through the Sus’d programme.

Virginia Parker, Denise Nepia and Ebony Stehlin have all won a raised garden, free plants and seeds and a tutorial on how to make the most of their new gardens.

The raised garden is 1.8 metres long, 1.2 metres wide and 400 millimetres high, comes in an easy to assemble kitset form and is filled with good quality garden soil.

Sus’d project manager Angela Atkins says “the families will benefit greatly from being able to grow their own vegetables from packets of beetroot, carrots and radish seeds which will be provided to get them started”.

“An advisor will help erect the garden and plant it out in winter vegetables, before giving a one hour tutorial to the winner and their friends, family and neighbours on how to look after it” Mrs Atkins says.

“You don’t have to have the traditional quarter acre section to supplement your weekly vegetable purchase – pots at the backdoor or on the deck can produce an abundant crop”.

Other benefits from growing your own food include eating fresher produce, which hasn’t been transported over a long distance and knowing chemicals have not been used on your food.

The new raised gardens will be installed at the homes of the winners on Tuesday April 12th.

Sus’d, is a Hastings District Council programme which helps people look after the environment and save money by growing their own veges.