It has been a case of third-time lucky for Lynette Chamberlain.
Her passion for colour, eye for detail, and love of spending hours each day in her garden has seen the 72-year-old rewarded with the supreme award in the Rolleston Residents Garden Competition.
“Overwhelmed really - a great thrill” was how she described her feelings about achieving the top accolade on the third time she entered the biennial competition.
She also won the award for best garden on a medium-sized section, which she has won in the last two competitions.
When Lynette and husband Gordon moved to their 1180m2 East Maddisons Rd section as retired dairy farmers and built their home about 15 years ago, there were trees, rhododendrons, camellias, and a front-yard stock water race for them to landscape around.
Lynette has planted roses, peonies, lupins, irises, hyacinths and many more varieties, which are joined each season by a large selection of annuals.
She said her motivating force was creating colour schemes, especially when they could highlight her favourite colour of pink.
That is pink in any shade, and she is also partial to lavender shades of purple.
She spends three to four hours each day in her garden, getting most of her inspiration from visualising what should go where.
"It’s just by looking around and thinking, and changing the colour schemes.
"Also if something is not growing too good I will move it. I try and do different things every year,” Lynette said.
"I just love being out there, it’s good therapy.”
Some of that time is spent hose watering, as the garden’s mainline system has sprung many a leak from being hit with forks and spades.
"Lynette said many people didn’t realise when they put these systems in, that plants ultimately grow over them and it was hard to see where they were."
She has taught herself topiary, where she will use a pair of scissors to clip shrubs into various shapes.
Gordon has helped out with the odd construction project, including a large display frame for growing succulents.
He has a green thumb himself, having come second equal in the competition’s vegetable garden category.
Competition committee president Brenda Dunlop said one of the best things about organising the competition was seeing Rolleston’s "stunning gardens", many of which are not visible from the roadside.
More than 30 gardens were entered.
"We get to see a range of gardens, some just starting out and some already established.
"All have their own appeal and I would like to thank our sponsors and those who entered the competition and made it possible," Dunlop said.
A presentation event was held to award the cups, keepsakes and prizes.
Rolleston Residents Garden Competition results:
- Supreme winner – Lynette Chamberlain.
- Small-sized garden – Karen Andrews, 1; Eunice Edgecombe, Susan and Graeme Bradley, 2=.
- Medium-sized garden – Lynette Chamberlain, 1; Emily Bell, 2.
- Large-sized garden – David and Marilyn Cable, 1; Sue and Bryan Wilson, 2.
- Garden up to three-years-old – Cherise Lightfoot, 1; Lesley McAuley and Paul Bryant, 2.
- Commercial garden – The Boulevard Retirement Village, 1.
- School – Clearview Primary School, 1; Rolleston Primary School, 2.
- Viewed from the street – Rose Dunn, 1.
- Hidden behind the fence – Helen and John Wilson, 1.
- Vegetable garden – Hughes Development Community Garden, 1; Selene Tan, Gordon Chamberlain, 2=.
Courtney Chamberlain gained third place in the rigorous Young Horticulturist Competition.
The Springston florist represented the Young Florist and Flower Grower sector at the competition finals, held in Karaka, south of Auckland.
Chamberlain, 28, has a Bachelor of Laws and Commerce and is the assistant manager of Hadstock Farm.
She also assists at Miss Feaver Florist, which has been a Chamberlain family-run business for 36 years.
She is a sixth-generation member of the family to live at Hadstock Farm and the fourth generation of flower growers.
Chamberlain competed against finalists from the competition’s other sectors - Young Grower of the Year (Horticulture New Zealand fruit and vegetable Sectors); Young Amenity Horticulturist (New Zealand Recreation Association); Young Achiever (New Zealand Plant Producers); Young Landscaper of the Year (Registered Master Landscapers New Zealand); Young Viticulturist of the Year (New Zealand Winegrowers); New Arborist (New Zealand Arboriculture Association); and Young Florist/Flower Grower (FLONZI Florists and Flower Growers NZ).
The winner was Napier’s Regan Judd, an orchard sector manager; viticulturist Sam Bain, was second.
The competition’s partners are Countdown, Fruitfed Supplies and T&G Fresh.
