Ashburton Courier: February 13, 2020

Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday 13 February 2020, Page 3
Inspiring gardens bring big reward
By Linda Clarke
The gardening bug is spreading in
Ashburton and members of the
Ashburton Horticultural Society are
delighted.
The society’s annual garden competition
was judged at the weekend
with five trophies and 353 certificates
of merit awarded.
President Trevor Gamblin said
changing the format of the competition
two years ago had paid dividends
and there was evidence gardeners
awarded merit certificates last year
had encouraged their neighbours to
make more of an effort too.
Society members drove every Ashburton
street last month and selected
gardens to be viewed by judges from
the Christchurch Beautifying
Association. The four judges saw
over 350 gardens on Sunday as well
as outstanding displays of flowers,
lawns and special features.
The best street was Reighton
Drive and the best cul de sac was
Balmoral Place. The best floral
display and best lawn were at 15
Balmoral Place, while the best
special feature was at 87 Oak Grove.
Among the Reighton Drive residents
are Yvonne and Graham
Matthews, who have lived in their
house mid­way along the street for
the past 14 years. When they moved
in they were the last house on the
street and their property was bordered
by an empty section.
Since then the street has been
developed and established with many
new properties.
Their tended garden, considered
one of the best in the street by
neighbours, is full of coloured
blooms and established shrubs and
trees. It has been alabour of love
they have grown and improved since
moving in.
Mrs Matthews enjoys lots of colours
in her garden and is partial to
white and red together.
Reighton Drive residents Yvonne and Graham Matthews are among residents of the street who enjoy
tending to their garden.
The couple each have their own
roles in the garden: Mrs Matthews
tends to the maintenance of the
flowers and roses, which she prunes
twice a year, while Mr Matthews
does the pruning of the 50­plus
shrubs on the property, including
keeping the buxus (hedging) in order
using ahand shear.
It’s ajob he says gets done when
Mrs Matthews is not around to
supervise, and direct.
Mrs Matthews says to keep their
garden growing abundantly, and to
bring out the colour in the roses and
hanging baskets, they use acombination
of compost and retail purchased
sheep pellets.
In last year’s new format, the
horticultural society judges awarded
240 certificates of merit to gardens in
the district and this year that jumped
to 353.
Some 259 certificates were presented
to gardens north of the
Ashburton River, while 46 went to
Tinwald gardens and 48 to gardens in
the Lochlea Lifestyle Resort.
Mr Gamblin said a number of
neighbouring gardeners had
emerged, suggesting that many certificate
recipients last year had
encouraged their neighbours to help
raise their community standard.
‘‘A win­win situation as far as the
horticultural society is concerned,’’
he said.
‘‘The visiting judges also made the
comment that our better gardens
were on apar with their Christchurch
counterparts.’’
Gardeners receiving certificates of
merit in their letterboxes will be
encouraged to attend the society’s
next monthly meeting, when the five
trophies will be presented.
That meeting will be on February
24, at the Walnut Avenue sports
pavilion, at 7.30pm. Mr Gamblin is
hoping some will return as new
members.
Firearms owners urged to join march
Firearmsownersare planning
another rally in Ashburton this
Saturdaytohighlighttheir concerns
about the effectofnew firearms
legislation.
SpokesmanBob McDonald said
the group would meetatthe RSA at
10am and walkalongEast Street to
the green,before hearing from
National’s policespokesperson Brett
Hudson.Rangitata MP Andrew
Falloon andAshburton Mayor Neil
Brownhave also beeninvited.
Mr McDonald, asport pistol
shooter, said recreationalgun owners
agreedthat some military­style semiautomaticrifles
should be
confiscatedunder new firearmslaws
imposed after Christchurch’smosque
killings nearly ayear ago.
Butother gun reforms were
draconian, he said.
Asimilar march in Ashburtonlast
Decemberattracted at least 300
people and Mr McDonaldishoping
for another good turnout.
‘‘It is to getpeople thinking about
all the new changestothe gunlaws.
Most people are okay with some
military style gunsbeing crushed,but
it is everything else.’’
Mr McDonaldsaidhewas aware
ofantique pistols or guns, that had
been in families for along time,that
had beenhandedinunderthe new
laws.
Therally was about raising
informationaboutthe reforms.
‘‘The next tranche is worse. There
will be no targetshootingonprivate
land. You can’teven sight arifle.
Everyonewho needsafirearms
licence shouldbeatthis rally.’’
Mr McDonald said he hoped
Government would revisit someof
the more ‘‘draconian’’ gun laws
proposed.
The reforms include the creation
of afirearms registrytoenablethe
monitoring and tracking of every
firearm legally held in New Zealand,
and changing the lengthofthe time
of issuefor afirearmslicence from 10
yearstofive years.
Alicensingregimefor shooting
clubsand range is also planned.
Learn basic Maori
Anyone wanting to learn te reo
Maori is invited to attend afree
one­hour tasterclass in
Ashburton on February 25. The
lessonwill teach basic
pronunciation and how to
introduceyourself in Maori. The
session will be held in Canterbury
House Mid Canterbury and is a
Mid Canterbury TimeBank
Learning Exchange event.Itwill
be taken by te reoteacherand
TimeBank co­ordinator Kate
White and runs from 5pmuntil
6pm.Register at the eventbrite.
co.nzwebsite.
Mudslide open to all
The annual Mania­O­Roto
Scouts mudslide on March 8is
once again open to membersof
the public. The event willinclude
amudslide andother mudand
water­based activities. It will be
run by the different scout groups
within the Mania­O­Roto district
and will be held at the scouting
complex at the end of Chalmers
Avenue. People are encouraged
to wear old clothes and closed
shoes. The fun session runs from
10am until 1pm and is aimed at all
ages.Therewill alsobeasausage
sizzleand drinksfor sale.Entry is
by gold coin.
Pass rates please
Provisional figures from
NZQAshow Ashburton College
students achievedapass rate of 86
per cent at NCEA Level 1in2019.
At Level 2the results were even
higher at 89.4 per cent and Level
3the pass rate was 74.5 per cent.
The latter passrate was
particularly pleasing, said college
principal RossPreece, becauseit
included several students who
were completing Level 2and also
students who left during the year
to take up employment
opportunities.
Intersection work
Safety improvements for the
SH77Route 72 intersection, the
sceneofadouble fatality last year,
are being progressed. NZTA
safety engineers visitedthe site
with Ashburton District Council
staff to investigate and view the
issues. Suggested improvements
are contained in areport to the
transport agency, though the
workand funding has notbeen yet
been agreed.Council has not told
NZTAwhat it wants to do at the
intersection,which is jointlycontrolled.
OFF
174 Burnett Street Ashburton |Phone 308 5269 |www.redmonds.co.nz
2247774