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Green thumbs are being fostered early as South Canterbury children are taught the goodness of growing vegetables.
Going into schools and preschools, and working with community groups, Mitre 10 Mega garden presenter Liz Glasier has not been in the role for long but said there was already a growing interest in the initiative.
“A lot of the places already have gardens,’’ Glasier said.
“I’m not going there to weed their gardens. I’m going to teach them how to grow things.’’
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With the increasing cost of vegetables, and perhaps some children not having vegetables gardens at home, Glasier, a self-employed gardener, said she was excited about getting young people enthused about gardening.
“It’s hands-on for kids.
“We have a talk about the plant, what we can do with them, when we can grow them.’’
Her first school was Woodbury School where every child in the rural school, near Geraldine, recently potted up bulbs and a flowering plant and made cards for Mother’s Day.
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Mitre 10 Mega gardening presenter Liz Glasier and Archie Campbell, 6, at Woodbury School.
Other South Canterbury schools getting involved are Winchester Rural School, Geraldine Primary School, Bluestone School, Gleniti School and St Joseph’s School Temuka.
Pupils at Bluestone had recently planted flowering plants, garlic and seeds in recycled milk bottles to take home, she said.
She said all pupils were enthusiastic and keen to learn about how plants grew, and the work that went into gardens.
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In the garden at Woodbury School are, from left, Fergus Wynn, 7, Liz Glasier, Angus Mckenzie, 7, Bree Bromwich, 5, and Lilly Archer, 6.
And they are not the only ones.
“I don’t know who gets more excited – the kids or me,’’ Glasier said.
She said it was nice to be able to prepare the younger generation for the future with gardening knowledge.
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Ted Walker, 6, in the Woodbury School garden.
Recently the project had been donated 100 pairs of gardening gloves, she said.
“It’s a real community thing, and I’m really enjoying it.’’
Mitre 10 Mega marketing manager for Ōamaru, Timaru and Ashburton Lisa Scammell said the gardening programme began in Ashburton four years ago and because of its popularity had been extended.
“We had wanted to run it in Timaru and Ōamaru earlier, but Covid kept getting in the way,’’ Scammell said.
All costs for the project was covered by Mitre 10 Mega, she said.
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Pupils at Woodbury School dig around the rhubarb.
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The project is a great way for children to learn the value of homegrown food, Liz Glasier said.
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