The elevators and stairwells of the Alberton Civic Centre were filled with words like “Strelitzia” and “Cycads” as finalists of the 2009 Ekurhuleni Garden Competition gathered to hear who is the fairest of them all at a prize giving ceremony held on Saturday.

 

 

Benoni came out tops, scooping four of the Best Garden awards in the seven categories and taking home the overall Best Garden in Ekurhuleni award won by Marthys Venter of Westdene. Sharon and Alan Munn were awarded the Best Small Garden prize, Poppie van Niekerk for the Best Medium Garden, Marthys Venter for the Best Large Garden and Kemiri Kwekery for the Best Business Garden.

Laerskool Dalview (Brakpan) once again took the prize for Best School Garden, while Amcare in Alberton was announced the Best Food Garden. Lorna Prinsloo of Kenleaf, Brakpan, was the winner of the Best Pavement Garden prize.

South African gardening guru Keith Kirsten, who was a guest speaker at the event, praised the Metro for undertaking an initiative of this nature. “I congratulate the Ekurhuleni Metro for putting this together because we gardeners make the difference in the world,” he said. “By greening our homes, suburbs and country we become ambassadors for the planet we live in.”

Kirsten continued to emphasise the important role that plants play in our daily lives, including the basics like producing oxygen and providing shade. He also gave the Ekurhuleni‘s greenies the best advice for a gardener, “Never go against nature and plant what will flourish in your climate”.

“Considering that the competition is only in its third year, the Ekurhuleni Garden Competition is growing in leaps and bounds. This year over 150 entries were received, compared to the 88 in 2008. It began as a regional competition, focusing on the eastern areas of the metro in 2007,” explains municipal spokesman Zweli Dlamini, adding that the metro is on track to promote bio-diversity, greening of the environment and the beautification of the municipal area though the competition among other means.

The commitment of sponsors, namely Instant Trees, The Gardener/Die Turnier, Garden Pavilion: (Eckards, Greendale, Sunkist, Brakpan), B.C. Landscape Training & Consultancy, Plant Ranch, Farmers Supply, Kazimingi Nursery, Mayford Seeds, Keith Kirsten International and Flora Farm,  has also proved that the metro is onto something good.

Special awards were also presented at the ceremony for:

    * The most Colourful Garden – Miems Erasmus, Springs
    * Most Environmentally Friendly Garden - Christa Bench, Benoni
    * Most Innovative Garden – Xolani Radebe, Daveyton
    * Most Promising Garden – Siphiwe Msibi
    * Best Communal Garden – Joseph Motseki and Nonina Diphoko, Vosloorus
    * Most Waterwise Garden – Etienne Els, Kempton Park
    * Most Natural Water Feature – Marthys Venter, Benoni