Young Whāngarei gardener Connor Burgin has eyes on the prize

Northland people can help green thumbed Connor Burgin grow even more rewards.

Tikipunga youngster Connor Burgin has won Northland's Budding Young Gardener title and could be in the running for the national prize, if people give this green thumbed kid the thumbs up.

Connor, 8, with the kind of help only his younger brother Zac could give, created a Nature Friendly Garden to support a healthy ecosystem.

Connor filled it with bug hotels, fruit bushes, flowers, a gnome house and a noughts and crosses game, painted on a tree stump with stones hand painted as bee and ladybird counters.

His current project is a Peter Rabbit Garden which will contain lots of veges and animals, surrounded by a white picket fence.

Connor loves being outside in the garden.

"My grandmother has a great garden full of beautiful flowers and veges and ever since I remember, I used to wander around with her picking things,'' he said.

''Now mum and I have learned to grow lots of different vegetables and I love being able to harvest all the things I've grown.

''Eating them is the best part.''

Connor's love of nature is steering him towards a career in conservation, even though he is still only 8.

"I really want to help plants and animals, as well as encouraging other people to get gardening and growing things.''

His mother Rachael said Connor has a wonderful imagination and is very creative in the garden.

"Connor and his brother will often commandeer some of my garden and set to work to create a lovely space to play or to grow fruit and veges that they can snack on while outside."

Connor's dedication has seen him win the Northland regional competition and suggest he is the one to watch in the national search for the inaugural Yates Budding Young Gardener 2018.

He has won a Yates hamper worth more than $300 and is lining up alongside seven other regional winners for the grand prize of a trip to Australia.

The winner will become a Yates Ambassador for a year and spend time in his or her garden with a Yates horticulturist.

The grand winner is decided by public vote and Connor is hoping Northland will get behind him. Visit https://a.cstmapp.com/p/27268 and vote before October 3.