Historic cottage and its gardens win Kihikihi Best Garden Award

Mark Gulliver (pictured) and Deborah Smith's garden won the competition this year that is run by Te Awamutu Rotary. Photo / Supplied

It was a 1920s cottage with a white picket fence and pink, white and red roses that took out the top place for this year's Best Kihikihi Garden Awards.

The annual competition is run by Te Awamutu Rotary and member Carol Turner took the judge, Rosalie Barr around the village by car to view its resident's gardens.

The pair spent over two hours driving to decide on the winners.

The garden of Mark Gulliver and Deborah Smith on Moule Street won the competition with Rosalie, saying she fell in love with the historic cottage and its roses.

The home used to be owned by the Kinghorn family 30 years ago with one member very active in the local Te Awamutu Jersey Cattle club who was also the first woman cattle judge.

Second place went to Rae and Joan Green of Hall Street. Rosalie was impressed with the well-balanced layout of the garden and the tidiness.

Many of the plants in their garden were brought as cuttings from their previous garden at their former home in Rotomā near Rotorua.

"Joan was overcome with the win and said that she's never won anything before. They were a very deserving couple having cleared an unkempt section of three truckloads of rubbish two and a half years ago and turning it into the lovely garden it is today," said Carol.

Third place was awarded to Peter and Ann Butler of Herbert Street. Ann won a placing in the competition four years ago and was thrilled to do so again this year. Rosalie was impressed with the wide variety of plants, the roses and the neatly trimmed hedges.

The three winners were all invited to a dinner at Te Awamutu Rotary this Tuesday where they received their winning garden vouchers.