Springvale Garden Centre School Vege Challenge kicks off

General manager of Springvale Garden Centre Gareth Carter is stoked to see 10 more schools jump on board for 2022. Photo / Paul Brooks

The Springvale Garden Centre School Vege Challenge is back after a successful first year in 2021.

Sixteen schools have signed up for the competition for 2022, an impressive jump from the six that took part in the challenge last year.

General manager of the Springvale Garden Centre, Gareth Carter, was stoked with how the 2021 "trial year" had gone, and was looking forward to seeing what schools across Whanganui do this year.

"It went really, really well," he said.

"It was really well received and the process of going around all the schools and seeing what they had done was neat.

"The enthusiasm from both teachers and children was strong and the timing is perfect for the autumn planting season, the start of the school year where existing vege gardens are in need of rejuvenation and fresh planting after the summer period."

The goal of the Vege Challenge is to offer an introduction to gardening as a life skill for children and young people.

Springvale Garden Centre has partnered with NZME, Easttown Timber, Zealandia Horticulture, Tui Garden Products, Ican Products and Yates NZ to bring the competition back for local schools.

Each school has been supplied with a full starter kit with everything needed to get growing, consisting of things like seeds, spray, raising mix, plus punnets and planter boxes to get their projects up and running.

A new judging criterion has been implemented this year. In 2021, the winning school was decided by a public vote.

This year, there are five judging categories: People's choice award, Best-looking garden, Most innovative garden use of watering systems and light; as well as carrot and broccoli growing. There is also an overall winner.

Carter said this makes the competition more immersive, as well as seeing how schools deal with their own unique problems.

"Some of the smaller schools felt they were a bit disadvantaged. It was a fair point where we have created a few new categories.

"The rural schools had particular issues with rabbits. With the most innovative award, they could work out ways with how to deal with that."

Carter said gardening had many benefits, and hoped this challenge would spark a passion for it at an early age.

He noted the lifelong benefits associated with gardening, such as wellbeing, physical health, self-sufficiency and helping the environment.

"Gardening is an excellent outlet to improve mental health and wellbeing, being outside soaking up vitamin D, experiencing the wonder of nature seeing plants grow, develop and mature that you yourself have planted is a source of relaxation, safety and calm in a busy world.

"Being able to grow one's own vegetables provides a source of food that can be achieved with little expense when times are tough. There is the opportunity to have the freshest produce which has a noticeable taste different."

The competition runs until May 30, with judging set to take place the following week. Winners will be announced on June 20.