Gardening competition

A call to young gardeners

Coming off a successful inaugural year, the Prince Edward County Master Gardeners are holding their Children’s Garden Award again this year. The competition is now accepting applications and is open to children aged eight to 12 years who reside in Prince Edward County.

The competition requires a child to create and maintain a garden over a period of about four months through the upcoming growing season. The garden can be located anywhere in the County and does not have to be situated at the family home. For example, it can be at a grandparent’s or friend’s house, or anywhere where a child has permission to plant. “Last year, two of the children planted raised beds because they were on really poor soil,” said master gardener Barbra Stock. “All of the gardens were really different, with the majority of them planting vegetables.” The Picton Community Gardens will also make space available to any child who wants to enter, but who does not have access to a garden.

The idea is for a child to create a garden themselves, without intervention from family members or friends, where they will be required to grow a garden and document its progress through a journal with notes and drawings. The garden can be any size and any shape—no space is too small or too large. “Most of the young gardeners last year were very pleased, particularly those that had grown vegetables, as they could have vegetables for their families,” said Stock.

2018 winner of PEC MG Children’s Garden Award, 10-year-old Kaden Koutroulides.

Last year’s winner was 10-year-old Kaden Koutroulides. Evan Graham, age eight, received second prize, and 11-year-old Marinda de Villiers was awarded third prize.

While quick-growing plants are encouraged, anything goes; children may grow any type of plants and any numbers of plants. Whether it’s vegetables and flowers or herbs and shrubs, plants can be grown from seed, purchased or gifted from family, friends and neighbours. “They have to do the garden entirely by themselves and they can grow anything they like, there’s no restrictions,” said Stock.

As part of the judging process, two master gardeners will visit each garden twice during the growing season to check on its progress. The Master Gardeners are available via email and by phone to answer questions and help solve any problems. Lots of useful information and tips will also be posted on their website. While a child can seek advice, the garden must be the work of the individual child.

First prize is $100 cash, second prize is a $50 gift certificate and third prize is a garden prize pack, with all prizes this year being donated by Carson’s Garden + Market. The first prize winner will also get their name engraved on a trophy, which resides at the Picton branch library. All winners will be presented with an engraved plaque to keep, and all participants will receive a certificate.

Themed around the children’s garden award, this year’s window display will run through April at John’s Barber Shop at 204 Main Street, Picton.

“We already have a few of the children from last year who would like to try again this year, as well as some siblings from last year’s entrants,” said Stock. “This is having a long-term effect which is what we planned; we hope this is just going to grow.”

For those children interested in entering the 2019 PEC Master Gardeners Children’s Garden Award, the closing date for applications is May 4. The competition is free to enter. Visit pecmastergardeners.com for details and application forms. Application forms are also available at all County library branches.