Community Garden Pride Awards 2010

The Christchurch City Community Boards have acknowledged over 900 street-enhancing gardens in the city with special award functions in the past two months.

The Community Pride Garden Awards are offered to recognise the efforts of residents in Christchurch who contribute to the overall image of Christchurch as the Garden City. It is one the city’s largest Community Board events of the year.

The award is offered on evidence of efforts made to the general overall tidiness and impact of the garden on the streetscape.

The Christchurch Beautifying Association selected the properties during the judging session of their annual street awards in January. These properties were then invited to attend a ceremony to receive their certificates, with 992 certificates being awarded by the Christchurch Beautifying Association in 2010.

The Community Boards held the last of the award ceremonies for the Hagley/Ferrymead on Wednesday (16 March). The awardees per ward are as follows:
 

• Burwood/Pegasus 90,
• Fendalton/Waimairi 134,
• Shirley/Papanui 201,
• Wigram/Riccarton 318,
• Hagley/Ferrymead 128
• and Spreydon/Heathcote 121.

This year’s award winners also went in the draw for two tickets to the Ellerslie International Flower Show and the show’s organisers donated two tickets for each function.

The Community Pride Garden Awards are distinct from a number of competitive horticultural garden competitions that are held throughout the city in that they are primarily aimed at celebrating local community pride. Recipients are nominated by volunteer judges from the Christchurch Beautifying Association.

The Chairman of the Christchurch Streets and Gardens Awards Committee, Peter Berry, says: “In recent years, the number of gardens awarded certificates has grown and it is now a very popular event. These awards are the greatest singular event in which the community contribution towards the Garden City image is recognised.”