WeHEART the three schools that were named finalists in the New Zealand 2011 Gardener of the Year competition late last year!

They were OTURU SCHOOL of Kaitaia, OWAIRAKA SCHOOL of Mt Albert, Auckland and ESKDALE SCHOOL of Napier. Well done!

A BIG congratulations to OTURU SCHOOL, the eventual winners of the school category! They received $1,000 of Mitre 10 vouchers and $1,000 worth of KiwcareGarden products. Well done!

Over the past eight years, the school has planted 200 or so trees, including feijoas, guavas, mandarins, cherimoyas, macadamias and grapevines. They grow all the usual vege stuff in their nine different vege patches. They've also got olive trees, from which they extract oil every year. They grow medicinal plants, like kawakawa, aloe vera, catnip and lavender, all used to make ointments and remedies.

So far the kids have created their own mosquito repellent (tested at school camp), as well as potions for scabies, eczema, and nits. The latter proved so effective, it sold out; the school and its kids are giving their next batch to district nurses.

Oturu School principal, Fraser Smith says the kids LOVE honey! "If it's to do with honey, they're into it," says Smith. "They love eating the beeswax straight out of our hive – like chewing gum – and they love to watch the bees. We're trying to invent a product to use the propolis, so we'll probably give throat lozenges a go next."

Oturu School principal Fraser Smith and the kids!
Big winners!

Eskdale School Garden Club