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Title: Little vege king blossoms in garden Post by: Lovelee on February 25, 2009, 07:11:20 pm When courier drivers show up at the Hamilton home of four-year-old Finlay Babbage, he insists they inspect his broccoli. The pint-sized gardener has out-grown hundreds of other green thumbs to claim victory in a national vegetable gardening competition. Finlay was crowned the overall champion in the 2008-2009 Tui Grow Off, impressing judges with his enthusiasm and cultivation efforts. (http://www.2and2.net/files/49a4fd9286580.jpg) The junior gardener showed the Times his garden yesterday, swatting away "naughty" white moths and pointing out his favoured vegetables. Asked what he enjoyed most about gardening, Finlay said he "liked getting my hands dirty". Finlay's mother, Megan Campbell, said her son started with a few tomato and bean plants. But he had now "well and truly" thrown himself into gardening. "When we went to the garden centre, he'd choose which seeds he wanted to grow and his bedroom turned into a little nursery," said Miss Campbell. The family constructed four raised garden beds to cater to Finlay's growing passion, and Finlay spread his enthusiasm beyond his parents' Rototuna home to his kindergarten, Kids Club 2. Morrinsville's Adrian Brown, one of the firefighters injured in the Icepak coolstore fire last year, was also a finalist in the first-time vegetable gardener category. Gardening was part of his rehabilitation. Finlay's prize was a trip for two to the Ellerslie Flower Show in Christchurch next month. http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikatotimes/4859730a6004.html |