Photos: Kerikeri flower show heralds start of spring

Nine-year-old Evana Gaffar, of Kerikeri, won a first prize and two thirds with entries like this pinecone pangolin and a miniature herb garden. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Hundreds of gardening enthusiasts turned out for the annual Spring Flower Show held at the Turner Centre last Friday and Saturday by the Kerikeri Garden Club.

Attractions included contests for best blooms and floral arrangements, trading tables, a pop-up cafe, a photo contest, a display by Kerikeri Men's Shed and local schoolchildren exhibiting vegetable animals, flower plates and dried flower arrangements.

The overall champion Josephine Cook Rosebowl went to heritage rose enthusiast Ann Truscott, of Paihia, for a Rosa laevigata.

The evergreen rose originated in China but has become naturalised in the US where it is now a symbol of the Cherokee people, hence its common name, the Cherokee rose.

Heritage rose enthusiast Ann Truscott, of Paihia, won the overall champion's Josephine Cook Rosebowl for this Rosa laevigata or "Cherokee rose".

Pat Waters-Knox, of Kerikeri, won the floral art/spring flower festival section with this creation using irises and chrysanthemums. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Connor Letica, 9, of Kerikeri's Riverview School,was first in the dried flower arrangement. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kerikeri's Anya Francis, 9, placed third in the vegetable animal section for this scary tuatara Tyrannosaurus rex. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Seven-year-old Payton Russell, from Kerikeri, came second in the vegetable animal competition for this "pear" of hedgehogs. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Nine-year-old Evana Gaffar, of Kerikeri, won a first prize and two thirds with entries like this pinecone pangolin and a miniature herb garden. Photo / Peter de Graaf