School awash with plants

GREEN HANDS: Liam Hughes, Pam Blackburn, Jaimie Blackburn and April Milne take stock of a selection of the plants for sale ahead of this Sunday's The Garden Party Plant Sale at Opaki School.

The countdown is on until Opaki School's annual Garden Party Plant Sale when thousands of plants will be available for sale to the public.

About 4000 plants - many of which have been grown from cuttings and seed by pupils and parents at the school - will be for sale at the gala on Sunday starting 8.30am.

Event organiser Pam Blackburn says a huge variety of plants will be available, including hostas, winter roses plus perennials and last year's favourite, peonies.

In addition there will be a selection of popular vegetables, especially tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and brassicas.

"I've been overwhelmed by the generosity of people in Masterton," said Mrs Blackburn.

"We had a large trailer full of plants donated to the school from a lady who loves growing her own plants whilst another lady donated heaps of hollyhock seeds which are very popular flowers."

She said pupils have been responsible for helping water and care for the plants while parents and grandparents have spent months potting up plants and more recently, helping deliver flyers and making preserves, marmalade and jam which will also be sold on the day.

"The ongoing help from the children at school has also been wonderful. They enjoy getting their hands dirty, potting up lots of plants and watching the seedlings they've potted grow into lovely looking plants. It's a real credit to them."

Visitors to Opaki School can purchase savoury and sweet home baking from the "pop-up" cafe in the school hall run by students.

Eftpos will be available on site at the cafe and to purchase plants.