Hamilton's Pukete Kindergarten grew the tallest sunflower measuring 206 cm for the 2023 Daltons Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project.
Hamilton's Pukete Kindergarten grew the tallest sunflower measuring 206 cm for the 2023 Daltons Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project.
Over 900 budding gardeners from around the Waikato have grown into sunflower superstars after participating in the annual Daltons Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project.
The national initiative challenges participants to grow the tallest sunflower and the sunflower with the widest head, all while playfully passing on skills on how to grow and nurture plants.
In the Waikato, Pukete Kindergarten in Hamilton grew the tallest sunflower measuring 206cm.
Teacher Michelle Gaukrodger said the students had “taken a lot of mana” from growing the sunflowers.
“The tamariki at Pukete Kindergarten are wonderful kaitiaki of their environment.
“[They] have taken a lot of mana in growing these sunflowers from seed to full flowering giants and enjoy visiting them, checking on them, measuring them and celebrating the birds and the bugs that also enjoy the sunflowers’ presence in our māra.”
Hukanui Kindergarten in Hamilton were the winners of the widest sunflower head category with a diameter of 15.5cm.
The nationwide winner of the tallest sunflower category was Hamish Hancock from Central Kids Apanui, who grew his sunflower at home, measuring 270cm.
Hukanui Kindergarten in Hamilton won the Widest Sunflower Head category with a diameter of 15.5cm and teacher Joel said it was an “awesome experience for our tamariki.
“Growing our sunflowers inspired so much within our environment from art activities to a greater interest in the natural world. We cannot wait to have another go next year.”
This year’s event achieved the highest level of participation since the project’s establishment in 2013, despite wet and wild weather across many regions in spring.
Daltons general manager Colin Parker congratulated the 2023 winners and said they had “all done such an amazing job.
“Special thanks also to all the wonderful teachers - your guidance and support for the tamariki throughout this project has helped us spread a love of gardening to the next generation of gardeners nationwide.
“We hope all the children have found joy and inspiration in growing their sunflowers and that the skills they’ve gained will be shared and nurtured within their families, encouraging them to embark on their own gardening adventures at home”.
The project was a hands-on learning experience for children to engage in activities like sowing seeds, nurturing seedlings, transplanting them, and providing daily care to their plants, developing gardening skills and a deeper understanding of plant life.
Winners were selected across 11 regions and each kindergarten that participated grew the same King Seeds ‘Skyscraper’ sunflowers.
All regional winners will receive a prize from Daltons, The Warehouse and GARDENA, for the Tallest Sunflower and Widest Sunflower Head awards.
Because of bad weather over the growing period, a Late Bloomers Award is running from now untill February 12 next year, to ensure all kindergartens have a fair chance for their sunflowers to bloom and be recognised.
