Gladys in the Garden a winner
BY LYNDA PAPESCH
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Home and Garden
Homegrown creativity won the day in the February garden photograph competition.
`Wow that's exciting; thank you," was Havelock gardener Theresa Berry's reaction when told she had won the monthly garden photographic competition.
Taken on her Finepix A800 camera, which she bought because it is lightweight, easy to use and easy to download on to the computer, Theresa's photograph is of her self-created garden sculpture, named Gladys in the Garden in her Gumboots. Created to entertain Theresa's grandchildren, Gladys was so named as a tongue-twister for fun and to help the children with their enunciation.
She is constructed from a four-inch round ground-treated pole, with a hole drilled in the base to fit over an old umbrella concrete base stand to enable her to stand upright. The arms are made from a short length of garden hose threaded through the body and each end fitted into the wheelbarrow handle. An old pair of gumboots, one old shirt and a hat fitted over an old round light shade complete the look.
"The kids were a little bit concerned she had no face, so I told them that was because she's hiding it so they can use their imaginations and decide whether she is laughing, grinning or cross at the weather," said Theresa.
"She is on view from our bedroom, lounge and dining room and has become the subject of many jokes. Last winter two wekas kept visiting the garden and pulling the gumboots out on to the lawn, then one morning we watched with amusement as one pranced around the gumboot in what looked like some sort of mating ritual."
Theresa enjoys taking action shots of her grandchildren or wildlife, neither of which hang around to pose, and tends to click, click, click, then later use the delete button.
"I had to read the instructions to get the correct setting which you require, so I have learned something new!"
Theresa and husband Gordon's garden is set on a sloping section in Havelock, with weka, tui, and wood pigeons regular visitors. The grandchildren love climbing and building a tree hut in the Japanese maple, while the lawn is large enough to kick a ball, soft and prickle weed free, to enable them to run barefoot in the grass, she said.
Plantings include hydrangeas, dahlias, camellias, kowhais, roses and daffodils in spring, not to mention one of the most prolific crops of oxalis.
Strawberries, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, loganberries, blueberries and rhubarb keep the couple well-supplied with fruit, while other features include a goldfish pond and a 50-year-old kauri planted by Theresa's late father-in-law.
"It's often an untidy mess which I love pottering about in; sitting relaxing with a glass of wine or a cup of tea and a good book.
"Most of all I love to hear children's laughter in the garden," she said.
- The Marlborough Express
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Well folks finally!!! Theresa has been recognised for her skills and ability. She is a wonderful lady of whom I have no doubt Gordon is thus proud, (her husband). She Theresa has many talents and skills but superceeds these with her writing abilities. All we can say is this lady is of great wealth to the community and socity in general. Give em heaps girl you finally made it to fame. Yeah !!!! George & Marie-Ann XXXX.