Marcelle Nankervis is a Horticulturist who has worked in the Horticultural Media for over 16 years.
She is passionate about Permaculture, Sustainability and Gardening for the Future.

Marcelle regularly writes for Your Garden magazine and Better Homes and Gardens.
Her first book was Plants for Australian Dry Gardens (Murdoch Books).
Marcelle's second is Smart Gardening (Exisle Publishing).

Welcome to my Blog!

As a horticultural writer I often come across people, stories, tips, tricks and real gems of information that never really make their way out of my notebook. I am hoping to share a few of these insights here as well as my own gardening experiences, which includes getting my children excited about plants.

I believe that a strong connection with the garden and our landscape when we are young is vital. I am hoping that educating my children in "Green Living" and "Smart Gardening" will provide them with the fundamental building blocks necessary for them to live long and healthy lives, while also doing their bit in helping to create a sustainable and green future for all.

Happy Gardening!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Yates Kids Challenge is on again!

Yates and Junior Landcare will again be inviting Australian kids to take part in a growing challenge in spring and summer, but this year they'll be growing watermelons from seeds donated by Yates.


As part of the Yates Junior Landcare Watermelon Challenge, a free packet of Yates Candy Red Watermelon seeds will be sent to everyone who registers on the challenge website by Sunday, September 25th. The challenge is open to all children under 16 living in Australia, and includes a category for schools and youth groups, and one for individuals and families. The free seeds will be sent out in October and can be planted anytime from October through to December.

Yates Candy Red Watermelon seeds are regarded as one of the fastest growing and largest watermelon varieties. Kids can grow their watermelons at home or at school and will need to care for their plants during the hot summer weather. Once their watermelon has reached maturity, they will have to log onto the Yates Junior Landcare Watermelon Challenge website to upload the weight of their melon and their favourite watermelon photograph. There will also be a creative photo category as part of the challenge, so everyone can be in with a chance of winning a prize!

Judy Horton, Yates Communications Manager, understands the importance of encouraging young people’s interest in gardening: “The challenges that we run with Junior Landcare have become increasingly successful each year, and we hope that this challenge will continue to encourage a new generation of junior gardeners. We look forward to seeing the enthusiasm of the participants as they discover the amazing results they can achieve with their watermelons,” she said.

In 2010 the Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge was incredibly successful with over 66,000 children around Australia taking part in a competition to grow the tallest sunflower and the sunflower with the widest head. 8 year old Lachlan Hillas from Wodonga, Victoria won the tallest sunflower prize in the individual and family category with his 270cm giant. The widest sunflower head was grown by Sam McVilly, aged 6, of Wy Yung, Victoria, and his sister Tess, aged 10, with a very impressive head width of 46cm.

Register for your free seeds and participate in the Yates Junior Landcare Watermelon Challenge. Simply go to http://www.blogger.com/www.juniorlandcarechallenge.com.aufrom Monday, July 4th. Registrations close on Sunday, September 25th, and the winners will be announced on March 5th 2012.