Junior gardeners come into bloom

• To register as a family or individual click on this link: http://juniorlandcarechallenge.com/Sunflower/Registration-Sunflower-Individuals
• To register as a school or youth group click on this link:   http://juniorlandcarechallenge.com/Sunflower/Registration-Schools-Groups

Children from around the country are being encouraged to don their gardening gloves and discover their green fingers as part of the Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge.

Children under 16, schools and youth groups are being invited to take part in the challenge by competing to grow the tallest sunflower, the sunflower with the largest head or take the most creative sunflower photo.  Participants can register on the Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge website to receive their free giant sunflower seeds which they can plant in late October or early November and monitor their progress over the spring and summer months.

Kids can grow their sunflowers at home or at school and will need to care for their plants during the hot summer weather.  They are also required to log onto the Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge website once their flower has reached maturity to update the size of their giant sunflower and upload a photograph.  The final winners will be announced in March 2011.

“We are delighted to be able to provide encouragement and support to all young budding gardeners out there and to help educate them on the importance of growing produce and the environmental benefits achievable from sustainable gardening practices,” said Heather Campbell, CEO Landcare Australia.

Judy Horton, Communications Manager, Yates added:  “The previous challenges we have run in conjunction with Junior Landcare have been hugely successful and we hope with this challenge we will continue to encourage and foster a new generation of junior gardeners.  We also hope the participants will enjoy discovering their green fingers and seeing the results of their labour.”

The Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge follows on from last year’s hugely successful Yates Junior Landcare Pumpkin Challenge which saw almost 20,000 children taking part in a competition to grow the largest pumpkin.  The group winner was the McGrath family from Toowoomba, Queensland, with a 175kg whopper, while the individual winner was Boyd Wales from Walcha in rural NSW with an impressive 94kg pumpkin.

Yates is also working with Junior Landcare by providing grants to help schools and youth groups undertake School Environmental Management Plans (SEMP).  Schools and youth groups across the country can apply for these grants by visiting www.juniorlandcare.com.au.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge can register at www.juniorlandcarechallenge.com.au.

Promote the Yates Junior Landcare Challenge

Yates Sunflower Challenge Poster