Colour kids thumbs green early to instil gardening for life

AVID gardener believes if you teach children young, gardening will stay with them their whole life.

GREEN THUMBS: Pat Greene and the children of Goolmangar Primary School are preparing for the garden competition with the Lismore Garden Club. Students at the front are Odessa Smith, Christian Hertz, Audrey Jones and Cieda Ritchi-jol. At the back with the rest of the school are Charlie and Dorothy Cox, judges of the competiton. Picture: Mireille Merlet-Shaw

AVID gardener and lifetime member of The Lismore Home Garden Education Club, Dot Cox, believes if you teach children young, gardening will stay with them their whole life.

Encouragement with prize money and trophies also helps.

Gardening encourages kids to eat their veggies.

"If they grow food they are so much more interested in eating it," she said.

Already 12 schools from the 2480 postcode are savvy to Dot's advice and have entered in the club's biggest annual event - the Spring Garden Competition.

As well as the school garden competition, individual green thumbs under 12 are encouraged to enter the following categories:

• Flowers grown in container or ground
• Succulent or cacti grown in containers or ground
• Vegetables grown in containers or ground

First prize is $35 and a plaque, and entry is free.

Entries close Monday September 17 at 6pm.

Gardens with be judged on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12.

Dot Cox and her husband Charlie are just two of the dedicated garden club members donating their time and trophy money.

"We are happy to help the gardeners of the future," they said.

The club thanked Lismore City Council for their ongoing support.