The Best Backyard Build winner
It was a very hard decision but we've chosen our winner of the Best Backyard Build as Todd Haswell of Raureka. Congratulations, Todd!
His entry reads:
A couple of years ago my wife said "Can you make me a cuppa tea area down the back? Something with a cover over it."
Me being a graphic artist by trade, I went overboard and made this. Most of the timber is offcuts or leftover from years of not throwing anything out. The doors are from the old Napier Hospital. The two side ones open up on top like stable doors. At night lights come on in the windows (solar), which makes it look like a little house. However the back wall is the centre door.
We think his entry is very creative and impressive. Give this post a Like if you agree!
This wraps up our Backyard Awards - we hope you enjoyed taking part and seeing your neighbour's creations.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.7% Critical thinking
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29.8% Resilience and adaptability
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2.7% Other - I will share below!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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