Backyard Awards: Best Loved Lawn winner
Mark Elliott from Shirley in Christchurch has won the category of Best Loved Lawn for his lush green masterpiece. Congratulations, Mark!
We spoke with his about his process to keep his lawn beautiful and there may be some blades of advice for your own backyard.
Mark has a huge backyard so during Covid times, he decided to renovate the lawn and garden just for something to do. It’s turned into a passion.
His lawn is 100% rye grass - sourced from Prebble Seeds Turf World who supply many golf courses around New Zealand. In the summer he mows it every 2-3 days, sometimes daily, and waters the lawn with a deep soak of about an hour at a time, 2-3 times a week. He uses a granular slow release lawn fertiliser and other liquid fertilisers also.
Mark shares:
'I would say the secret to getting a good lawn is consistent mowing - at least twice a week. Maybe buy a bulk bag of slow release lawn fertiliser from a wholesaler. Keep the grass longer and just take the very top off the blade when you mow. It promotes growth, thickens it up and will really help with stopping weeds - oh, and water. Expect a water bill if you want a good lawn.'
The first photo below shows the 'Before' shot, 4 years ago. Give Mark a Like on this post if you think his lawn is pretty top notch!
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DAY SEMINAR ON PUBLISHING YOUR OWN BOOKS
FOR ALL WRITERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SELF-PUBLISHING!
NorthWrite Indie Publishing Day
Saturday 9th May 2026
Our day of talks and panel sessions is focused on self-publishing successfully, from formatting and design through to marketing and publicity. Our special guests are top indie-published authors in their fields, tackling print and ebooks, great cover and page design, and the (often) dreaded marketing mountain.
We’ve received Creative Communities funding to ensure the day is an affordable price, plus found the most experienced speakers to answer all of your questions. Whether you have already published or are thinking about it, this is your chance to increase your skills and knowledge and learn how to publish more effectively and with less stress!
Join us now – registration is via a Trybooking link on our webpage where you can find the programme as well. northlandauthors.co.nz...
Cost: $60.00 which includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea. We are limited to 60 places.
Venue: Apprentice Restaurant, NorthTec, 51 Raumanga Rd, Whangarei.
Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
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76.5% Inside!
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23.5% On top!
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