Women in Horticulture – Women Sweep Horticulture Awards

24th January 2024

Women in Horticulture – Women Sweep Horticulture Awards

Three young wāhine took out the top positions in last year’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition. Team Leader from Bark Ltd and Women in Horticulture member Renee Johnson, was a successful contender and won Best in Sector, second place in the Countdown Innovation Project and placed second overall! We had a chat to Renee about the competition and working in horticulture.

“I'm really proud of what I achieved at the competition. It was a great challenge and I met a lot of awesome people across different areas of the industry that I wouldn't usually be in contact with.

I love working outdoors in a physical role. It can be challenging but also therapeutic and rewarding. I also love being able to use my creativity at work in a variety of ways. From hedge trimming and planting through to coming up with novel ideas for solving problems that arise in the gardens.

I hope make Therapeutic Horticulture more accessible in New Zealand. I am currently looking at options for travel to gain insight from therapeutic horticulture associations overseas so that I can gain knowledge to bring back here.”