Crowds searching for ways to improve their little pieces of paradise turned out to see everything from beekeeping to miracle mops at the annual Home and Garden Show in Blenheim at the weekend, despite fears fine weather would keep them away.
Show organiser Shirley Randell said she had not done the tally last night, but she believed the number through the door of Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000 was about the same as last year, when 5700 attended. However, some stallholders said numbers had been less than expected.
Mrs Randell said she was "pleased to have maintained similar numbers [to last year]".
"With the lovely weather outside we thought people would stay home and do their chores," she said.
Stall-holders Carol and Peter Gray, co-owners of Possum People, said they felt numbers were a bit lower than last year. Mrs Gray said events such as the Home and Garden Show were good to keep money coming in during the winter.
"It also enables us to get our products out there and out to a wider audience," she said.
"We've been selling a lot of gloves and socks [this weekend] and it's just amazing how long they last. We've had people come back to us after 10 years and say `it's about time I replaced these'!"
Beekeepers Matthew Wells and Catherine Gordon of Urban Bees said it wasn't common for New Zealand families to keep a hive of bees in the garden, but it was prevalent in places such as England and the Netherlands.
"Kiwis used to the idea of having a self-sufficient home – those who keep chickens, for example – would be more likely to want bees," said Ms Gordon.
The hives are leased to families and are tended to by Mr Wells, an experienced beekeeper. He said the bees were good for pollinating plants and trees, especially if people had vegetable gardens.
Most people have misconceptions about bees and the advantages of keeping them, Mr Wells said.
"A lot of people don't know anything about them [bees].
"About 85 per cent of our food comes from pollination in some way and without bees, us humans would be pretty stuffed."
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