**Rebecca** is talking about growing Cottage Garden Mix, Sunflowers, Alyssum, Nasturtium, Cosmos, Californian Poppy, Everlasting Daisy, Marigolds, Zinnia, Coleus, Phlox from Adelaide Plains

What a transformation the last 3 months have been, both for our gardens and my gardening knowledge and skills!

Prior to this Yates Growing Challenge, I had never grown anything from seed, and the garden was looking rather ‘blah’. Yet now our garden has morphed into a lush floral extravaganza during the last 109 days (which have absolutely flown by!).

The vast majority of my varieties have now flowered and are a complete ‘success’, including the Cottage Garden Mix, Sunflowers, Alyssum, Nasturtium, Cosmos, Californian Poppy, Marigolds and Zinnias.

The varieties which are growing well and I’m looking forward to flowering over summer are the Everlasting Daisies and Salvias. While the varieties that I experienced less success with were the Coleus (growing slowly) and the Phlox (didn’t germinate for me – but I’ll have another go at growing them one day).

I must thank several people for helping make my garden the lovely display it has become;

Yates – for running such a great promotion on their website! It’s fabulous to be able to get to know other gardeners, share tips and tricks, as well as our trials and tribulations. Without this challenge, I would not have developed the love of seed raising that I now have. When I get an idea in my head, I often become somewhat ‘consumed’ with it – and this has certainly become the case with my new gardening hobby. The wealth of gardening and product information on the Yates website is just fantastic and caters well to gardeners of all knowledge levels.

Fellow gardeners – Thanks to everyone who has read my blogs, commented and voted, especially the regulars: Deborah Lee, Dogs K, Mishy, Neilanna, Bushy and Sue (tsdmr). You’ve all been invaluable in sharing your knowledge, keeping the experience FUN and I feel thankful to have had the chance to get to know you all!

My family - Hubby has been a saint in helping keep the house from turning to a shambles while I spent a large part of my spare time in the garden, instead of doing the house work. My parents – every time they came to visit and I was working in the garden, they always pitched in. Also my four year old daughter (pictured above) who was mostly a great little helper in the garden. Finally my baby (also pictured above – in my belly) for staying put until the gardening challenge finished! I’m now 37 weeks, and the challenge is over – so he/she is welcome to make an appearance any time now ;)

Friends - for putting up with me bugging you all to vote for me! And also for taking an interest in my new hobby and how I was going in the challenge. Worry not, next time you visit, you shall be paid in the currency of Yates seedlings!

In a lot of ways, the last 3 months has been hard work getting my garden to this point. Being pregnant has meant that a lot of the time I would have much rather kick back on the couch, instead of sowing seeds, watering seedlings and weeding garden beds. But seeing as I haven’t really done any other exercise apart from gardening, I think it has done be good to stay active. 

I’m so glad that I read the email from Yates three months ago, and decided to join the flower growing challenge! It’s been a great experience, and I look forward to joining the next Yates gardening challenge (dependant on newborn baby commitments of course).

I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas and New Years, and your Yates flowers flourish well into 2012! Until we meet again, all the best!

Rebecca