15 November 2005

Winning gold at Ellerslie this year has been tougher than ever before, as Judges set a new standard for excellence that benchmarks this event, the largest Flower Show in the Southern Hemisphere, against the rest of the world.

Michael Jones, Convenor of Judges, says although less awards were given out this year, the panel embraced the idea of judging to an international standard and felt this was appropriate for the Show’s reputation as a world class event.

 According to Mr. Jones, the standard of many of the Show exhibits was higher than in previous years, with a clear progression in the Floral Art, Hort Galore and Design Marquees.

“Whilst this year’s Feature Marquee was not part of the official judging, all of the judges were highly impressed with Xanthe White’s interpretation of the history of New Zealand gardening.

This exhibit is right up there with the best internationally and provides extraordinary variety in contrast over its predecessors. It is a show-stopper that’s not to be missed and a great celebration of the distinctive New Zealand design that always emerges from Ellerslie.

The Judges’ Supreme Award went to Inplants Ltd ‘War of the Worlds’ themed display. Designed by Hamiltonian Val Glen from Clever Design, the exhibit pays homage to the original concepts of HG Wells’ ‘The War of the Worlds’, with unearthly fog, mystical music and a three metre tall spaceship. The exhibit features ten wonderful and curious new varieties of plants never before seen in New Zealand.

Val Glen says the aim of her award-winning display was to create a sense of theatre and reveal the tremendous new plants about to be released on the New Zealand market in the next 12 months.

According to Show Judges, this exhibit “captures all the spirit of the Show for visual and sensory delight. It cleverly employs the notion of space exploration to showcase newly “discovered” plants on the international scene.”

Judges commended the featured plants as “perfectly selected for exquisite foliage and flower and stunningly presented in a surreal outer-space setting. The attention to detail is extraordinary and the exhibit will delight viewers by both day and night.”

Ellerslie Flower Show Judges’ Supreme Award
Exhibitor: Inplants Ltd
Designer: Val Glen

Ellerslie Flower Show Supreme Award for Horticultural Excellence in partnership with the NGIA (Nursery and Garden Industry Association)
Exhibitor: Auckland Botanic Garden
Designer: Brooke Stark

Ellerslie Flower Show Supreme Award for Lighting Excellence
Exhibitor: Dream Space
Designer: Alexander McClew

Ellerslie Flower Show Supreme Award for Design Excellence
Exhibitor: Hibiscus Floral Art Club
Designer: Marilyn Page, Lois Haydon, Ruth Wells, Marie Unkovich and Sandra Wright.

Best in Show Award: Lobellia Hot Arctic
Exhibitor: Tandarra Nurseries
Grower: Graham Burton and Val Glen

Yet to be announced are the highly anticipated Young Designer of the Year and Peoples Choice Awards.

A chance to see the work of these talented designers has meant record tickets sales for the Show. Flower Show enthusiasts are being urged to buy their tickets as soon as possible, with Saturday November 19 tipped to become the busiest day in the Show’s history.  

Alongside the thousands of Kiwis visiting the Show, there are a number of international gardening experts present, including Bob Sweet, General Manager of the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show; Koji Ninomiya, Chief Director of The World Garden Competition in Shizuoka, Japan; and media from all corners of the world including the BBC.

The Ellerslie Flower Show 2005 is Like Never Before, with innovation, inspiration and floral delights. The Show blooms from 16–20 November at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Tickets can be purchased at any Ticketek outlet, by contacting 09 307 5000 (or your local Ticketek number), via the website www.ticketek.co.nz or at the gate.