16th Ellerslie International Flower Show opens tomorrow

The gates open tomorrow (7 March) for the 2012 Ellerslie International Flower Show which promises to be “one of the biggest and the best show” in the Show’s 16-year-old history.

Show Managing Director Dave Mee says the quality of the exhibition gardens and horticultural exhibits is the strongest he has seen in the last six years.

“It is fantastic that we have been able to create such a sensational show for 2012. There are more than 80 horticultural exhibits sites and more than a quarter of a million plants of display. The strong emphasis is on lots of colour and flowers.”

He says it was so devastating for everyone when last year’s Show was cancelled as a result of the earthquake struck. “Many of the designers had already been on site for eight days and their exhibits were toppled and their sites filled with liquefaction.

“Many of these designers are back with the gardens they were creating last year, while others have created a new design to respond to the changing environment and look to the future.”

He says the quality of this year’s exhibits will “blow away visitors to the Show”.

Leading the stellar line-up of exhibitors at the Show is the international gold award-winning garden, The Last Australian Garden, from the Singapore Garden Festival by Australian designers Rick Eckersley, Scott Leung and Myles Broad from Eckersley Garden Architecture.

“There are also gardens by four of New Zealand’s top designers and previous gold medal winners at Ellerslie – Aucklanders Xanthe White and Tim Feather, Wellington’s Ben Hoyle and the Canterbury Horticultural Society.

“Their challenge has been to design an inner city garden for future Christchurch. The designs are diverse, adventurous and respond well to the challenge. I’m sure local residents will be excited about what they see.”

Other highlights of the 2012 Ellerslie International Flower Show are:

The third and most ambitious garden in the Christchurch International Airport Starlight Marquee by multi-award winning Christchurch designer Dan Rutherford.

Internationally renowned costume artist Jenny Gillies who returns to Ellerslie with A wonderland of Wearable Flowers in a wonderland of trees, landscaped by tree care specialists Treetech.

Last year’s Supreme Award winner the Christchurch Botanic Gardens team who have headed to the City Care Hort Galore Marquee to create an exhibit themed on an abandoned film set.

The hotly contested Solid Energy Emerging Designers category with 10 young designers from Wellington, Wairarapa and Christchurch competing for the title of EIFS Student Designer of the Year.

The ever popular Floral Art Marquee with its Passion for Fashion themed displays and Young Florist of the Year competition.

The North Island cities of Rotorua, Napier and Auckland attempting to wrestle the Zealandia Horticultural National Flower Bed title from Canterbury.

Mr Mee says Ellerslie 2012 features has one of the most incredible ranges of gardens and horticultural exhibits on display – “there is something to appeal to everyone’s taste”.

Ellerslie International Flower Show, North Hagley Park, 7 to 11 March 2012. For more information  www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz