Competition aims for eco gardeners

Five landscape design students from throughout New Zealand will be competing for the title of Student Designer of the Year presented by Yates at this year's Ellerslie International Flower Show.

Katie Hilford (NorthTec), Luke Vazey (Unitec), Louise Hamilton (Lincoln University), H'lana Gilmore (Weltec) and Pete Hodge (CPIT) have each designed a small courtyard garden for a townhouse using sustainable home and garden practices for the new Emerging Designs student award at the show.

Ellerslie International Flower Show exhibition manager Kate Hillier says the brief was for a garden for a young family, with two children under five, who had moved to a new house where they are likely to live for at least five years. The family are aware of the issues of global warming and want a sustainable home, using the limited space effectively for the children.

"The emphasis is on design and innovation, the new competition providing the students with an opportunity to showcase their design skills to the thousands of visitors at the show," she says.

Louise Hamilton, silver medal winner in last year's tertiary competition at Ellerslie, has designed a garden inspired by Picasso's cubism period.

H'lana Gilmore's design was inspired by the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.

"It is a practical garden which also provides an area to relax in."

Katie Hilford's design will maximise the small space with her focus on culinary sustainability.

Pete Hodge's design creates a variety of interactive environments which inspire imaginative interaction.

"The deck becomes an outside kitchen, a stage for family charades, a shaded seating area or a pirate ship."

Luke Vazey's alfresco outdoor kitchen and vegetable garden design is for a small sustainable outdoor kitchen and garden area that combines modern styling with practicality.

- © Fairfax NZ News