Ellerslie gardens impress judges

An Englishman's Retreat

Seisei Tei the second

The Last Laugh

TRULY AMAZING: The Christchurch Botanic Gardens gold-medal winning exhibit in the Starlight Marquee.

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An Englishman's retreat, a traditional zen garden and a rugby player's statement on how humans impact on the environment have all earned gold medals at the Ellerslie International Flower Show.

Internationally-acclaimed English garden designer Chris Bearshaw's An Englishman's Retreat, award-winning Japanese designer Koji Ninomiya's Sei Sei Tei II and The Last Laugh by Andy Ellis and Danny Kamo were all named gold medal-winning exhibition gardens this afternoon.

Judges said the quality of exhibition gardens at Ellerslie had improved this year, and that the overall standard made it a tough competition for all the medals.

The Convenor of Judges Robert Hillier from England said the show was "brilliant''.

He said Beardshaw's exhibition garden was "perfection in terms of detail and finish''.

"Koji's western Japanese garden is the best garden I have seen him design,'' he said.

He praised Andy Ellis and Danny Kamo, saying the concept and delivery of their garden was "amazing''.

To see videos of all the exhibition gardens, click here.

The Christchurch Botanic Gardens won a gold medal for their entry to the Starlight Marquee division, by showing how lighting can extend enjoyment of a garden after dark.

The Stratford Garden Club and the New Zealand Alpine Garden Society both took gold medals for their entries in the Hort Galore Marquee section, and the Ikebana International Ikenobo School won gold in the Floral Art Marquee.

Rangiora mum and first-time competitor Wendy-Lee Renner won the Great Ellerslie Photo Competition, with her photo Magnolia Mist that she snapped in her garden. Renner was inspired to enter the event after seeing the photographs at last year's show.

Northland student Katie Hilford was named Ellerslie International Flower Show Student Designer of the Year for a small courtyard garden suitable for a town house. Her design used sustainable home and garden practices while maximising on space.

The National Flower Bed category was won by Akaroa and the Bays for its floral tribute to the Akaroa lighthouse. It is the second year in a row the seaside village has won this category.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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