It's an uphill chore

STACY SQUIRES

FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS: The 16-metre Vertical Meadow outside the Canterbury Museum.

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Kiwiana was the inspiration for a lawn run amok at the Canterbury Museum.

The 16-metre-long display, Vertical Meadow, is part of Christchurch's Festival of Flowers, which opens today.

It features real grass and weeds, including dandelions, on layers of wool, and even has its own irrigation system.

The display's designer, landscape architect Craig Pocock, said it was based on the typical Kiwi lawn.

"Spring's come, the lawnmower's gone crazy, and the lawn's getting a bit out of control – it looks a bit like my back lawn, actually."

Pocock said the idea came to him after a visit to the museum's paua shell house. "It just had that sort of quirky Kiwiana feel to it, and I wanted it to be fun like that."

Other features of the 24-day festival include a national tree-climbing competition, a bamboo installation and life-sized garden animals.

- © Fairfax NZ News