KEY POINTS:
The people have spoken. And they said, overwhelmingly, "The Earth Sharing Life Garden".
The exhibit, at the Ellerslie Flower Show, is the work of Julie Moore and Lynn Cairney. They have spent the past nine months creating a garden that would inspire a call for environmental action.
"Our take is that earth and mankind can nurture each other and provide for each other, but we all need to be conscious of our choices and how they will impact on our environment," says Moore.
The exhibit features waterfalls, glowworm grottos, a wrecked boat, and a beating heart in a giant revolving world globe.
The garden is part of the Starlight Marquee, which is completely blacked out with hundreds of metres of black silk.
The effects are created by sophisticated lighting.
"People come into the garden in the dark and leave in the light," says Moore.
Sound is also a major part of the exhibit, with ceramic seed pods that burst into life, an invention by Tim Holman.
Moore, of Plantet Earth, and Cairney, of Fusion Landscape Design, also won the Supreme Award for lighting, and a gold medal for their section of the Starlight Marquee.
And in what may be seen as a portent for future flower shows, the National Flower Bed Competition was won by Christchurch City Council, a strong contender for the job of host city. A decision is due next week, but it seems certain that the show will move after an Auckland City Council decision not to go ahead with a funding rescue package.
The Flower Show highlights are not all visual. There are many ways to spend money.
The bach, built as part of the landscapedesign.co.nz exhibition garden, goes under the hammer at 5pm tomorrow . The building, the largest built as part of a flower show exhibit, would lend itself to use as a tennis pavilion, pool house or outdoor room. The garden it stands in won a merit award in the Exhibition Gardens section.
And the tradition of visitors getting a bargain as well as inspiration continues. From 4pm until 6pm tomorrow, visitors will be able to buy the plants, garden art and some chattels of the various exhibits. For the sell-off, tickets are $5 or just the stub of a previously used ticket.
The Ellerslie International Flower Show is open from 10am to 8.30pm today and from 10am to 6pm tomorrow.
