Riot of colour greets Flower Show visitors

By ALEXIS GRANT

Think purple.

The Stevenson Garden Zone will be a brightly coloured welcome for visitors to the 10th Ellerslie Flower Show when it opens with a sold-out gala today. But first to see the completed exhibit were the show's judges yesterday.

"I've never seen anything like that anywhere in the world," said judge Gordon Collier. "It's very South Seas."

The Garden Zone, featuring 20,000 potted colour plants, is centred on several huge purple "anthers". Nikau palms and imported rumbled glass are intended to represent New Zealand's diverse coastal landscape.

And the judges said the exhibit had a certain Kiwi flair.

"What we're seeing is the New Zealand character coming through," said Julian Dowle, of Britain, one of the show's seven international judges.

Koji Ninomiya, who has travelled from Japan to judge the show for the past few years, said he had noticed the recent change in the style of gardens.

Where European flair used to be obvious, the show now had a distinctive "Kiwi taste".

"It's the colour of New Zealand," said Mr Ninomiya.

The Stevenson garden, which took five weeks to build and cost $100,000, will greet the more than 70,000 people expected to visit the show. Public viewing begins tomorrow at 10am.

This year, night lighting is included - a new trend in contemporary gardening that gives the gardens a different look after dark.

Other attractions include a 1200 sq m Celebration Garden, the largest ever at the Ellerslie show, with a 6m high, 12m long romanesque triumphal arch made by the set designers from The Lord of the Rings.

Jazz musician Nathan Haines plays at 7.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.

Showtime

Hours: Open to public: Wed, Thurs and Sun 10am-6pm; Fri and Sat 10am-10pm

Cost: $35 for adults, $31 for seniors, $5 for children 5-14, free for children under 5.

Night-show only tickets cost $31. Buy tickets at the gate or book with Ticketek or 09 307-5000.

Where: Auckland Regional Botanical Gardens in Manukau City.