Success for NZ at Chelsea Flower Show

The 100% Pure New Zealand entry by Xanthe White.

Xanthe White's West Coast-inspired garden, complete with black sand, insets of paua and glass features representing glaciers, has won a silver-gilt medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Tourism bosses are now hoping the award will help bring millions of dollars in extra revenue to New Zealand from the UK.

The strikingly dramatic garden evokes the moodiness of a West Coast beach with its rippling sand foreshore made from recycled car tyres and black iron sand.

"I'm absolutely blown away," White, 30, said. "To come from the other side of the world and win a medal is fantastic."

The garden was entered under Tourism NZ's "100% Pure" marketing banner.

White added: "I didn't know how this garden would be received by English people but I never had any doubt New Zealanders would understand it.

"I think it's time we stood up and were proud of who we are. After all, our environment is unlike anything else in the world.

"It's easy to please but it requires a little bit of courage like this - one that has hardly a flower."

George Hickton, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, said Xanthia's garden "really pushes the boundaries. It's very edgy".

It is the second time Tourism NZ has been at Chelsea and the second time they've won an award. In 2004 they won gold for a very traditional garden.

Already the BBC has made four programmes on the garden and New Zealand as a destination. The garden also featured briefly on primetime TV in the UK last night.

Tourism New Zealand is doing several other things as part of its 100% Pure New Zealand campaign in conjunction with the garden to raise awareness of the country as a holiday destination.

It has fitted out the main tube station used by Chelsea Flower Show visitors with New Zealand-related advertising including two garden plots.

A group of New Zealand surfers complete with boards, will be walking the streets and central London parks for three days during the show distributing information about the country.

Shuttle busses heading for Chelsea will be decked out with advertising including Air New Zealand banners.

Advertising has also been taken out in the Royal Horticulture Society magazine, which has a circulation of 160,000.

Tourism NZ believes millions of Britons would have been exposed to New Zealand through the week-long campaign.

Mr Hickton says following coverage of the 2004 Chelsea garden, one tourism operator benefited to the tune of $1.5 million, and he expects similar success for the sector from this year's garden and campaign.

The garden is one of 19 show gardens at Chelsea. Around 160,000 people are expected to visit the show during its five days.