KEY POINTS:
A garden that not only takes advantage of Auckland's plentiful rain but helps deal with stormwater has won gold for three landscape design students at the Ellerslie International Flower Show.
The show officially opens today but judging took place yesterday. Among the winners was Zoe Carafice, Jamie Douglas and Kirsten Sach's rain garden entry that won gold in the Outdoor Exhibition category.
Ms Carafice told the Herald the Unitec students didn't want to create another "pretty show garden" but wanted to encourage people that sustainable gardens could look great, too.
"They can still be beautiful and don't have to be just compost," she said.
Rain water washes off roofs, driveways and streets into the stormwater system and can be contaminated with oils and heavy metals.
Ms Carafice believed rain gardens would become more popular when homeowners realised there was a more sustainable and economical way of dealing with rainfall. Their simple design thrilled judges and onlookers who were amazed the familiar site of big, ugly, round water tankers could be hidden inside an attractive water feature.
"They were created in Melbourne where they have big water problems ... over there they have these water features as fences - they're amazing."
The garden is set as a courtyard area that is not only meant to look good but be a functioning outdoor space. Ms Sach said they hoped for a win but the award was still "beyond our wildest dreams".
The judges' feedback was that this year's garden designs were up with the best they had seen, said show managing director Dave Mee. He said up to 70,000 people were expected through the gates.
The show runs until Sunday at the Auckland Botanical Gardens. Tickets can be purchased from Ticketek and Foodtown/Woolworths.
* www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz
