GARDENING SOLUTIONZ AND ELLERSLIE FLOWER SHOW!

Strong competition is expected among young designers at this years show.  Three times more young designers will be vying for the Student Designer Of The Year title at the 2011 Ellerslie International Flower Show, with students from as far afield as the United Kingdom signing up.  There are a total of 13 entries in the Emerging Designs, presented by Solid Energy compared to five entries in the 2010 show.  The competitors include borther James and William Gadd, who are studying at Otley College, a horticultural college in Suffolk, United Kingdom.

For the first time this year, students who are not studying landscape design will also make up the bulk of competitors.  Seven of the thirteen young designers are studying interior design at the Design and Arts College in Christchurch.

Exhibition Manager Kate Hillier says students will be asked to design a small, low maintenance courtyard garden where a DINKY (Double Income, No Kids Yet) couple can relax after a long day at work with a glass of wine.  The 5 x 5 metre garden should be the couple's pocket of tranquility, which they can also show off to guests.

Ms Hillier says the emphasis in the category is on innovation and "thinking outside the square."

"There is a real opportunity for young designers to use their flair and to make their mark.  In previous years, many young designers have used their Ellerslie experience as the launch pad for successful careers.  From the design briefs I have seen for this year's show, visitors can expect some amazing things from these young designers."

Design and Arts College Interior Design Programme Co-ordinator Melanie Arnold shays she encouraged students to enter Ellerslie because it will give them a taste of what it is like to work in the industry.  "It's a real learning curve for them and a significant project because they are working with real budgets, deadlines, strict specifications and sponsorship.  The brief is such that the students have been able to treat the garden as the extension of a living space which fits well into our interior design course.  This is such an amazing opportunity that we have incorporated it into our course plan."

Otley College lecturer Jody Lidgard says he encouraged the UK students to enter the show beacause it will be a "fantastic life changing experience".

"The lads have shown the drive and ambition to enter county level garden shows and to represent the College in open competition.  They have also helped my team with the construction of competition gardens at Royal Horticultural Society events."

"I had the privilege of being part of Ellerslie last year, alongside my colleague and friend Chris Beardshaw (who won gold and the People's Choice Award for his An Englishman's Retreat garden at the 2010 show).  I though about the idea of student participation as a stepping stone to entering the industry and the opportunity to enter the Emerging Designs category arose.  They have been working on their Ellerslie gardens for a couple of months now.  With several ideas in the waste paper bin, they have now managed to work up a design that fits the brief and will give some wow to the competition."

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology student Pete Hodge, with Northtec student Katie Hilford, won one of the two golds at last years show with his Family Urban Garden.  He says entering the 2010 Show was a good way to acquire new skills which complemented those he already had.

"When you're a student it's usually very theoretical so it was nice to be in the public realm, and to be receiving comments from the public.  I have been an interior deisgner for 10 years and am in my final year of an architectural design degree so when I entered the show my knowledge of plant types and species was minimal.  It was a great project to be involved in to get some landscape design experience and to stretch my skills."

Sub sponsors Gardening Solutionz and Urban Paving are supporting the students by providing palnts and hard landscaping materials.  The aim is to make the competition more accessible to student designers.

Ellerslie International Flower Show is New Zealand's premier week-long garden extravanganza in Christchurch's North Hagley Park from 9 to 13 March 2011.  The Show celebrates Christchurch's Garden City heritage and the best of national and international garden design.  Check out the website for further information www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz.