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ELLERSLIE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW 2011 Pages
Media Release 2
December 2010
Strong competition expected among young designers
at 2011 Ellerslie International Flower 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 –
Student Designer of the Year category, presented by Solid
Energy, compared to five entries in the 2010 Show. The
competitors include brothers 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 13 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 5x5 metre garden
should be the couple’s pocket of tranquillity, which
they can also show off to guests.
Ms Hillier says the emphasis in the category is on innovation
and “thinking outside the square”.
“This 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 next year’s Show, visitors can expect
some amazing things from these young designers. ”
Design and Arts College Interior Design Programme Co-ordinator
Melanie Arnold says 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’re 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 because 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 a part of Ellerslie this
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 thought 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
two golds at this year’s Ellerslie 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 designer
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 plants 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 extravaganza 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
The
Ellerslie International Flower Show.
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