‘Magical’ bush-garden wins people’s choice award at Ellerslie

The Earth Sharing Life Garden was voted people’s choice at the Ellerslie Flower Show.

Visitors to the Ellerslie International Flower Show have embraced a garden with an emotional environmental message in picking this year’s People’s Choice award. The Earth Sharing Life Garden, created by Julie Moore from Plantet Earth  is a darkened bush-garden lit with special effects and accompanied by the beating heart of a giant, revolving world. It also features waterfalls, glow worm caves and a shipwreck. Moore spent nine months creating the masterpiece, which calls for environmental action and is situated inside the new Visique Starlight Marquee.

“Our take is that earth and mankind can nurture each other and provide for each other, but we all need to be conscious of our choices and how they will impact on our environment,” said Moore. The garden also won the Supreme Award for Lighting, an important element in all the marquee gardens as they are completely blacked out with hundreds of metres of black silk. Judges’ convenor Jan Woodhouse described the garden as a ”magical, multi-media experience with a variety of lighting effects and lovely detailing with ambience”.

Moore said visitors had commented that they enjoyed the clever use of sound and light, and the surprising ceramic seed pods by Tim Holman that burst into life.

- NZ HERALD STAFF
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Home and Garden – How to grow your own Edible Garden


With the arrival of the edible phenomenon already in full swing over the last year, the continued popularity of the ‘Edible Gardens’ has not been affected by the decline in sales over the last few months

In fact, it is just the opposite. Garden centres nationwide have reported record sales and ‘sold out’ signs on some lines are now appearing. Magazines that contain the latest stories or recipes on this phenomenon are also selling fast.

There are even cooking classes available now on how to grow your own food supply and harvest and cook it.

From Garden to Table or from Paddock to Plate take your pick, it’s exciting and just keeps getting better.

Traditionally when times become tough, people stay home and improve their own piece of paradise. So for the first time in many peoples’ lives they have got a buzz from tilling their very own plot of land.

Along with traditional lines there are also other edibles appearing on the market. Fruit trees have inched their way back but in different ways. Espaliering, a thing of the past? Not any more. Apples, pears or even figs are making a comeback in this form and their fruit isn’t compromised either.

If you have the insight and knowledge the Pear Belle du Jumet, a French Pear which is self pollinating or Apple Montys Surprise, the Anti Cancer Apple on a dwarf and disease resistant root stock are flavour of the month.

And the famous anti everything Goiji Berry, has now well and truly revealed itself in the market place. Blueberries gaining a reputation for reversing bad memory loss and high in anti oxidants, are selling well and everyone wants a Meyer Lemon!

With unusual plants never grown here before and starting to appear on the market like the lowly peanut, tumeric, chick peas and various edible gingers, tropical pink guavas and cold hardy bananas. Growing now like never before has a purpose and most keen Kiwis want a slice of this action!

Seeing this huge potential in the edible market appearing and being inspired by it herself, landscape designer Jules Moore of Plantetearth Ltd, started working with clients who were also challenged to the calling.

She calls it a ‘taste of things to come’ and believes this exciting trend is here to stay.

By putting her design skills into practice and expanding her plant pallet of edibles in her own nursery, Jules has been enjoying working with clients who like herself, want to add the sustainability aspect and dual purpose planting to their design.

Designing tastefully within a smaller amount of land compels us to think differently and to make every plant count.

So why not join the trend and plant something that not only looks good but tastes good too.

Home and Garden Article  - 2009 Spring Edition

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