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MEDIA RELEASE January 28th 2009
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Designing for a sustainable future
Sustainability is a buzzword which permeates flower shows
these days – and this year’s Ellerslie International
Flower Show is no exception.
Waterwise planting, water recycling, intelligent use of water,
low-energy gardens and restoring soil nutrients are all key
international garden trends and many of these concepts will
be seen in two exhibition gardens at Ellerslie 2009 where
there is a focus on sustainability.
Droughts and floods are the two weather extremes gardeners’
face with greater regularity today as a result of global warming.
Creating a rain garden, using your property’s water catchment
and retaining storm water on-site for garden irrigation are
all ways to manage the extremes as visitors will find at the
One
Earth Matters exhibition garden.
The Christchurch-based landscape architectural company was
founded by Carl Pickens based on a design philosophy of integrating
contemporary landscape design with organic growing and permaculture.
He says his Ellerslie garden will showcase such ideas as
how to reduce the amount of water needed by planting native
plants which need little moisture; using mulch to help the
soil hold the water and stop it drying out; as well as the
importance of adding compost to the soil, using kitchen and
garden waste to return important nutrients back to the soil.
The garden will also use sustainably grown and certified
timbers, native no-mow lawn and productive vegetables and
fruit planting to reduce food miles.
A community garden is the theme of the Project
Lyttelton and Soil
and Health Canterbury’s Ellerslie exhibition garden.
It will highlight the advantages of using locally sourced
and recycled materials and organic gardening to create a sustainable
community. The garden will promote living in harmony with
nature and the seasons; illustrate the cycle of healthy soil,
healthy plants and healthy people; celebrate the planting,
harvesting and feasting of good organic food; promote recycling
and composting; and use heritage seed to celebrate historic
Lyttelton.
Designed by Liz Briggs, the Dig This garden is created around
a series of terraces, representing the man-made terraces found
in Lyttelton carved into the volcanic rock by early settlers.
As for the future of sustainability, overseas trends have
started to see the demise of the patio heater and predictions
are that just being green won’t be good enough in the
future as responsible sourcing of products are counted as
part of the human cost of building gardens.
Ellerslie International Flower Show Exhibition Manager Kate
Hillier says these cutting edge trends are expected to filter
more into future garden design at Ellerslie.
www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz
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Christchurch
City Council
http://www.ccc.govt.nz
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