blooming brightly

Display gardens at this year's Ellerslie Flower Show made great use of colour.

Max's Pipe Dream

Inspired by the Upper Waitaki Hydroelectric Power Scheme and surrounding landscape, engineering company Beca managed to make even concrete pipes look sexy. Headed by senior landscape architect Paul Roper-Gee, it scooped the Judges Supreme Award, as well as two other awards. The Max of the title is Max Smith, project engineer for the hydro scheme. The Resene colours used, and their inspiration were: Resene Red Oxide from the hydro power station penstocks; Resene Toto from the hydro lakes; Resene Pirate Gold from the tussock; Resene Blue Marguerite from flowering lupins; and Resene Green Leaf from beech and wilding pine trees. This display also won a Resene Total Colour Award this year.

Free Spirit

Created by Landscaping New Zealand's Canterbury members, this garden was literally a work in progress, created during the show to demonstrate how landscape professionals work. Conceived by landscape designer Lyndell Shannon, the garden's name, Free Spirit, was taken from the Resene paint shade of the same name (Resene Free Spirit) used on the walls. Design elements included a reflective pool traversed by a walkway, a beech forest, decking, a colourful tapestry of planting and a Llew Summers sculpture.

Gone to Seed

This garden is one for its time, as more people grow their own vegetables and fruit.

Created by Rachael Matthews of Hedge Garden Design & Nursery in Wellington, it won her the Student of the Year award.

Garden walkway with hidden compost

The garden is packed with innovative ideas, including a composting system beneath the boardwalk and bean frames made from flax flowers, alliums, bull rushes and toetoes.

The boardwalk was stained with Resene Timber and Furniture Gel in Resene Jarrah Tree and the fence was finished in Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Black to gently radiate warmth and help ripen the espaliered fruit (Resene CoolColour™ stain or paint is best for dark colours to reflect more heat). Macrocarpa sleepers retain the garden beds.