The 2006 Ellerslie International Flower Show

1 August 2006

“A Sight To Behold”

The Ellerslie International Flower Show is now the largest horticultural event in Australasia with last year’s show seeing attendance figures of over 60,000 visitors. The 2006 show will truly be a “Sight To Behold” with new gardens, new plants, new features and show stopping highlights. In addition to this, there are new corporate developments that serve to enrich the overall offering of the show.

The 2006 Show sees the renaming of the event with the official title now being the Ellerslie International Flower Show. This reflects the international status and standing of the show, with gardens and exhibits being of international standard, as well as an international Co-convenor of judges, Bob Sweet, the Shows Development Manager for the Chelsea Flower Show.

In addition to featuring the best of New Zealand horticulture, the show will present gardens from other renowned international flower shows creating a global offering of the world’s best garden displays.

Also new to this year’s show is the entrance of a naming rights sponsor. Visique Optometrists proudly take this place over the next three years. Michelle Lawson, General Manager of Visique, says of this new relationship;

“Visique has searched for the last twelve months for a sponsorship association that made sense and matched our values and goals of professionalism and excellence. The opportunity to join forces with such an iconic New Zealand showcase event came up – we just knew it was for us.”

With Visique’s new association with the show, it will truly be “A Sight To Behold”.

One of the standout features of this year’s show will be the Visique Avenue of Gold. A selection of past gold medal winners, from previous Ellerslie International Flower Shows, have been carefully picked to return to the event with brand new garden designs. Their fresh and original creations will be featured side by side, hence creating the Avenue of Gold. This will give visitors the opportunity to revisit well loved, past stars of the show. Featured designers will include Ben Hoyle of Blue Gecko Ltd, Tim Feather of Living Earth Landscaping, Dennis Pringle of the Auckland Bonsai Society, Stuart Ferries of Eden Gardens, Norma de Langen designer for Yates NZ and a team of designers from the Auckland Botanic Gardens and Twinings.

Another key highlight, not to be missed, will be the new and improved Retail Plant Sales. The Ellerslie International Flower Show has listened to consumer demand and has expanded this popular feature to realise up to thirty separate retail sites. Visitors can take home a piece of the show with new releases, Bonsais, Natives, Herbaceous and Clematis, among others, being available for sale. A crèche will be provided on site to baby-sit plants for shoppers overloaded with purchases.

This year’s show will see the Yates Hort Galore Marquee returning with an “Ask The Experts’ facility where show goers will have access to gardening experts. They can pose their gardening dilemmas and queries and get a professional and expert response as well as being able to view a cornucopia of horticultural displays.

The Twinings Floral Art Marquee will provide the public with regular Floral Design Demonstrations, which will happen throughout show week. A top floral art team from Japan will be on site to show visitors how to recreate the eastern inspired floral creations in their own homes. There will be sixteen separate floral displays on show forming a magnificent visual and aromatic section of the show.

The best new talent will be on show at the Tower Design Marquee These designers will become the stars of tomorrow, so get a head start and view their cutting edge, forward thinking designs. The models and designs from the Ellerslie International Flower Show Tertiary Competition will also on display in the marquee.

The Foodtown Woolworth’s Lifestyle Marquee will have a Christmas theme this year, providing inspiration for the upcoming festive season. This marquee is where gardening meets gourmet celebrations. Visitors will be given a gastronomic treat with the best food and drink being available to sample as well as being able to view the stunning feature displays.

The stunning Sunday Star Times Exhibition Gardens are a popular must-see part of the show. There will be an array of different garden styles on view where inspired gardeners will showcase their work. The varied designs will feature everything from formal gardens for traditionalists, courtyard gardens for urban dwellers to gardens made from recycled products for eco-warriors.

The Sentinel Country Living Marquee is based on the highly successful and popular marquee at The Hampton Court Flower Show, in England. This marquee will showcase the cottage and craft industries throughout New Zealand, with perfect timing for pre-Christmas inspiration.

This year’s Ellerslie International Flower Show will have more flowers and more colour than ever before making it “A Sight To Behold”. With the return of popular features from previous shows and fantastic new additions, the 2006 show will be a must-see event for all.

Notes to Editors

Ticket Information

Tickets can be purchased at any Ticketek outlet, by contacting 09 307 5000 (or your local Ticketek number) and via the website: www.ticketek.co.nz

For further ticket queries please go to www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz. The sites’ ‘Ticket’ link provides full information on process and where to obtain tickets

The 2006 Ellerslie International Flower Show

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