Ellerslie 2012 - an outstanding success

The 2012 Ellerslie International Flower Show was another outstanding success, the Show being described by the judges as the best in 10 years. More than 45,000 enjoyed the Southern Hemisphere's largest five-day flower show, spending several hours wandering among the almost 90 horticultural exhibits and gardens, enjoying the entertainment and getting new ideas for their home and garden.

Visitors overwhelmingly commented that they loved the Show - the hope, the inspiration and the optimism for the city - and would be back in 2013. This was a great endorsement for the Show.

A crowd favourite was the Judge's Supreme Award, Max's Pipe Dream, An Engineer's Garden. Designed by Paul Roper-Gee of Beca, the triple-award winning garden was the "clear, cut winner" for the supreme award, being fun, innovative and with great styling. Everyone loved the garden for its connection with the Mackenzie Country's hydro engineering landscape.

For the third consecutive show, the Starlight Marquee was a popular exhibit. Visitors flocked there to see the multi-award winning The Last Australian Garden exhibit from the Singapore Garden Festival, designed by Eckersley Garden Architecture in Melbourne, and Christchurch designer Dan Rutherford's garden designed to help Christchurch residents to reconnect with and form a new trust with the land following the earthquakes.

Other Show favourites were the gold medal winning gardens of Wellington designer Ben Hoyle, who also won the Yates People's Choice Award, the striking glasshouse garden by Metro GlassTech with Sandi MacRae, the "green city" garden by Colin Meurk from Landcare Research and the playground garden by the Christchurch City Council and City Care.

As the Convenor of Judges Jim Fogarty from Australia said: "to put on a show of this calibre is an admirable feat for the city and a tribute to everyone".

Max's Pipe Dream, An Engineer's Garden

Singapore Garden - Eckersley Design 2012

Dan Rutherford - Gold medal winner

Ben Hoyle - Gold and People's Choice

Casa de Vidro by Metro GlassTech with Sandi MacRae

Transitions by Colin Meurk

Xanthe White - Gold and Supreme Construction