22nd February 2010
Award-winning 2009 Ellerslie garden helps with revegetation of Lake Albert
Plants from an award-winning 2009 Ellerslie International Flower Show have helped with the revegetation of Christchurch’s Lake Albert and train four horticultural students in amenity planting.
Diane Boyd, Julian Brown, David Rate Smith and Shizuka Cornelius have been replanting Lake Albert with plants grown for last year’s Christchurch Botanic Gardens’ Swamp Modern Ellerslie exhibition garden which won a silver distinction medal.
In recent months, Lake Albert’s island and the perimeter of the lake have been cleared of exotic plants and replanted in native vegetation in accordance with the Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Gardens Master Plan.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens Botanical Services Operations Team Leader Jeremy Hawker says the area was originally swamp, many of the native plants being destroyed when Victoria Lake was formed in 1987 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign.
“The work we have been doing is focused on bringing this area of Hagley Park back to its natural habitat.”
Mr Hawker says the four students involved in the project are completing a three-year Amenity Horticulture course and being involved in such a project as revegetating Lake Albert provides them with invaluable on-job training.
“The students undertake a considerable amount of this type of work throughout the Botanic Gardens.”
He says a significant number of the plants used in last year’s Botanic Gardens exhibition garden have been used in the revegetation project “This work is important is helping to improve the water quality in the lake and create a better environment for visitors to North Hagley Park, including those to this year’s Ellerslie International Flower Show.”
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens is exhibiting again at this year’s Ellerslie International Flower Show, their garden being a key exhibit in the Christchurch International Airport Starlight Marquee and taking visitors to the Show underground in to a world of fungi, mould and lichen.
• Ellerslie International Flower Show is New Zealand’s premier week-long Garden Party in Christchurch’s North Hagley Park from 10 to 14 March 2010. The Show celebrates Christchurch’s Garden City heritage and the best of national and international garden design. Check out the website for further information www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz
Pictured: Horticultural student Shizuka Cornelius undertakes planting around Lake Albert using grown for last year’s Christchurch Botanic Gardens’ Swamp Modern Ellerslie exhibition garden which won a silver distinction medal.
For further information contact:
Ellerslie International Flower Show Communications Adviser
Jan McCarthy
03 941 6412 or 027 637 7912
