Flower Show Ends on an All-Time High

Counting The Flowers - Ellerslie Flower Show Ends on an All-Time High

The floral extravaganza that is Ellerslie Flower Show draws to a close today, leaving thousands of visitors dazzled by a Show like never before!

Over the last five days, Auckland Botanic Gardens has become a bustling village filled with world-class design, breathtaking horticulture and stunning floral art.

So just how do the floral figures stack up?

70,000 Show visitors through the gates

100,000 individual flowers on display

25,000 Phoenix Organics drinks sampled onsite

10,000 Paeony stems sold by the NZ Paeony Society

2,000 packets of Wild Flowers sold

300 performers at the Manukau City Cultural Performance Garden

$19,900 raised from the auction of Honda Jazz, going towards Books For Babes, a charity that encourages parents to read to kids

6,500 cash withdrawals made on site

20,000 plants in the Pacific Retail Finance Marquee designed by Xanthe White – Ellerslie Flower Show’s show stopper for 2005

$10,000 “grown” on the Pacific Retail Finance Money Tree in the Show’s first two days, raising funds for the Child Cancer Foundation Appeal

200 people using free Invacare wheelchairs and 100 using mobility scooters

10,000 cups of Twinings and Bell Pure Tea Ceylon teas drunk on site

20,000 entries into the Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourist Board competition to win a trip for two to Singapore

1,200 Wild Appetite Urban Thirst Slushies sold to thirsty gardening fans

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1,600 umbrellas sold – this year to keep the sun off instead of the rain!

The five days of almost constant sunshine, an influx of international supporters, and a strengthened network of support between the floral, horticultural, landscape design industries have been key factors contributing to a roaring success in 2005, says Pete Cox, General Manager of Ellerslie Flower Show.

“A lot of hard work has gone into building strong relationships that are key to making Ellerslie Flower Show really fly as it becomes one of the world’s pre-eminent gardening Shows,” he says.

“This year has been a year of consolidation of the industries involved. With the support of international representatives visiting the Show this year such as Bob Sweet from Chelsea Flower Show and Koji Ninomiya, Chief Director of The World Garden Competition in Shizuoka, Japan, we are setting up a network of senior advisors of the highest calibre.”

“Gold medal winners, top class nurseries and flower breeders and floral art will have a much stronger presence as we continue to take the Show forward. The sky is the limit for 2006 – watch this space!”

Ends

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