Max’s Pipe Dream wins Judges Supreme Award

6 MARCH 2012
Max’s Pipe Dream wins Judges Supreme Award

A garden inspired by the Mackenzie Country’s hydro engineering landscape – weeds and all – has won the Judges Supreme Award at this year’s Ellerslie International Flower Show.

Convenor of Judges Jim Fogarty said the garden designed by Paul Roper-Gee of Beca was a “clear cut winner”.

“It was popular with the judges; it is fun, innovative and well styled.”

Max’s Pipe Dream, an Engineer’s Garden was designed by the team at Beca as they imagined Max Smith, the project engineer for the Upper Waitaki Hydroelectric Power Scheme, might have created as a garden in Twizel, using the construction and plant material found in the nearby landscape.
“The garden has a great message for the people of Christchurch about how to re-use materials and combine these with contemporary, industrialised materials but pull it all together in a very professionally styled way.”

He said the garden is comfortable, personable and relaxing.

“It is a brilliant story, well executed and well-deserved of the win.”

The Judges also said the garden captured what was unique and quintessentially Kiwi in an ever changing environment. “Being both quirky and innovative in its use of both recycled and industrial contemporary materials, the garden provides an intimate and fun space.”

Other supreme award winners were:

Supreme Award for Lighting - The Butterfly Affect, Leicester Murray and Hilary Wetton
The Judges said: “The spatial form of the garden is explained at night by a good understanding of illumination appropriate to the task. Special note was made regarding the subtle approach to elements like the water feature. This entry was judged Best in Show for Lighting.”
Highly commended – MK Design
Ellerslie International Construction Award – A Garden for Christchurch, Xanthe White
The Judges said: “The construction team who build A Garden for Christchurch have achieved as close to perfection as possible in an exhibition garden. The walls are beautifully built; the cutting and pointing detail express exceptional craftsmanship. The water feature delivers surprise and emphasises the tranquillity theme.”
Supreme Award for Horticultural Excellence – Transitions, Colin Meurk (Landcare Research)
The Judges said: “The sheer diversity of indigenous plants is outstanding and the quality of the plantsmanship is impeccable. From the dianellas in full berry to the rare pittosporum patylum – an endangered native from the South Island that most Kiwi gardeners would never otherwise encounter, the attention to subtle horticultural detail is, quite frankly, show-stopping.”
Judges Special Commendation – NZ Alpine Society
The Judges said: “The range of plants, the fact that they’re all in perfect condition and full flower – this small, charming exhibit is like a living fossil: a specialist niche, beautifully executed.”
Supreme Award for Design Excellence – Metro GlassTech with Sandi MacRae
The Judges said: “A spectacular, stylish garden with an ethereal atmosphere. Masterful use of space not confined by rectangular boundaries, exquisite geometry on both ground plane and vertical surfaces. Innovative use of height and false perspective. Creative integration of art technology and plant materials with a delicate soft whimsical plant palette used very effectively with hard contemporary precision and reflective surfaces.”
o Ellerslie International Flower Show, North Hagley Park, 7 to 11 March 2012. For more information: www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz.
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