Garden design focuses on wellbeing

The upcoming Auckland Flower Show at Alexandra Park has inspired civic landscapers on the North Shore into a whole new way of looking at their urban environment and the way it can appeal to people with physical challenges.

Kim Brown, parks officer for North Shore City Council, is leading the team that will create a 'sensory garden' for the Auckland Flower Show. The philosophy behind the design is that external landscapes can make people feel happy, relaxed and inspired, and these benefits should be available for all, no matter what their physical challenges. Such a garden has features that stimulate all the senses: sight, sound, scent, touch and even taste.

In brainstorming how these elements would manifest in their Exhibition Garden for the Auckland Flower Show, Kim says the design team wanted to emphasise integration, rather than separation for people with special challenges.

"There are already millions of sensory opportunities spread all over North Shore city that can provide for the human horticultural wellness experience," Kim says. "So we thought, why not consider some of the design ideas that already exist, and encourage people to appreciate all the benefits of being in open spaces?"

In the Exhibition Garden, there will be a blend of North Shore's natural and created environments. "We will have interactive musical sculptures, a piece by artist Lyndal Jefferies, and a giant xylophone. There is an entrance tunnel with an iconic twist inspired by Rangitoto Island, and a central water feature inspired by the patterns of the sand on our beaches."

All of the materials used will be recycled from existing parks or projects in progress, and recycled after the exhibition is over. It promises to be a sensory extravaganza, but Kim does not underestimate the challenges in reaching that point.

"The biggest challenge doing this garden is that we need to find all of the materials from other council projects, or find sponsorship from contractors and suppliers. And physically, we will be doing all of the work ourselves, supervised by our sponsors. It's going to be a major team building exercise that will be put together with buckets of passion and enthusiasm."

The Auckland Flower Show takes place from 20-23 November 2008 at Alexandra Park in Epsom.

On the web: www.theflowershow.co.nz