CCC wins gold in Ellerslie Show

Christchurch City Council took out gold in the inaugural National Flower
Bed Competition at the Ellerslie International Flower Show in Auckland
today.

Competing against Hamilton, Waitakere and Tourism Auckland, Christchurch
presented a elaborate flower model of the Canterbury Plains, the
Southern Alps, the Pacific Ocean and the City to win.

Each competitor had a seven metre by four metre plot to present their
work and Christchurch made the most of it with a model of the major
elements that dominate Canterbury.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens Services Operations Team Manager Jeremy
Hawker said the team had done very well in getting the elements right.
The Botanic Gardens undertook the project on behalf of the Council.

"It was a great opportunity for us to display our talent and I am glad
Christchurch has lived up to its Garden City image," Mr Hawker said.

Christchurch City Council has showed an interest in hosting the
Ellerslie Flower Show with Mayor Bob Parker keen to see the show become
Christchurch's.

On the make up of the Flower Bed, Mr Hawker said the team chose
ornamental lettuces for the Canterbury Plains, Alyssun for the Southern
Alps, petunias for the rivers and the Pacific Ocean and verbena for the
City.

The four main avenues of Christchurch City were in white verbena while
model hot air balloons floated over the bed.

The competition was modelled on the traditional flower bed competition
by the Royal Horticultural Society of Britain.

The Show was designed to exhibit the increasing importance that councils
and local authorities set on their surrounding.