Trends from the NZ Flower & Garden Show

At the end of November the NZ Flower & Garden Show was held in Auckland. Full of colour, ideas and inspiration, we've picked the top trends from this year's show.

Relaxing havens

Throughout the show gardens featured spaces to relax and wind down among beautiful plantings. As soon as you stepped in there was a sense of calm and relaxation created by the carefully thought out surroundings, with plenty of room to sit back and take in nature around.

Green and white colour palette

A popular style that incorporated topiary and shrubs interspersed with white flowers including roses and hydrangeas. Pairing the plants with white accessories added to the sense of relaxation.

Upcycling

Tui were proud to sponsor the Upcycle Garden Challenge with Resene. The entries were impressive with entrants repurposing objects from old dressers and shoes to pallet gardens and beer crates along with old doors and windows. In addition to the upcycle element, each garden needed to include edible plants and colourful Resene paint and/or Resene wood stain colours.

Beautiful blooms

Vibrant floral displays were found throughout the displays, from the soft pinks and white perennials of the Breast Cancer Foundation garden to roses, dahlias and bulbs bringing beautiful, bright hues to the show.

Water tranquility

Many display gardens included water as a feature to bring a tranquil look and feel to the space. From a Bali inspired garden featuring palms and bromeliads to a dreamy and colourful waterfall feature. The sight and sound created a sense of serenity and relaxation.

Small space gardening

Whether you have a balcony, patio, courtyard or other small space, the balcony gardens showed that you can still inject some green into your life. Showcasing vibrant beautiful blooms, edibles and striking shrubs grown in pots and containers, each garden was an interesting oasis full of colour and greenery.

School gardening

A selection of schools from the Garden to Table programme has the opportunity to showcase their creative skill and garden knowledge. The children were involved from concept right through to the final construction. Themes included recycling, sustainability, bright colours and edibles including an impressive edible weeds garden!

Something a little fun…

The fun and colourful home to a bee-keeping hobbit designed by Brian Massey and constructed with the help of the Hobbiton team was a show highlight. The team transplanted comfrey and mint plants from the Hobbiton site in Matamata, as well as striking cuttings or growing from seed other plants including nasturtiums, snapdragons, sunflowers, vegetables, berry bushes, and lots of climbing jasmine.

Simply stunning…

"Bloom Wherever You Are Planted" by Franca Logan of Florienne was a highlight for not only floral fans. The 8m x 7m floral art display featured a beautiful combination of roses, peonies and carnations to create a stunning masterpiece.

For more ideas and inspiration keep an eye out for more photos from the show on our Facebook page and Instagram

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