 |
SHOW REVIEW
Story and Pictures by Margaret Chapman
The 2002 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show was as stunning as we have come to expect.
There were subtle and not-so-subtle changes in direction evident. Innovations in the show itself that kept Melbourne, now in its seventh year, fresh and captivated visitors.
The Show's 'joie de vivre' and love of gardening remained the core factor in a great day out. And you could literally shop 'til you drop with a host of plants, bulbs, garden tools and outdoor living accessories on sale.
Peter Rabbit's Gardenworld
One of the Show feature gardens was the Peter Rabbit fantasy garden, celebrating his 100th birthday. A bold entry of rusted metal and wood spanned a series of vegetable gardens, demonstrating just how ornamental edibles can be. Shocking pink and lime green mesh animal figures kept children and adults amused and the interactive displays drew a steady stream of curious kids.
Edibles were also used decoratively around the ornate fountain. In alternating beds, fascinating planting effects were achieved with perennial stachys and salvias. Stacks of bright coloured plastic buckets, outside and inside the Show were filled with bright annuals. A bold bedding display by sponsors Oasis used broad sweeps of primary colours.
Display Gardens
The show gardens are one of the major draw cards at the show and this year's offerings did not disappoint. The emphasis on clean and simple design lines followed the trend in Australian and New Zealand garden design - none of the dreaded 'fluff' that can permeate designs in the 'Old World'.
Stylish courtyards, classic gardens and contemporary outdoor spaces were all to be found in this year's display gardens. Some changes were afoot. There was less emphasis on structural elements and more on the plants, and the once obligatory water feature water was found only where it added to the design. Softer, lusher planting was a widespread trend, textures and colour in foliage. With purple foliage used frequently to contrast with greens and greys. And this year there were even flowers were to be found.
The Gold Award garden by Bold Simplicity Garden Design for Warners Nurseries demonstrated the new changes in direction perfectly. A deceptively simple design based on circles and curves, the garden used different hard-scaping textures to delineate access ways and seating areas, but these were sub-ordinate to the plantings in bands of colour and texture that followed the curving theme.
The boundaries were simply executed - two were planted with informal hedges of deep green and dusky purple foliage and the third was a solid deep red-brown with vertical wood strips giving a third dimension. A single piece of sculpture drew the eye and two rounded wicker chairs were a wonderful complement to the curving theme. A single concession to fashion planting- a low bowl holding a selection of succulents gave emphasis to the round wooden seating area.This was a garden that could easily slip into any courtyard space, either behind a terrace or townhouse, or as part of a larger garden.
Once again Jack Merlo showed a deceptively simple garden with bold, clear lines making a small plot seem larger; a view over the garden space made the garden more spacious and airy than seemed possible. Winner of a Silver Award, Merlo used the strong lines of a pergola to one side of the site and a raised dining area, an echo of last year, made a great outdoor living space. Planting with the soft yet strong outlines of banana palms lined a long canal jewelled with water lilies.
Next page | |
|
|
The Peter Rabbit Garden
What's Hot
- Style Keep it simple, clean
- Influences Antipodean, Balinese
- Change in direction More plants and textures, less structure and water
- Planting Softer, emphasis on textures
- Colour Purple (especially foliage)
|
Planting is softer in 2002 - Warners garden
Grasses for texture and movement - Jamie Durie for Amgrow
Emphasis on planting in Warner's Garden
Jack Merlo - Clean design and softer planting in 2002 | |
