It was a great opportunity to be able to display our interest in cacti & succulents to the masses at such a prestigious garden event as the annual Ellerslie flower show and be fortunate enough to win a SILVER award. The exhibit was in the Hort Galore marquee which had 18 or so societies and other garden clubs. The two main exhibitors in this marquee were the Fruit and

Vegetable Growers’ Association and Inplantswhich produce new varieties of plants for the market. Their sites were 10 metres by 10 metres and ours was only 3 metres by 3 metres. They both picked up the GOLD awards in our marquee. We were the only society to get a SILVER award so I think that was pretty fantastic!

   The design and build team was Tim & Karen, Peter & Karen.
Thanks to Martin Walker & Tim Saunderson from COROMADEL CACTI for letting us have the pick of any plants from their nursery. They also lent us their truck so we could safely transport the plants to and from the show.
Thanks to Kevin at EZI-ROCK who supplied the large grade man-made rocks, which are available from Stone & Water World. We had so many comments from the public as to how we lifted them, then they found out that they were not real.
Thanks to Bruce from HENDERSON ELECTRICAL for lending us all of the lighting equipment. It looked spectacular at night for the evening visits.
Thanks to all the Auckland Branch members who supplied plants, and those that volunteered their time to stand in front of the display and handed out brochures to promote the society.

   It all started in Peter’s big shed at Swanson, West Auckland, once we had the large rocks, cacti and succulents, it was a matter of deciding where they went. Next was a free standing plywood boxed frame complete with floor. We constructed the base with thick polystyrene foam blocks that we salvaged from building sites. We then cut holes in these to slot the plants in, at one stage there was so much loose floating polystyrene balls it resembled a snowstorm. Peter was vacuuming these out of his shed for days. The front of the display was made from square wire mesh which, when filled with loose little rock gives that “gabian basket “ effect.
   Meanwhile in Tim and Karyn’s garage, the sunset and rocky canyon backdrop was being spray painted one colour at a time. This was then fixed to the rest of the frame and the plants were placed and moved several times. Peter was very patient at this, especially when his wife Karen bought us cups of tea and buscuits and gave her ideas as to which side looked best. Poor Peter was getting advice from two Karen’s, like “just a little more to the left- no back again “ etc etc.
   After every plant was in place , and the lights positioned. It was time to dismantle it all ready for transport. All we had to do was set it all up again at the Ellerslie flower show site in Manurewa, South Auckland. We arrived on site at 6 AM with the plants in the truck and the rocks and base on two trailers. After 4 or so hours it was all constructed with plants in place and the loose rock scattered all over the polystyrene and complete with lights. Seven days later it came down again, with one extra thing – THE SILVER AWARD !.

List of Plants used: 1) Espostoa procerera 2) Aloe ramissima 3) Aeonium arboreum “schartzkopt” 4) Ferrocactus glaucesens scharzii 5) Echeveria hybrids x 5 6) Echeveria " " 7) Pilosocereus pentoadrophorus x 3 8) Aloe polyphylla 9) Oreocereus celsianus 10) Aloe distans 11) Echinocereus grusonii x 3 12) Echeveria agavoides 13) Agave ferdinandi-regis 14) Echeveria elegans 15) Opuntia robusta 16) Stetsonia coryne 17) Trichocereus chilensis 18) Espostoa sp Please click on an image to get a larger version of it. To return to this page, use the Backspace button on your keyboard or toolbar.