Another gold for green-fingered All Black

What could be better than a gold medal from the 2011 Rugby World Cup? Well, if you’re a gardener, it’s a gold medal from the Olympics of world garden shows, the Singapore Garden Festival!

All Black Andy Ellis and his colleague, Danny Kamo, secured gold in Singapore recently with their garden based on the Maori legend of Ruaumoko, the god of earthquakes, in the festival’s Fantasy category.

The pair worked with the Weta Workshop team to create the underworld in which Ruaumoko lives.  

“Working with the Weta team was an absolute privilege,” says Andy. “What they achieved was beyond our wildest dreams.”

The garden was designed to give spectators an insight into the effect of the earthquakes in Christchurch, and a sense of the enthusiasm for the rebuild and future of the city.

Although this is the first time Danny and Andy have competed at the Singapore Garden Festival, the pair has previously won accolades at the Ellerslie International Flower Show.

They will bring their award-winning garden from Singapore home in time for the next Ellerslie International Flower Show to be held in North Hagley Park from March 6-10, 2013.