Awards Won by Blue Gecko
Click on the image to get a bigger picture.
 |
This koru inspired, sub-tropical garden won Blue Gecko a silver medal at the 1998 Ellerslie Flower Show. Ben's aim was to create a garden which illustrated some of the great diversity of plants that New Zealand has. The design achieved the right balance between garden and active space in a small area and relies more on foliage rather than flower - a garden for all seasons.The award helped to fast track the then new Blue Gecko. It's hard building up an impressive portfolio to show what you can do so the Ellerslie Silver and the coverage that came with it certainly helped move things along. |
 |
1999 bought Blue Gecko a Gold medal in the Makeover Marquee section of Ellerslie. The designers where shown five props - a flax plant, a tyre, a door, a pot and a brazier - and had to use two or three of them in their new garden. Ben chose a red flax plant and a Stoneweaving pot, made by a man from the South Island's West Coast from beach stones about the size of 50 cent pieces. Blue Gecko offset a simple and formal design with informal planting and paving, and somewhat unusual ornamentation in "Copperstone" as Ben called it, the resulting natural earthy colours giving a nice feeling of warmth and space. |
 |
Blue Gecko attempted yet another very different garden design in at the 2000 Ellerslie show and won a second silver award for their efforts. With Blue Gecko's brief being to show Singapore as a modern destination Ben worked on a concept that pulled together the modern and traditional elements of Singapore. Feedback from the public was fantastic with many people saying it was the best exhibit they had ever seen at an Ellerslie Flower Show. Blue Gecko chose to use Orchids, Singapore's national flower, as well as lush planting such as ground ferns, palms and rubber plants. The central pool also featured a deck which floated out to connect land and water. |