We’ve had the funniest week ever at the Ellerslie Flower Show.    So funny in fact that we thought we owe it to anyone who didn’t go, and even those of you who did go, to provide a full and frank trip report – with photo’s.

Show’s like this are months in the planning so for us just to finally get on the road was a relief.    We got as far as Blenheim and collected 40kg of fresh garlic to add to the already hot and very full van.   Smelling like a steak marinade we made for Kaikoura where we were to rest the weary van and ourselves for the night.   The van had other ideas.  No rest for us as the alternator gave out – where is the alternator? It’s underneath all of the stock packed in the van – out it all comes with the help of Dad and in it all goes again.

We get to the event and the van strikes again.  You can’t come into the venue unless you put your hazard lights on.  Sorry security man this van is too old and crappy to have any hazard lights – how about you let me in and I’ll drive really carefully and put my headlights on?

Once we got into the venue our site set up went pretty smoothly, apart from having enough stock and shop fittings to deck out a small branch of Farmers Trading Co. rather than a 3m square stall site.   

Everyone on site got invited to a lovely Powhiri from Ngai Tuahuriri Runanga outside their stunning exhibition garden, Te Waipounamu, before the show opened.  So along Lisa and I toddled.   What a shame more people didn’t down tools to accept this lovely welcome.    We did and walked away with the Mauri (life force) on loan for the week – we were off to a great start.    We rubbed noses with the best of them, although Bob Parker was a bit hard nosed I thought as we went down the line.   Must ask Lisa what she thought.

Next came the judging of the retail sites – oooh the retail manager lady from Ballantynes was leading the charge with her clip board – so scary. Lisa scarpered and left me to try and make small talk – very unsuccessfully I might add.  It was strictly a “don’t speak unless spoken to” kind of occasion.  

So putting the judging behind us without any expectation of awards we went onwards to the next occasion – the VIP garden party on the Tuesday evening before the event.      Now I don’t know what the tickets to this shin dig cost (must look it up for next year) but I do know that those 1,000 people who attended got the best of the show.   It was a beautiful summer evening, very little breeze, slow setting sun, garden awards had just been handed out that afternoon, the designers were on their gardens to chat and everyone and everything was looking pristine.    

You’ll notice no photo’s from the VIP do on the following pages – probably because Lisa and I took turns to go around and look at all the gardens while it was empty and also because I couldn’t take my eyes off the shoes that were walking past – let alone the dresses – was it race day or garden show?    You could spot the gardeners a mile away – sensible shoes and a camera.  My tip for next year is go to this gig if you can afford it for the best view in the house.

As for us, well, we were feeling it by now.   For some reason catering didn’t start until the next day and so we’d set up in the heat with no food and we had to man our stands until 7pm.     Couldn’t we have some of the VIP food and drink?  Being brave we sent Lisa to ask the front gate people who were welcoming the guests and handing out the goody bags.  No of course not – you’re a stall holder.    

But cunning will prevail.  We noticed everyone was getting a gerbera flower to pin to their outfits, a bit like The Sneeches on the Beaches for those of you who remember Dr. Suess.    If you had a flower you got into the hospitality tents.   So we procured a gerbera flower – I’m not saying from where – and took turns to ditch our aprons and eat and drink and generally “how now brown cow”.

We were ready for opening proper the next day and were enjoying ourselves immensely.

The following pages show photo's and edited highlights of our 5 days at the Show, with a couple of notable exceptions.   I’m very sorry that I didn’t get a photo of the Gardeners Nighties.    They came with the catchy slogan “deadhead with dignity”. 

I also regret not getting any photo’s of the lovely down to earth ladies from NZ Gardener and the other great speakers that we met through doing the NZ Gardener speaker series talk on chooks and ducks.   We had a lovely time with them and met some great gardeners like Susan Dent, gardener of the year 2009 ( lender of socks when my feet were cold) and Robert Guyton, NZ Gardeners deep south correspondent and all round interesting man with his heritage apples, animated oats and edible lupins.

Finally though what blew us away more than anything else was the amount of support we got from Nelsonian’s at the show.  Either as stall holders or visitors I think half of Nelson and a good chunk of Kaikoura were there in some capacity egging us on.  A big thanks too to the Serious Straws hat company from Mapua for the lend of their trailer.

Oh and we did end up getting an award for our stall and a hilarious TV interview on Canterbury Television where I look as though I’m going to sell you a set of steak knives!

So overall, a great show - I was impressed with the amount of sustainable gardening and recycling that seemed to come through exhibits naturally for such a mainstream show - maybe we're getting it finally.

And a great week away, but I’m so glad to be home.  My garden is showing signs of autumn already.    Will we do it next year?  Ask me in a few months.