A garden showcasing the stunning natural beauty of the Northern Territory has taken home the gold medal for Best Show Garden at the prestigious Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.
The Tourism NT sponsored “Do the NT” garden beat tough competition to claim the award with judges impressed by the local Northern Territory plants used in the garden, praising its rich colours and unique structure.
“The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is the premier gardening and landscaping event of its type in the southern hemisphere so to win a gold medal is huge,” said Tourism NT Acting CEO Angela Collard.
“This event gives us a unique platform to promote travel to the Northern Territory from Melbourne, a city which has many flight options to the NT. Each year the show attracts 110,000 people not only from Victoria, but also from interstate and overseas, particularly New Zealand.”
Ms Collard said the aim of the Do the NT garden was to promote the rich flora and fauna of the Northern Territory and give green thumbs and outdoor enthusiasts a taste of the Territory.
“Now that the Do the NT garden has won a gold medal it means our display will be a must-see for the thousands of visitors to the show,” she said.
“We’ve also had additional media interest since taking out the gold with the popular House and Garden magazine and high-rating Channel 7 television show, Better Homes and Gardens, set to deliver valuable exposure for the Northern Territory as a result of this win."
The Do the NT garden used different materials to bring the contrasting landscapes of the Territory to life including rock and red desert sand to showcase the Red Centre and lush foliage and water lilies to represent the tropical Top End.
The garden featured three levels, watering holes, a cascading waterfall, striking bronze brolga statues, a rainforest pool and the centrepiece; an ochre-coloured timber cube construction to represent Uluru.
The garden incorporated native plant life, direct from the NT, to ensure its authenticity with local NT operators Alice Springs Desert Park and Indigenous tourism operators Pudakul on hand to talk to garden visitors about NT flora and fauna and Aboriginal culture.
Suzanne Morgan, Tourism NT Director of Domestic Marketing, is in Melbourne for the show and said visitors to the Do the NT garden were blown away with how beautiful it was.
“There’s a great buzz around the garden and visitors have been having plenty of ‘wow’ moments when they walk through saying it’s inspired them to travel to the Territory,” said Ms Morgan.
This is the second year Tourism NT has sponsored a garden at the show, taking out the bronze media for the same category last year.
Photos attached: Gold-medal winning Do the NT garden
ENDS
Media Contact: Lisa Andrews, Corporate Media and Communications Manager +61 401 115 634
