MIFGS 2011

Featuring over 500 retail, floral and landscape design exhibitors, MIFGS is the largest and most successful horticultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. The event attracts garden enthusiasts, trade professionals and anyone who loves the outdoors.

Universal Magazines once again had a stand at the show. Teaming up with Landscaping Victoria, the stand was selling some of Universal Magazines’ most popular titles including Outdoor Design Source, Backyard & Garden Design Ideas, Outdoor Design & Living, Water Wise Gardens, Good Garden Design, Outdoor Entertaining, Green Living, Melbourne Living, and Good Gardening Vasili. The stand was a huge success with over 2000 magazines sold at MIFGS.

This year’s MIFGS highlights included:

• Lindeman’s

A first at MIFGS, the space provided visitors the chance to enjoy the refreshingly lighter-in-alcohol Early Harvest and Sweet Seasons ranges of wines.

• Garnier World

Discover the brands unique philosophy of natural, health beauty and enjoy a complimentary facial, hairstyle or massage.

• Garden Design Awards

The annual MIFGS Garden Design Awards recognise the best-of-the-best in outdoor landscaping.

• Debco Avenueof Achievable Gardens

Small scale gardens created by horticulture students from Swinburne University Chisholm, NMIT and Holmesglen.

• Art Exhibition

An indoor art exhibition featuring a number of Victoria’s finest Art Societies exhibiting and selling artwork inspired by nature.

• Live Entertainment

Roaming entertainers whose talents brought a smile to everyone’s face.

Winners flourished at this year’s event. Dean Herald’s ‘Reflections’ was awarded the coveted City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show. Inspired by the battle many people face with depression and anxiety, Dean Herald and his team from Rolling Stone Landscapes created a calming space featuring an expansive pavilion positioned over a modern pool with a curved roof; lush plantings for seclusion and privacy; an elevated outdoor designer bathroom; and a large fireplace set within the pavilion. The esteemed award was presented by The Hon. Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor, and marked the first of five-days of spectacular gardening and floral design and innovation.

Phillip Johnson Landscapes was awarded the Ford Motor Company Most Sustainable Garden for their ‘Bathe’ installation. Showcasing compact urban sustainable landscaping and natural pool design, construction and maintenance, the garden also won a Bronze Medal in the Show Garden category. ‘Bathe’ demonstrates the company’s unique approach to rooftop and vertical design, integration and maintenance, and the use of reclaimed materials including concrete rubble to create beautiful waterfalls and landscape features.

The Don Fleming Student Award for the Landscaping Victoria Design Competition was awarded to Corey Blake for ‘The Cocoon’. Both this award and the Most Sustainable Garden award were presented by Premier Ted Baillieu.

According to Event Manager Kathleen Rushford, “the standard this year in landscaping and floral design has been exceptional and the judges had a tough job selecting the best of the best.”

MIFGS 2011 Award Winners

CITY OF MELBOURNE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR BEST IN SHOW

• 'Reflections' by Dean Herald, Rolling Stone Landscapes

GOLD SHOW GARDEN

• ‘Green-Life-Style’ by the Tree & Shrub Growers Victoria
• ‘Chelsea Garden’ by Scott Wynd
• 'Reflections' by Dean Herald, Rolling Stone Landscapes
• ‘Sir Walter Greenart Garden’ by Jason Hodges, Greenart Gardens

SILVER SHOW GARDEN

• ‘The Long Garden’ by Daniel Tyrrell Landscapes
• ‘The Blender’ by Bay Road, designed by Graeme Altmann & Candeo Design, constructed by Semken Landscapes
• ‘The Cypsella Garden’ by Georgia Harper Landscape Design

BRONZE SHOW GARDEN

• ‘Reflections’ by Kristine Galea
• ‘The Cocoon’ by Corey Blake
• ‘Woodland Oasis’ by Katie Burgess
• ‘Your Garden’ by Daniel Piper Garden Design & Peninsula Stonemasons, supported by TGA Australia & Combined Nurseries.
• ‘Bathe’ by Phillip Johnson Landscapes

THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY COMEADOW AWARD

• 1st 'Reflections' by Dean Herald, Rolling Stone Landscapes
• 2nd ‘Sir Walter Greenart Garden’ by Jason Hodges, Greenart Gardens
• 3rd ‘Chelsea Garden’ by Scott Wynd

HORTICULTURAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST USE OF PLANT LIFE

• ‘Green-Life-Style’ by the Tree & Shrub Growers Victoria

LANDSCAPING VICTORIA STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION WINNER OF THE DON FLEMING STUDENT DESIGN AWARD

• ‘The Cocoon’ by Corey Blake

FORD SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

• ‘Bathe’ by Phillip Johnson Landscapes

THE MARK BENCE CONSTRUCTION AWARD

• 'Reflections' by Dean Herald, Rolling Stone Landscapes

GOLD OUTDOOR EXHIBIT

• Oasis Horticulture designed by Vivid Design
• MagicTurf
• Fleming’s Nurseries

SILVER OUTDOOR EXHIBIT

• Savewater!
• Clearpond

BRONZE OUTDOOR EXHIBIT

• Water Features Direct

GOLD FLORAL FEATURE

• Flowers Vasette designed by Wona Bae

SILVER FLORAL FEATURE

• Michael Strownix
• Create & Communicate 2C
• Ford Motor Company designed by Glasshaus

BRONZE FLORAL FEATURE

• Warrandyte Flora
• Ikebana International, Melbourne Chapter
• Cecilia Fox
• Gollings the Florist designed by Richard Go
• Premium Greens Australia designed by Richard Go
• My Flowerhouse
• Floral Art Society of Victoria

TESSLEAAR FLOWERS SHOP WINDOW COMPETITION

• 1st Marjorie Milner College
• 2nd Sarah Wilson
• 3rd Warrandyte Flora
• 4th Marjorie Milner College
• Highly Commended - Emily Karanikolopolous

RMIT STUDENT FLORAL FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION

• 1st Natasha Fagg
• 2nd Nixi Killick
• 3rd Samantha Lentini

Visit: www.melbflowershow.com.au

Photocaption: Phillip Johnson Landscapes Most Sustainable Landscapes Award Winner; Rolling Stone Landscape reflections; Interflora in Great Hall of Flowers; MIFGS in full bloom.