A New Zealand landscape designer has again achieved international recognition, winning gold and Best Feature Garden at China’s prestigious Shenzhen Greater Bay Area Flower Show, one of just seven global masters selected for the competition.

Jules Moore, who owns JM Landscape Design and Touch of the Tropics Garden Centre in Auckland’s Whenuapia, represented New Zealand after submitting a portfolio of previous gold medal wins spanning her 45-year career.

Moore was inspired by New Zealand’s coastline, “We have such a profound connection to the coast, and I think every New Zealander is touched by it in some way — walking along the beach, building sandcastles, fishing off the rocks, or going yachting, surfing or swimming.”

Collaborating with co-designer and daughter Alayna Bradbury and son James Moore, along with her colleague Ru Zhang who accompanied her to China, Moore’s Ocean’s Edge was also inspired by the legend of Maui — represented by a galvanised steel hook, paua slab steepers and some 2,500 plants surrounding a mammoth conch shell centrepiece.

“I chose a conch because of its spiral interior, symbolising the connection between the sea and the inner ear, and the way we listen to the ocean through a shell.”

The 160m² design, assembled on-site in Shenzhen, features hundreds of purple flax, lupins and succulents, all sourced in China to represent the colours of the Kiwi coast. Maui’s hook was transported through customs then welded onsite by Chinese craftspeople — and New Zealand’s stunning waves were represented using an elaborate curved pipe and water system, recycled blue glass and tiny white pebbles.

“It’s definitely brought some challenges,” says Moore. “It’s interesting to communicate my exact vision and design in a short build timeframe. When creating my kina, we had to make a last minute trip to a haberdashery store for the right type of decorative beads, then thread them with wire to create the stunning look we were ultimately after.”

“Oysters are both a cornerstone of New Zealand’s coastal identity and a prized delicacy in Chinese cuisine. The platter pays tribute to the closeness of our two countries, particularly around our trade ties.”

The judges were impressed by the inclusion of recorded traditional Māori and Chinese instruments, whale song and Moore’s vocals in the instillation. They also commented on the garden’s paua fingerprint motif, which represented human connection to nature. “Kiwis are particularly passionate about their environment — we might leave our footprints on the sand but we also leave our fingerprints in nature.”

The exhibition, which took place through March 2026, featured designers from England, the United States, China and South Africa. “It’s a highly competitive international field so I’m very proud of my win,” says Moore.

Moore expects to return to China soon, “The garden is being disassembled now for relocation, but there are murmurs that Ocean’s Edge will be given a second life in coming months.”