b'also picked up the Peoples Choice Award and the JudgesThe global exposure could have been a huge shock, but I Supreme Award for Lighting Excellence there the followinghad my feet on the ground throughout the whole thing.year and in 2005 was commissioned to design the showsShetotallyenjoyedrecreatingtheChelseagarden piecederesistance,a1200sqmmarqueetracingthecomplete with black sand, sculpture and glass features development of this countrys gardening style. depictingwaterfortheEllerslieFlowerShow,and The designer remains in awe of the whole Chelsea Flowerparticularly for New Zealanders to enjoy. Show experience, which saw her take a Silver Gilt Medal inHerethereissomuchmorephysicalspaceanda May 2005. She is also grateful for the television experiencewonderful connection between my design and the natural shehadinNewZealand,appearingonGroundforcelandscape, including the background of majestic totaras, presenting The Ultimate Garden in 2004, for showing herand other native trees and plants.how to handle the press coverage overseas.Small in stature and managing to look styley even in her From a career point of view, Chelsea was like gettinggardening gear, Xanthe exudes effervescent enthusiasm, a degree from the top varsity in the world. It was prettyinging her hands around as she talks. special working alongside absolute masters from the top of the game. From a personal point of view, I felt like aIm like my Dad in that, she grins. different person coming out of it, Xanthe says. It wasHer parents, David and Judith, and her older brother, a challenge managing a large team, with many of themClem, are obviously hugely important in her busy world, older than me, and so many different creative issues towhile their amalgam of creative skills has been character consider. I became like a director while trying to tune intoand career-shaping. Judith is a well-known writer; shes the central vision and also doing all the media stuff. published many short stories and is working on her second The BBC made four programmes on Xanthes West Coast- full-length novel. David is a computer software design inspired garden, entered under Tourism New Zealandsspecialist, who worked on the Wanganui Computer in its 100%Puremarketingbanner,andshehandledaearly days and has designed a special learning programme whole raft of television interviews and appearances whilefor the Auckland University. Clem also works in computers in the UK. It was media work on a massive internationaland as a musician.scale she hadnt experienced before. Myparentshavewidenedmymindtoallsortsof I felt fortunate that Id had low-prole media experience inpossibilities and how I view the world. I was born in New Zealand with a nice balance between reality and work.Wellington and lived in the States for two years, when 40 |'