Prisoners help create garden for flower show

Redemption is the theme of a garden created by prisoners that will be featured at this year’s New Zealand Flower & Garden Show (NZFGS).

Inmates at Auckland Prison in Paremoremo have created all parts of the garden, including growing the plants, doing wood and metal work, and creating a woven centrepiece.

The garden’s designer - awardwinning landscape artist Adam Shuter - said prisoners played a key role in the garden’s theme and design.

‘‘When I first got here, I had kind of like a concept in mind, but then I thought, ‘No, it’s from me, it’s not from the prisoners.’

‘‘So what I did was put a questionnaire out to them all. Kind of like the feedback we got back was, ‘Give us a second chance. We’re already being punished for being in here.’’’

However, Shuter was also clear he wanted to highlight the victims affected as the result of prisoners’ actions.

The 10 by 10 metre garden contains three paths, representing the journeys to and from prison. There is also a reflection pond to symbolise the cross-roads released prisoners face.

The centrepiece is a woven nest seat - made with around 8000 metres of twine - which acts as a space where families can connect.

All the plants in the garden are native, and prisoners have created metal flax and cabbage trees to sit amongst real trees.

A prisoner involved said it had helped to raise his self-esteem.

‘‘When you come here, you feel pretty worthless - good for nothing, really. And when they give you a project like this, it’s almost like you can begin to give back to society a little bit.’’

Auckland Prison manager industries David Grear said the horticulture and metalwork the prisoners had done could be put towards NZQA qualifications up to Level 4.

‘‘A lot of its about creating the opportunity on release for them to go and get real jobs,’’ he said.

NZFGS event director Kate Hillier said it was inspired by the participation of local prisons in the Chelsea Flower Show in England. It is the first time the show has run the initiative in partnership with the Department of Corrections.

Twenty-five prisoners from Auckland Prison have been involved in the project which started in July.

The NZFGS runs from November 29 to December 3.

‘‘The feedback we got was, 'Give us a second chance.'’’

ABIGAIL DOUGHERTY/STUFF Auckland Prison manager industries David Grear said most prisoners had never had any experience of success. The garden was a way to start to change that, he said.