Andy Ellis studied landscape architecture at Lincoln University on a Rugby Scholarship. He got three years through the four-year degree when professional rugby took over and he began playing for Canterbury from 2005 and the Crusaders from 2006. In total he played 154 games for the Crusaders, winning two Super Rugby titles. He was selected for the All Blacks in 2006 and played 28 tests, including the 2011 final in which New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup.

While playing rugby in 2009, Andy worked with his friend and landscape architect Danny Kamo on an entry for the Ellerslie Flower Show. In their second year they won a supreme award and were invited to compete in the Singapore Garden Festival, one of the big three in the world. With the help of Weta Workshop and Sir Richard Taylor they came up with a design that saw them become the first New Zealanders to win a gold at this prestigious show.

Andy's degree has been put on hold while he plays rugby overseas in Japan but he loves to stay involved with landscaping. He has appeared in a series of segments on TVNZ1's Seven Sharp where he visited Kiwi celebrities and learned about their passion for their backyards, something he feels many Kiwis have in common.