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Gardening Solutionz Club Newsletter
July 2008


Greetings!

Snow last month then hail this month has left us wondering what July will bring?  Here at Gardening Solutionz it is the perfect time to plan for Spring which will bring a number of new releases from us - so watch this space - it is only just round the corner.  Remember to click on 'Competition' to win - we love giving away plants!
Plant Of The Month    
 
It's not a hot chocolate with a jaffa on the side, but its brown leaves and red berries in spring could almost make you believe so.


Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate'

Corokia FC near water Aptly named for its foliage colour, Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate' will add dramatic effect to any garden.  This hybrid Corokia with twisting, wiry, interlacing branches and small leaves is a New Zealand Hybrid which is quickly becoming fashionable for its hedging and border appearance.  Tolerant of dry conditions and prevailing winds, this chocolate number is tough and versatile.  Its unique coloured leaves really make it stand out; even container planted Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate' will add an architectural component to a courtyard/balcony or deck.

This 'Hedging' Solutionz is available now in garden centres.  For more information on Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate' and planting ideas click here.
What's Happening At The Nursery!
 
As promised last month, here goes a little bit of history on the nursery and myself.  Upon finishing my overseas experience in 1987, I felt it time to grow up and start showing some responsibility and exert my hidden potential.  My parents offered me the position of managing their broken down under capitalized nursery.  I then spent four years working alone bagging potting mix and delivering it off the back of my one and only truck.  Then one day I got a call from this little known retailer called 'The Warehouse' who wanted me to supply potting mix.  With nothing to lose, I started to supply them my brand "Kiwi" potting mix which was an instant success and within two years we were then supplying the brand "Just" potting mix.  From backing the right horse, we experienced massive growth from which we expanded our nursery and its facilities.  Over a period of fifteen years, we now grow in excess of 300,000 plants per year, employ upwards of 20 staff in peak season and have over 6,000 square metres of crop cover on a fully containerized nursery of 10 acres.  In 2003, we were 'The Warehouse Manufacturer Of The Year', in 2007 we were finalists in the 'New Zealand Nursery Of The Year' and boast a whole raft of other industry awards along the way.

          Nursery                Nursery staff         


Next month I shall introduce you to the Propagation team, their facility and what their job entails. 
Out And About

As I wrote in our previous Newsletter, as part of our Europe experience we travelled to Spain and spent a week on the Costa Brava coast.  This is about 100 kilometres north of Barcelona.  Although the temperatures were still quite mild, we did get the chance to sit outside in coastal taverna's eating tapas and drinking their local drink 'Sangria'.  Here we are going for a walk and doing a bit of advertising!  We have on our Gardening Solutionz bucket hat and cap.

            Chris and Greg in Spain                Greg in spanish garden

We stayed in a lovely villa booked off the internet and it was as good as the pictures suggested.  We travelled to neighbouring villages and absorbed the Spanish culture.  In this photograph we visited a Spanish castle and wandered around its beautiful gardens.
Winner From Our Previous Newsletter

Nandina in pot
The winner from last months newsletter was Nicole Malcolm from Dunedin. She  won a Gardening Solutionz Nandina 'Firepower'.  Remember to click on the competition section of this newsletter.  It could be you winning a Corokia Frosted Chocolate this month.
Half Hardy, Hardy Or Just Tender?

That's right, it's that time of the year again where the winter chills are upon us and the first of the winter frosts have hit.  A saving grace in your garden may well be the knowledge of the tolerance of your plants.

Now down to the nitty gritty - frost, is a solid deposition of water vapour from saturated air and it is formed when solid surfaces are cooled below the dew point of the adjacent air.  Cold weather, particularly frost causes the water in the plant cells to freeze which damages their cell walls.  Plants damaged by frost are easy to spot; their growth becomes limp, discoloured and disfigured.  The best seasonal acclimatization for plants is for mild frosts to occur which enables the plant to harden. 

Frost tender plants are most definately frost intolerant and will inevitably die from damage.

Half hardy or frost tolerant plants are those that can tolerate a frost but will in fact be reduced in their looks! 

Hardy plants are the winners for winter.  Whilst withstanding frost with very little damage, almost all growth will stop over the winter period.

Many plants can be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures or frost so prevention is the best method to alleviate damage. 
At your local garden centre you should find many plants will be labeled with their frost tolerance capabilities.  Take care to read these details and plant your garden accordingly. 

Here at Gardening Solutionz our survival of the fittest over the winter period remains such proven winners as Hebe 'Emerald Gem', Viburnum 'Tinus', Euphorbia 'Kea', Euphorbia 'Tui', Phormium -  'Evening Glow', 'Black Rage',  'Jester' and 'Yellow Wave', Libertia 'Taupo Blaze' and the ever so stunning Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate'.

Hebe Emerald Gem     Phormium Jester     Libertia Taupo Blaze
Next time - look out for an oldie but a goodie plant as our plant of the month, Greg is out and about in the Chatham Islands and get a look at spring preparation at the nursery, plus the chance to win!

From the team at Gardening Solutionz
www.gardeningsolutionz.co.nz

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In This Issue
Plant Of The Month
What's Happening At The Nursery!
Out And About
Winner
Half Hardy, Hardy Or Just Tender?
 Competition!

 Corokia FC in pot

If you would like to win a Gardening Solutionz Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate' enter here to go in the draw
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'Solutionz'

Euphorbia Kea

If you have any gardening questions you would like answered - please contact us.  This weeks question is:

Question: We purchased two of your Euphorbia Kea's in October of last year and planted them both into large pots with Tui potting mix. We chose these plants for their bright green flowers. Both of these plants have progressively deteriorated.  We now have reddish-brown, dry clusters of half dead flowers on both of them.  Should we prune these back to allow the new growth to come through?  Will new green flowers grow onto this growth if we prune?  From Peter B

Answer:  Hi Peter. Thanks for your e-mail.  You do need to cut the dead flower heads off your Euphorbia Kea's.  I would suggest you prune back to where the new growth starts from and this will allow the existing foliage to green up.  Euphorbia Kea is a very hardy plant and relatively easy care - but pruning the dead flower heads is essential to enable new growth. They also could be a little bit hungry so an application of general garden fertilizer would also help.

From the team at gardeningsolutionz.co.nz
Tui Products
 
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For care of your Gardening Solutionz plants we recommend Tui garden care products.  For more information click here