| Greetings!
February already! We hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and New Year and that your gardens have not suffered too much with the wonderful weather we have been having. Last month our Gaura 'Passionate Blush' provided a colourful display of flowers at garden centres. This month we focus on the ever useful Hot 'n' Dry Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'. Looking particularly stunning at the nursery and in garden centres this month is the fashionable Dahlia 'Mystic' series, the superb foliage of Viburnum davidii and the easy care nature of Phormium 'Dark Delight'.
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Plant Of The Month
Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' - more than just a herb!
Did you know that sprigs thrown into a bath are said to relieve sore legs or aching feet - just what every gardener needs after a hard day grafting in the soil. Fragrant rosemary has been valued since ancient times for its medicinal and culinary virtures.
Rosemary or Rosemarinus officinalis, continues to merit a place in gardens, for its beauty and its usefulness as a hardy hot 'n' dry plant. It likes full sun and well drained soil, and it doesn't mind coastal positions, an advantage for many New Zealand gardens.
Like all rosemary varieties, 'Tuscan Blue' has rich, green leaves and unusually dark flowers. A deep sky blue, they cover the plant from spring to mid-summer. As a fragrant, upright plant, 'Tuscan Blue' can reach 1.5 metres by 2 metres if desired.
This resilient little plant doesn't mind being clipped, making it a great subject for a hedge, particularly in a cottage garden or a potager. For something a bit different try using its stems as barbecue skewers to add flavour to your lamb kebabs - they will really impress (just remember to soak the stems in water first to prevent them burning too quickly).
And guess what we found while we were on holiday in Greece? There at the base of the Acropolis in Athens was none other than Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'!
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Out And About
A drama unfolded at the nursery last week as Greg's wife Chris encountered a burglary and fire at Greg's parents house on the edge of the nursery; all committed by perhaps the dumbest thief in New Zealand. With nursery staff as backup, our superhero boss Greg managed to put out the fire and detain the burglar (I must say here that the burglar did a very good job of detaining himself by rendering himself unconscious) before the Police and Firefighters arrived. This article featured in The Press and Greg starred on TV3 News as a result.
Would-be thief good for a laugh
Ian Steward - The Press | Thursday, 29 January 2009Is this the dumbest crook in Christchurch?
Police allege a 28-year-old man burgled a Prebbleton house, set fire to it and knocked himself out while trying to make his getaway.
The homeowner's family said the man tried to steal a drum kit, which meant the plasma-screen television set he also tried to take would not fit in his car. "And he forgot the remote," the homeowner's son said, stifling a laugh.
Detective Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti said the man would appear in the Christchurch District Court today charged with burglary, arson and resisting arrest. "He's allegedly stolen property and then set a fire in the house," Tarawhiti said.
Greg Kitson said the events began when his wife went to his parents' Shands Road house about 1.20pm. His parents had left on holiday that morning. Christine Kitson noticed a fire in the kitchen and heard noises coming from upstairs. She called her husband, who was working nearby. He found a man upstairs "incoherent and looking like he was having a seizure". Looking around, the Kitsons realised a burglary was in progress. Greg Kitson said the man appeared "pretty out of it", possibly on drugs. "There was a bit of chemical warfare going on there," he said. The fire was small and the Kitsons were able to put it out.
Kitson said there was no logic to the way he was doing things. "He was a really bad burglar." The Kitsons suspected the man had fallen and hit his head taking the drum kit down a spiral staircase from the loft in the garage. "He tried to take some foreign currency," Kitson said. "He tried to tell police he had just got back from Japan, but he had 30 Malaysian ringgit. He can keep it and count it in his jail cell. It's worth about $2. Ha!"
A true Crime Busting SOLUTIONZ!
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Got A Hot 'n' Dry Spot In Your Garden?
Maybe your irrigation doesn't reach an isloated spot in your garden, you have an area that is exposed to extreme temperatures or simply by choice you want to conserve water; after all is it a precious resource. What ever it may be there is a wonderful selection of plants on the market that go into survival mode when placed in a hot and dry position.
What's hot in the selection of tried and true campaigners coping with the harshest of summers include the rock roses Cistus 'Bennetts White' and Cistus luscitanicus which will reward you with an abundance of white flowers. In addition the silver stunner Convolvulus cneorum is a fantastic choice for impact. For an aromatic garden favourite, try Lavenders and Rosemary. If you are looking for an option that has some bold saucy foliage then look no further that the Marlborough rock daisy, Pachystegia insignis. This gem from the Kaikoura coast will still look great in the driest of positions and is happy with the salty winds that blast it constantly, making it an ideal choice for any coastal spot as well as your hot and dry area.
For a hedging alternative, try the delectable Corokia 'Frosted Chocolate' or Corokia 'Geentys Green'. Or for that native look garden, there is a huge selection of Flaxes, Astelia's, Libertia's and grasses on the market; all will provide you with flamboyant foliage and effect; whilst coping with a New Zealand summer.
Seemingly contradictory in terms, all these plants will need a little water initially to establish their root systems. But once established, they become the camels of the plant kingdom; so just sit back and enjoy the summer's warmth.
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Our Winners
Our NZ Gardener readers who each won a Gaura 'Passionate Blush' plant last month were D Gabrielle, Florence Kerr, G Tanis, Kath Harrison and Leslie Versteeg. And the winners of the two GARDENING SOLUTIONZ CAPS (perfect for protecting the head from these current temperatures) are Ivan Hammond and Dawn Brown. Congratulations to all of our winners.
This month we have a Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' plant to give away so remember to click on the competition section of this newsletter to be in with a chance. It could be you winning this month! | |
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Next time - Viburnum Davidii - a plant not to be overlooked, working hard at Ellerslie Flower Show with designer Lynn Cairney and our favourite show designs, plus more chances to win ....
If you are visiting the Ellerslie International Flower show in Christchurch 11-15th March 2009, have a look for the Gardening Solutionz sponsored garden outside the Coporate Marquee and the Airport Cafe. |
From the team at Gardening Solutionz
www.gardeningsolutionz.co.nz
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Competition!
If you would like to win a Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' plant - simply enter here to go in the draw
TO WIN
(*Terms and Conditions apply) |
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Gardening
'Solutionz'
If you have any gardening questions you would like answered - please contact us. This week's question is:
Question: I have just bought two gorgeous large white pots to sit in my new courtyard. I really want these to make a statement. Do you have any ideas on what I could plant in these pots that would stand out.
Thanks Julie
Answer: Hi Julie,
There a number of plants that could add drama to your courtyard. For that something a little bit different you could try Loropetalum 'China Pink' - with stunning purple foliage and china pink flowers which grows in tiered levels. Or any of the Dahlia "Mystic" series with their mahogany black foliage and dramatic flowers - red, yellow, apricot or candy pink.
Alternatively to achieve height in your pots, Astelias and Phormiums could suit. Our newish release of Phormium 'Dark Delight' is a knockout and would look fabulous with the colouring of your pots. To further enhance the look, my favourite thing to do is underplant with Dichrondra 'Silver Falls' which will cascade over and down the pot. Take a look at our website under the Planting Ideas section to get an idea of the plants in a landscape situation. Good Luck! PS we would love to see a photo of your pots when you select your plants!
From the team at gardeningsolutionz.co.nz |
For care of your Gardening Solutionz plants we recommend Tui garden care products. For more information click here
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