Greetings!
With winter well and truly here, the countdown to spring has begun. From torrential rain last week whereby our dispatch pad turned into "Lake Gardening Solutionz" to a number of harsh frosts followed by glorious sunshine, our plants are proving they are little toughies.
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Plant Of The Month
Griselinia 'Broadway Mint' - a tough little hedging option
A selected form of the ever-popular griselinia, which is indigenous to Chile and New Zealand, 'Broadway Mint' has deep-green, oval leaves which are notably thick and shiny.
For a hedge with a bit of difference and height, 'Broadway Mint's' broader leaves give a more compact effect. It also looks great in container planting.
Not easily dissuaded by New Zealand weather, 'Broadway Mint' is wind, drought and frost hardy. The name littoralis means "of the seashore", a true indication that this is one toughy when it comes to coastal conditions. Hardy by nature, this all rounder requires little maintenance. Trim to 2 metres by 1metre for a well-established screen.
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New Releases For Gardening Solutionz
Look out for two new additions to our Structured Solutionz range. These wonderful New Zealand natives will be arriving soon in your local garden centres:
 Nothofagus fusca, or more commonly know as 'Red Beech'. This hardy evergreen native tree has a unique habit, making it somewhat of an icon in New Zealand landscapes. 'Red Beech' has shades of red on the mature foliage, creating seasonal interest particularly in cooler months.
 Sophora microphylla, otherwise known as 'Kowhai' is a beautiful tree which produces stunning bright yellow flowers in spring with its pollen attracting both Tuis and Bellbirds. 'Kowhai' can look incredibly stylish in structured landscapes and amongst other such plants.
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| Whats In A Plant Label?
More than you think, as we discovered when we spoke to budding gardeners all over the country. Plant selection should be a relatively pain free experience and here at Gardening Solutionz we believe that knowledge is the key. Our labels give customers the all the information they need when buying our plants so look for them in your garden centre!
  
The first thing you will notice is that every Gardening Solutionz plant has been placed into categories depending on what function they best provide in your garden. For instance, Coprosma 'Autumn Haze' is in our 'Ground Cover Solutionz' category. These plants are used in gardens along edges where plants of low habit are required to compliment a taller background. They are also useful for keeping the surface of the soil cool during summer months.
On the inside and reverse of every label you will find:
- The Gardening Solutionz story
- Our guarantee policy
- Detailed information about the plant (its ideal disposition and juxaposition)
- The approximate age of the plant at the time it reaches the garden centre
- Other Solutionz the plant could fulfill in your garden
- Information on plant care
- Symbols on plants height and size for easy visualisation
And for those of you that believe presentation is the key, we take it one step further. The silver of our labels match the silver of our plant stakes, which in turn match the silver of our pots and gosh we think they look good! Also, if you are like me and forever losing labels, you can be safe in the knowledge that all of Gardening Solutionz plant label information is easily accessible on the website - very handy!
What I would really like to know is how you store your labels. A tupperware container is my choice of the moment, not ideal but all I could think of at the time. If you have a method of controlling your plant labels, or if you have any label frustrations, please e-mail me here, I'd love to know your thoughts! |
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Our Winners
Our NZ Gardener readers who each won a Lophomytrus 'Red Dragon' plant last month were Annette Thomas, C Stanton, Gill Durham, Nicky Livingston and Russell Harp. The winner of the Gardening Solutionz plant on our website was Faye Ryan. Congratulations to all our winners, we hope you enjoy your plants.
This month we have an Griselinia 'Broadway Mint' 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 - What is it with Erica's?, some suggestions for adding winter colour to your garden, our pick of plant of the month, plus more chances to win .... |
From the team at Gardening Solutionz
www.gardeningsolutionz.co.nz
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Competition!
If you would like to win a Griselinia 'Broadway Mint' - 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: Hi,
Can you recommend a white Camellia similar to Mine No Yuki but with a more upright growth to screen against a fence to 2 -2.5 metres.
Many thanks Lynne
Answer: Hi Lynne,
I have done a bit of searching and it appears that a good choice for the height that you need to achieve would be Camellia Sas Setsugeka, which has single white flowers and is a tall vigorous grower. Another option would be Camellia Paradise Sasanqua which has double white blooms (or Paradise Vanessaa). We don't grow or supply Camellia's but in my search I discovered this website www.wairere.co.nz and they should be able to recommend a plant, plus let you know your local stockist where you can obtain the plant from. We would love to know how you get on!
Megan Bakerwww.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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