Greetings!  

Another Ellerslie International Flower Show done and dusted.  This year our sponsorship of the Emerging Designs category grew to another level and we offered sponsorship of $3000 worth of plants to each of the nine students competing. On top of this sponsorship we supplied our yet to be released plants to Ben Hoyles gold award winning garden - 'A Kiss From Akaroa' and site beautification in the corporate hosting and Edible Ellerslie.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show and although there were less exhibitor show gardens this year, I have come away inspired and ready to tackle my own garden!

Plant Of The Month         

These two relative newcomers to the market are from the Foliage First range from Australia and are renowned for their low water requirements and very easy care nature - perfect landscaping plants that will withstand long, hot and dry summers!

         

      Dianella Blue Twist                    Phormium Sweet Mist

Have you heard of Xeriscaping?  After the summer we have had - this should be the new hip word on every gardeners tongue!  Xersicaping refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation.  These two plants are perfect examples of new breeding that thinks for the future:

Dianella Blue Twist

This twisty little number has the most wonderful qualitites for the modern garden.  It's a strappy not stroppy ornamental plant that will help create a tropical and lush feel in your garden.  This toughie is a goodie for those wanting an extremely easy care option.  It is an ornamental flax lily; distinguished by its blue twisting foliage and is cold hardy.  It is also a great accent plant and can be underplanted with lower growing foliage plants.  This winter I will be planting one in a pot at my front door with an underplanting of orange pansies - this should give me a burst of colour on the dull days.

Phormium Sweet Mist

This would have to be one of the most compact phormiums on the market.  Phormium Sweet Mist is a little bronze number that will behave well in any situation.  As a modern variation of the phormium

it adds an exciting choice for landscape design with its low growing habit and bold bronze tonings.  Suited to the smaller modern garden with its size of just 35 - 40 cm tall, it is a great sample for pots and courtyards. 

The methodology behind both these plants selection - was to have stong root structure and require low to no irrigation.  Let's keep our water as a precious resource; whilst providing the garden with colour and foliage for 365 days a year. 

Both Dianella Blue Twist and Phormium Sweet Mist are available from all good garden centres.

Our Winners: Congratulations to Paula Johnson and Trish Walker - who both won a Petunia Raspberry Blast in our last competition.  And a huge congratulations to the 18 winners of  a Petunia Raspberry Blast plant in the Tui Times competition (there are too many winners names to list).  

This time we have a Dianella Blue Twist to give away to a lucky winner, so remember to click on the competition section of this newsletter to be in with a chance to win.