Sneak a peak at year’s hottest new plants

27 February 2013

Sneak a peak at year’s hottest new plants

People lucky enough to be heading to Ellerslie International Flower Show will be able to sneak a peek at this year’s hottest new plants.

At the Go Gardening Show Offs stand in the Hort Galore marquee visitors can view stunning new perennials, annuals, shrubs, natives and roses and vote for their favourites to go in the draw to win a selection of the plants and Go Gardening gift cards.

There are 12 new plants set to enhance New Zealand gardens, providing year round colour and interest. New varieties of Abutlion, Dinathus, Leucanthemum and Pittosporum that will provide vibrancy and colour for the Autumn garden will be on display.

“With winter approaching, gardeners will be on the lookout for hardy natives to brighten the days. View the electrifying new shocking pink Cordyline Electric Pink and the lime green and burgundy Electric Star,” says John Liddle, CEO, Nursery & Garden Industry NZ.

“Spring seems a long time away, but there is a lot to look forward to. Be sure to sneak a peek at the new flowers set to grace New Zealand gardens in Spring 2013… Curly Lady Camellias and Princess Lavender. They will be joined by the Pink Splash Carpet Rose, the compact vibrant Lobelia Hot Springs, the tricolour Petunia Twilight and the multi-coloured Blue a Fuse Petunias.”

A must see is the much anticipated release of the Dianthus Memories, which was Runner Up to the Best Plant in Show at Chelsea Flower Show in 2012. Dianthus Memories are the most fragrant of the Magnifi-scent Pinks to date, with pure white double flowers on compact blue foliage.

“We are always looking for new and exciting plants to beautify garden across New Zealand. Our Go Gardening member nurseries and retailers pride themselves on providing the best plant, and they have definitely achieved that this year," says John Liddle.

New Autumn plants will be available soon. Leucanthemum Bridal Bouquet is an extremely compact Shasta Daisy, with ruffled, broad-petalled flowers. Bright sunshine yellow when they first emerge, they turn snowy white as they mature, retaining their striking yellow centres in crisp contrast to white petals.

Pittosporum Silver Ball is the latest addition to the highly acclaimed Golfball series of dwarf pittosporums, compact evergreen shrubs loved for their tidy ball-shaped habit. They’re ideal as formal topiary, for accent planting, for containers or low hedging.

For those who love Chinese lanterns but lack the space for a large rangy shrub, then Abutilon Lucky Lantern Yellow is a new option. These neat bushy little shrubs are true ‘genetic dwarfs’ growing just 50cm tall and wide. Although small in nature, their flowers are large and plentiful.

Dianthus Memories are cute and compact, free-flowering and fragrant, the delightfully double Magnifi-scent Pinks from the UK were runner up to Best Plant of the Show at the 2012 Chelsea Flower Show. Dianthus Memories are the most fragrant of the ‘Magnifi-scent Pinks’ to date.

About Go Gardening
Go Gardening is the public face of the Nursery and Garden Industry New Zealand, the peak industry body for the nursery and garden centre industry, working for members and gardeners since 1904.

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Tickets for Ellerslie International Flower Show, at a pre-gate price of $35 for Adult Anyday passes, are available at www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz, all open Christchurch City Council Service Centres, Mitre 10 Mega Stores in Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru, EziBuy Christchurch, Terra Viva and Nichols Garden Centres.

To book any of the Edible Ellerslie sessions go to www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz

ENDS

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