Commercial Horticulture December /January 2007
Latest News and Features

Ellerslie International Flower Show
This month we have a full report on the Ellerslie Flower Show. With a slight fall-off in 2005, the Ellerslie Flower Show held last month had to prove to the public that its exhibition gardens especially had reached world-class standard. It did. Check story and pics in Comm Hort December-January.

UK In-store gardening programme begins
Trelawney Garden Leisure Centre in Cornwall, UK, is the first garden centre to screen Gardening TV in store. Gardening TV allows garden centres to promote their own plants and products and give advice and other information to customers.

Gardens shrink in UK
The size of UK gardens is shrinking because of high-density development, large homes being converted into more than one household with the garden divided between each and lager urban gardens being converted into 'brown field' sites for further development.

Colorworx on the market
Adele Penn, co-director of Colorworx Nursery has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, and she and husband David have decided to sell the nursery they have nurtured and developed since 1973.

Liddle Wonder to close its doors
After more than 56 years, one of New Zealand's leading and more innovative nurseries,. Liddle Wonder of Waikanae started by Don Liddle in Hutt Valley and now run by his son, John, will close in the first half of 2007. John puts the decision down to a tough Spring and a desire to pursue other interests.

Sinclair Plants has new owners
Tony and Patsy Sinclair have sold Sinclair Plants to Matt Bartrom and Carl Banks who took over on 1 December, and will operate the nursery from 108 McEntee Rd Waitakere under the name, Sinclair Plants Limited.

Congratulation to Nichols on 30th
The rain failed to dampen spirits as Nichols in Dunedin and Invercargill celebrated their 30th birthday as retailer garden centres on the weekend 18 and 19 November.

NGIA Australia launches plastic gift voucher
In the first week of December and just in time for Christmas, the Nursery and Garden Industry of Australia launched its plastic gift voucher card scheme, the cards being available from participating member garden centres throughout Australia.

New magnolia Genie is 'magic'
Genie is a stunning new purple-black flowered magnolia from propagator and grafting consultant, Vance Hooper, of Waitara and he has very high hopes for its commercial success. See Comm Hort December-January.

Cordyline features on Oprah show
Cordyline Red Fountain, bred by Mark Jury of Mark Jury Nursery, Waitara was the main feature plant on the top-ranking American TV show, 'Oprah' in November.

Black Magic promising new phormium
Phormium Black Magic from Vincent Naus of Big Jim's Garden Centre & Café, New Plymouth is now under trial and looking very promising.

Rose of the Year is Glorious
In the Rose of the Year section this month hybrid tea rose, Glorious, bred by Ilsink of Holland and entered by Matthews Nurseries of Wanganui, was named New Zealand Rose of the Year at the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival in Hamilton Gardens on Saturday 18 November. See Comm Hort December-January.

Four Pack wanted for IPPS
There's still time for young nursery people to apply to become one of the "Four Pack" to attend and help at the IPPS conference in New Plymouth next April. For details about how to apply, see this month's issue.

Over the Fence
Kerry Johnstone takes a swing around the nurseries for some casual conversation to see what growers were up to in November and early December.

Brachyglottis is top native tree
The rare Chatham Island Christmas Tree (Brachyglottis huntii) is voted top native for 2006. More on this in Top Plants in this issue


Features
Personality Profile - Kate Hillier
This month we meet Kate Hillier. Now Exhibition Manager of the Ellerslie International Flower Show, Kate's horticultural heritage stretches into the distant past, for she is of the Hillier dynasty, founded by her great, great grandfather, Edwin Hillier, when he set up a nursery in the UK in 1864. We profile the life so far of one of our top UK imports.

Nursery Profile
Guy and Sandra Bowden have an interestingly unique operation at Tawapou Coastal Natives just out of Tutukaka. A signature plant is the xeronema from the Poor Knights Islands which lie straight out from the nursery.

Plant Profile
Stats and comments from retailers and landscapers on the versatile Michelia in this final look at this fine landscaping plant. See Comm Hort December-January.

Book Review - Cutting Propagation
Peter Arthur reviews 'Cutting Propagation' by John M Dole and James L Gibson. It is a book specifically written for the commercial propagator focusing on terminal, stem and leaf/stem cuttings.

Above is a synopsis of articles printed in one issue of Commercial Horticulture - Magazine of the Nursery Industry.

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