A phone-around to garden centres throughout the country reveals that the Autumn planting message is definitely getting through to the gardening public. The popularity of vegetable planting also appears to be on the up, and some retailers report increasing numbers of younger people coming into their outlets. 

We report on a two-day meeting by the recently formed NZ Garden Independent network, a group of 10 garden centres.

Smith’s Gift and Garden Centre closes in Kerikeri. “We tried everything,” says a disappointed manager Lorraine Johnson, who noted wryly that their closing down sale saw the garden centre do more in two days than it had in three months.

Successful Swedish furniture manufacturer, Ikea, plans to open the first of a string of garden centres in its stores through Europe starting August. If successful, it will open garden centres worldwide.

A new garden centre, called Inspirations, has opened in the shopping mall complex at Greenmeadows in Napier.

Lea Harrison, has purchased the grass growing-on lines nursery, Grassroots, Christchurch, from Irene Kent and Chris Franks and has renamed it Southern Grasses.

Tui Downs Nursery, Kerikeri, has taken over the 400 variety vireya collection amassed by John Kenyon of Te Puna Cottage Gardens, Tauranga.

Vernon and Erica Harrison are to retire after 40 years in the trade and have sold their Harrisons Trees, Palmerston North, to Terry and Lesley Patching, who will relocate the operation to near Feilding.

Josephine and Stephen Thorpe have put their Hilltop Garden Centre on the market. “We’ve enjoyed the work but have got tired of a seven days a week operation,” says Josephine.

FEATURES IN COMM HORT MAY 2007

NURSERY ROUNDUP
Kerry Johnstone catches up with nurseries around the country

REPORT FROM AUSTRALIA
Ex-NGIA man, Bob Wynyard, compares garden trade conditions in NZ with those in Australia

THE IPPS MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE – PART 1
Kerry Johnstone reports on the International Plant Propagators annual four-day conference in Taranaki

FEATURE NURSERY – FOREVERGREEN
New owners are making big changes at this GOL specialist nursery

FEATURE PLANT – PSEUDOPANAX.-- PART 4
How Councils use pseudopanax in amenity planting

THE NIKAU PALM – PART 2. Graeme Platt

OPENING UP THE TRANSPORT ARTERY
Grant Hayman, of Headford Propagators, has set up a specialised plant transport service running weekly from the bottom of the South Island to Kerikeri in the north, and return. This is opening markets for nurseries like never before.

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

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