The time, work and expense involved makes a show garden at the Ellerslie International Flower Show a challenge. Gillian Vine meets an Otago garden designer who thinks it's well worth the effort.
Sally Brown has several reasons for deciding to head to Christchurch next month to pit her design skills against the likes of Ben Hoyle at the Ellerslie International Flower Show.
''I have always been interested in doing a garden at Ellerslie and helped at Ellerslie in Auckland while I was a landscape student,'' the 29-year-old Waitati woman says.
''However, I think what made me really want to do it was that over the past few years there has been a lack of flowers and plants at the show, especially in comparison to London's Chelsea Flower Show, so I decided to approach Ellerslie with a focus on plants.''
Her exhibit, entitled Passion, will be near the Hort Galore tent, which is appropriate ''as all my stuff is plant-based''.
To fill her 10m by 10m patch, she has opted for a ''quite English'' look which will use some 1300 plants, including 300 dwarf pink tulips (''I love tulips''), an out-of-season touch made possible by Palmerston North company Fiesta Bulbs, which has brought the tulips from Europe especially and is growing them in pots for her.
Using tulips reflects Sally's feeling that Ellerslie should return to being a spring show, as it was when it was based in Auckland.
''February's such a temperamental month.''
She feels Christchurch could benefit by having its Racing Cup Week and the Ellerslie Flower Show back to back.
''It would be amazing.''
Passion's emphasis on pink (her favourite colour) continues with four Austin roses - Mary Rose, Gertrude Jekyll, Strawberry Hill and Wisley 2008 - and Sally's biggest worry is that plants won't be in flower.
Some of the hydrangeas she is using were in flower last week, sitting in a fridge to try to slow them down.
''It's been quite tough because of the season and knowing what will be in flower or when to cut plants back to promote flowers.''
And she is hoping it won't rain during the five-day show, as she is using an old upholstered chair as a central feature.
''I'll have to find something else if it's wet,'' she says.
One thing visitors to the garden will notice is that, unlike many Ellerslie creations, Passion will have no built landscaping such as fancy wooden walkways, so it will not be expensive.
''My whole focus is on what anyone can achieve,'' Sally says.
''You can create a garden with just plants.''
Working alongside her parents at their Blueskin Nurseries, she has learned the value of making gardening achievable.
Her role encompasses stock-ordering and customer service and she is responsible for the garden centre's eye-catching displays.
She is also in charge of Blueskin's design and consultation service.
Her home is a converted tram which once ran on the St Clair-Gardens route, most appropriate, says Sally.
It sits on .4ha of river silt and the area has some impressive trees planted by a former owner about 30 years ago but was totally overgrown when Sally moved in late in 2011.
Despite working six days a week, she has found time to transform the wilderness into an interesting and attractive garden which looks good at any time of the year.
Her favourite colour is here - in the form of a hot pink wheelbarrow - but there are lots of other hues, as the garden has a colour wheel approach that fits her gardening philosophy.
''I think every garden needs every colour, otherwise you can't have the plants you love,'' she says.
She calls herself a collector of unusual and antique plants, so gathers old dusty millers (Primula auricula) whenever she can.
As well, she ''rescues'' plants from Blueskin Nurseries and brings them back to health, while broken pottery always finds a home in her garden.
''And I often get a delivery from Dad, saying 'I think you need one of these'.''
New plants are not ignored, though, with shasta daisies, Palladium and Banana Cream, ''beautifully scented'' Admiral White phlox and two heucheras, Green Spice and Apple Crisp, among her recent acquisitions.
With her passion for plants, Sally Brown's Ellerslie show garden is sure to attract interest and help overcome criticism that in recent years the event has moved too far from flowers.
''It is the Ellerslie International Flower Show after all.''
Your garden
Vegetables
Keeping the soil hoed at this time of year not only keeps down weed seedlings but also gives vegetables an effective mulch of broken soil that prevents loss of moisture lower down in the ground.
In most of the southern part of the South Island, sowing seeds this late for late autumn and winter vegetables is a chancy matter, although experience of individual plots is the best guide. Keeping a garden diary with sowing and maturity dates is well worth the effort.
An alternative to a diary is a sturdy exercise book divided into sections for plants, so carrots, for example, are all together, with varieties and sowing/maturity dates listed year by year with any relevant notes.
Small carrot varieties are best for late-season sowings. Chinese cabbages, kohl rabi, spinach, parsley and turnips can be sown. Plant out broccoli, late celery and leeks. Modern celery does not need to be ridged up to blanch but ridging leeks does give longer stems. Lift onions, garlic and shallots when the tops turn yellow. Harvest on a dry day, gently shaking off as much loose soil as possible. Store in a dry place. Garlic can be stored by tying the tops together and hanging under cover. Ground for next season's crop of onions should be prepared now with plenty of stable manure or compost and some lime. Autumn sowing of onions gives best results in southern districts. Never let rhubarb seed, as it saps the strength of the roots and inhibits the storing of nutrients for next season's growth.
Flowers
Now is the time to lift spring-flowering bulbs and corms. Soon after the leaves die down, bulbs begin to grow new roots, so transplanting should be carried out before the roots get under way. This is the best time to take hydrangea cuttings. Look for firm shoots that have not flowered this season.
Cut pieces about 10cm long, cut off lower leaves, dip in rooting hormone powder and push cuttings around the edge of a pot of damp potting mix to which a handful or two of gravel has been added. Cover with a plastic bag to hold in moisture and leave in a cool place until well rooted. Dahlias should be at their peak now and a combination of watering well and keeping them deadheaded will keep new buds coming so they will flower for at least another two months.
Fruit
Outdoor tomatoes should be growing well. Once tiny tomatoes form, a weekly application of liquid manure diluted to pale tea colour can be given as well as the usual watering. As blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum) are picked, the bushes can be pruned. Remove old branches that have borne fruit to let light in and air circulate. Next year's fruit grows on this season's growth, so do not be overenthusiastic about cutting back new growth. In contrast, redcurrants (Ribes rubrum) and their albino form, the whitecurrant, fruit on old wood, so new growth should be pruned to half to two-thirds of its length. Cut out old wood after four or five years of producing fruit. Prunings can be used to propagate more currant bushes. Take straight pieces 20cm to 30cm long and push well down around the edge of a pot of moist soil to which compost and sand have been added. Water well and cover the pot with an opaque plastic bag, tucking the ends underneath. Leave it in a cool spot for at least a month, by which time growth should have begun. At this point, the bag can be cut across the top to begin hardening off the cuttings.
What's on
Tuesday, January 21
Sawyers Bay Garden Club meets at the Emmanuel Church Hall, Station Rd, at 7.15pm. Speakers Alison and John Moodie on the 2012 Singapore International Garden Show. Competitions: large rose; rose, mini, floating in a wine glass; arrangement, ''pretty in pink''; lettuce.
Thursday, January 23
Outram Garden Club visits McArthurs Berry Farm. Quick meeting at Outram Community Hall at 6.30pm before visit.
Weekend, January 25-26
Otago Lily Society Show, St James Presbyterian Church hall, Prince Albert Rd, South Dunedin. Saturday 1pm-5pm, Sunday, 10am-4pm. Admission $3 adults, children free. Outside entries welcome. Entries Friday midday-7pm, Saturday 8am-10.30am. Otago Lily Society lilies for sale. Display by Otago Fuchsia Group. Inquiries to M. Muir, 027 352-9646 or 486-2214, or D. Pegg, 476-2143.
Monday, January 27
Palmerston Garden Circle. Cars leave Palmerston Community Centre 11.30am for Waikouaiti garden tour. Bring lunch, afternoon tea, drinks and chairs. Raffles.
Tuesday, February 4
The Brockville Garden Club first meeting of 2014, 1.30pm at the Chinese Gardens. New members welcome.
Contact us
Email notices by noon Wednesday to odt.features@odt.co.nz or write to ODT Editorial Features, PO Box 181, Dunedin.
