by James Wall
Hortivations is an industry only event for businesses involved with and related to horticulture. It has been going for a few years now and is one of the premier events in the Australian horticultural calender. The thing people seem to like about it is that it is a fun event and a great place to catch up with whats going on. There is everything from new plants to new potting machines, but more than anything, it is a place of new ideas. Its a bit of fun, and we need that.
The event is hosted by Ball Australia who are part of the global company Ball. This company is massive, and is responsible for many of the plants in your garden. Ball has been great for Australia because it has broadened our view of the horticurtural world with many trips made here by experts from the USA, and created overseas job opportunities for many Aussies. The two countries have become closer because of it. Any grower or retailer planning a business trip to the USA can contact Ball Australia and they will go out of their way to tee up some interesting businesses to visit.
Sakata, a Japanese company, has crossed a gloxinia with a streptocarpus and has come up with this stunning new release that has large flowers like a gloxinia but much more hardy, and doesn't get tip burn on the leaves like some gloxinias. The pink colour was one of the standout plants I saw at the show.
Critics would argue what place does a shopping trolley display like this have at a show. Well, it is attention grabbing and it is about colour, and certainly not out of place in a retail nursery. It also took me back to memories of my grandma and the lifeline that her trolley was for many years when she was unable to travel by car. Her trolley looked a lot more ancient than these modern little things.
Plants Management Australia brought these hydrangeas over from a small Japanese breeder and the photo here does not do them justice. They are absolutely beautiful and have double flowers. Compact and floriferous and should be in our nursery by next year. You prune the plant back to a plump set of buds during winter and feed in Spring with a slow release feriliser which will help the flowers in early summer which are long lasting. Hydrangeas have had a bad wrap of late because of water use, but they have become a bit of a christmas tradition, and I guess if you keep them in a pot with a nice deep saucer and in a partly shaded spot, they can be watered efficiently.
Note the stone mats here from Island Stone. They can be used on floors and walls and installation is easy because they are already affixed to a netting system which saves you masses of hours. Landscapers and interior designers will love these.
What a cool idea - waxflowers as cut flowers. The company behind it is Helix, and they are now marketing these little beauties to growers all over the world. As well as cut flowers, you will see a whole new range of potted waxflowers coming out in the next few years. An exciting time for these Chamelauciums which of course in its original form includes the famous Geraldton Wax, which is native to Western Australia.
I liked this bowl because it takes on a new dimension with the sticks extending its boundaries. I wonder if we could consider it feng shui.
Petunias are spectacular explosions of colour, and very hardy plants. Spreading petunias now make up a large percentage of petunia sales and they may cost a bit more, but because thay grow up to a metre in diameter, you don't need as many. This new one is called Rhythm and Blues and is sure to be a winner with its strong blue flowers with a unique white edging. Look out for it for Spring 2010.
One of Victoria's best plant propagators is Greenhills, and they market their plants under the Touch Of Class banner. They are experts at finding and growing cordylines, and they have two new ones that look good. The first is Pink Passion, a pink cordyline that truly stays pink (not all of them do) and it only grows to 1.8 metres high and will stay shorter than that if grown in a pot. 20 cents from each plant sold will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
The other one they have named Renegade which is a one tough plant that seems to be a rather nice chocolate tone. The plant is one of the more dwarf cordylines, growing to a metre and with leaves that will gently weep. These should be available to buy in the next few months, so look out for them. Most growers like to choose more feminine names for plants but those rebels down at Greenhills have done a gutsy display, featuring the plants around a motorbike that appears to be an Indian, although I'm not sure it is an original - but it sure looks cool.
Cordylines are tough plants, but that doesn't mean they still shouldn't get a good feed every now and again. Grow them in a sunny position and strip out any leaves which are damaged or marked.
Plants Management Australia have also released a dwarf Agapanthus called Baby Pete. It looks to have an excellent compact bushy habit in a nice shade of blue. It is also sterile so it should not be a weed problem.
Another new plant from PMA is this daphne pictured below. It may not look like a nice thick stemmed large pink flowered daphne that I am used to, but it is still has the special fragrance, and is more disease resistant and much less prone to being plagued by the virus that ruins so many other daphnes. It also stays quite compact and should be an excellent pot specimen. There's not much doubt that this plant should be a winner and in high demand when we see it available on the market.
Ok, so there you have just a small slice of what was on offer for Hortivations 2009. Ball Australia are to be commended, and thanks should go to the other sponsors: Norwood, Garden City Plastics, Touch Of Class, Plants Management Australia, and Debco. It also gives you a sneak peek of what plants will be coming out in the next couple of years and as you can see, a lot of people are putting in some great efforts to ensure a vibrant gardening future.
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