New Zealand anyone?
By bulbaholic
7 comments
Fancy a quick visit to New Zealand’s Southern Alps? Sorry that I can’t arrange that for you but I can show a few of the flowers that you might expect to see.
This is our ‘New Zealand’ bed dedicated to New Zealand plants with just one or two foreign visitors filling spaces.
The New Zealand Daisy, Celmisia, is well known and you are probably familiar with the large Celmisia spectabilis used as a border plant. Here are some of the smaller gems suitable for a rockery.
Celmisia argentia
Celmisia bellidioides
Celmisia walkeri
Groundcover is important and though at first glance this Pimelea prostrata might seem insignificant it is worth having a close-up look at its delicate little flowers.
Pimelia prostrata
This New Zealand edelweiss usually attracts plenty of attention as it comes into flower
Leucogenese leontopodium
Now for the star of the show
Aciphylla colensoi
A few GoYers sometimes complain about vandalism and intruders into their gardens – so how about planting a few of these. The leaves are over two feet long, as hard as wood and tipped with needle sharp spines! It is not a plant to mess with. This specimen is over ten years old and this is the first time of flowering. In fact it is not supposed to flower at all in cooler climates and I am hoping that it will not self-seed! Still, it is a fine architectural plant.
New Zealand plants grow well in the UK, particularly in Scotland. It is worth looking out for some of the smaller gems when you go plant hunting.
31 May, 2012
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Comments
I've a cousin in Adelaide and if I ever went'down under' New Zealand would be my choice, your rock garden is an eye opener to what can be achieved.....its a delight.....(except may be the spiky thing.....)
31 May, 2012
Thank you for our trip down under. You have a great garden and a lovely selection of plants.
31 May, 2012
Great collection of plants there Bulbaholic - thanks for showing us
31 May, 2012
A lovely blog Bulba - enjoyed seeing your touch of New Zealand :)
31 May, 2012
The flowers on the Pimelea prostrata really are beautiful. What a lovely garden.
1 Jun, 2012
Thank you all for your kind comments. 'New Zealand' is probably our only focused bed in this manner, not quite sure why we did it!!! I am told by NZ virtual friends that we actually grow thier native alpines better in Scotland than they do in NZ; the reason being that they all live and garden down on the hot, sunny coast whilst we live in a cooler, damper climate. Our Scottish specialist nurseries, especially Ardfearn, offer a range of N Zlanders.
1 Jun, 2012
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Very attractive Mr B, I like the NZ daisy and especially the little Edelweiss, I do think I `ll give your Aciphylla a miss though, its sounds lethal and I have enough trouble with scrapes from my garden as it is, I`ll just admire yours, pleased its rewarded you with a flower though, its obviously very happy living there....
Thankyou for the tour of your little bit of NZ...
31 May, 2012