high 5
The Age
Friday October 30, 2009
We go wild in these specialist nurseries.1. Gentiana"We offer something people can't buy in their local nursery," pledges Craig Wilson, the owner of this perennials and rock plant spot in the Dandenongs. Uncommon finds might include the rubbery-thorned South American Eryngium Horridula, 30 varieties of the woodland Epimedium or even an alpine Gentiana. 138 Olinda€‘Monbulk Road, Olinda, phone 9751 2163. 2. Ceres Permaculture and BushfoodThere's Genovese basil aplenty and the tomatoes are heirloom and organic at Ceres, part of the Community Environment Park, a top place to pick up seedlings for your kitchen garden and vegie patch. The horticulturalist staff run workshops too. "Growing your own food has become so big," says co-manager Clayton Brady, "and that's what we are all about." Corner Roberts and Stewart streets, Brunswick East, phone 9387 4403.3. Kuranga NativeThe Leionema coxii (left) is part of a huge range of Australian natives at Kuranga, where the scents of 50 boronia varieties float across the property on the edge of the Dandenongs. You can find plants indigenous to your area; Victoria's floral emblem, the native heath, is a popular line with gardeners because it is uncommonly difficult to strike. 118 York Road, Mount Evelyn, phone 9760 8100.4. The Rose ParadiseHere's a rare breed: a rose specialist in metropolitan Melbourne. Hundreds of bushes blooming around a 1910 house give a Secret Garden feel. The nursery cultivates across categories from hybrid teas to floribundas. Owner of 23 years, Falk Hannemann, has even created a rose, Cecilia (1991). Open Wednesday and Friday to Sunday. 109-115 Shannon Street, Box Hill North, phone 9898 5594. 5. Poyntons This nursery, on the banks of the Maribyrnong River, is packed with quality stock including a strong range of roses, and comes recommended for its trees. Bestsellers are dry-tolerant deciduous crepe myrtles, which flower in summer, ornamental pears and crab apples, all of which can grow in small gardens. Corner the Boulevard and Vida Street, Essendon, phone 9337 8111.
© 2009 The Age