Australia: Warners Nurseries' 15th year at Melbourne show

Warners Nurseries have been an active participant at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show since 2002. At the recent Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria (NGIV) Gala dinner in March, Michael Warner accepted on behalf of his family’s business an award for recognition of their significant contribution to the success of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show over the years.

“We’re proud to be major supporters of probably the most outstanding horticultural event in Victoria, if not Australia. Not only from Warners Nurseries perspective but as a Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show board member I am particularly proud of the support we provide our great industry and the platform we provide to see it thrive and prosper. Not to mention the tens of thousands of visitors the show receives each year making it a highlight of any designer or gardeners calendar.”

Warner’s association with award winning garden design continues this year in seeing the nursery affiliated with a large number of Show Gardens, Landscaping Victoria Boutique Gardens and NGIV Achievable Gardens.

2018 sees the diversity of the Warners plant palette across an array of stunning designs. Designer Show Gardens now have foliage as King. The last few winners have all had a very strong plant focus rather than the built structures, and this trend is again evident this year.

Candeo Design – “Square 1”and Matt Ferris of MPF Garden Company – “Urban Love” gardens have a strong Urban Lush feel, with green and glossy predominating. Expect to see stunning Prunus lusitanica, Portuguese Laurel, sculptural Ligularia with it tractor seat like foliage and the deliciously aromatic Gardenia Aimee Yoshiba with its unusually large, dark glossy leaf. There’s uber lush Ficus Figaro pbr and a flash of colour and style with Aloe, Erik the Red.

The Orisis Chinese garden “Inspired by Time’” has taken a different tack with bountiful colourful foliage dominating with Loropetalum Plum Gorgeous pbr as the star.

Eckersley Garden Architecture and Australian House & Garden – “Australian Case Study Garden” and the Ben Harris & Meg Geary – “Harmony” garden displays have a more varied palette on show with Rhaphiolepis intermedia, Hydrangea quercifolia with its amazing autumnal tones and Elaeocarpus eumundi.

And finally, The Welcome Garden by Phil Withers shows the potential to mix plants and ideas from different origins. This quite eclectic combination includes native grasses and Banksias, edibles including citrus and figs beside big Correa alba providing a palette of plants to stir memories and recollections of the Australian landscape and question how we can learn from its first inhabitants.

For more information:
Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show
info@melbflowershow.com.au
melbflowershow.com.au