Episode: #1 30/08/06	Proudly Presented by
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

One of the best things about visiting your garden centre this time of the year is you can find some sensational new, interesting and unusual plants. Take for example the sweet temptation of a Brunsfelsia. This genus is better known for its popular and unusual Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow which is intoxicatingly fragrant but this is really different. For a start it has large dark green leathery ovate leaves and the new growth is a deep burgundy colour. It is the luxurious flowers that make it so special, delicately fragrant, creamy white and borne in masses right through the year and will grow well in most garden environments. It grows to 1.5 metres high and has a similar width. They like a position that is partly shaded and prefer a rich organic soil that is consistently moist. It's a real beauty! Indoor plants are so good for you. They take pollution out of the air and add essential oxygen. The trouble is some plants are hard work, they turn there toes up and die at a glance. Not the indoor plant superstar Stromanthe Triostar. You will find it will live happily for many years in dark and bright spots in the house. The foliage is gorgeous and it requires very little maintenance. In fact a glass of water a week is all you have to do to enjoy great success If you love fragrance, Lavender Ruffles is a wonderful spring flowering shrub with the rich fragrance you expect from Lavender. There is a new form called sugarberry which is fantastic in full sun and in coastal conditions. It has been bred in Australia and is remarkably drought hardy. It grows to 600mm high and 800mm wide. The flowers are spectacular and cover the foliage in spring making it a spectacular feature. It is also great as a pot plant. For a groundcover that grows well in a shady spot Ajuga Black Scallop is fantastic in the garden or even in pots. The foliage is the main feature, a very dark brown and makes a dense mat across the bare surface of the soil making a natural living mulch. They are four of the latest releases but your local garden centre is full of some fascinating plants and now is the time to pop in for a bit of inspiration.