Episode: New Zealand Ellerslie International Flower Show

Presenter: Melissa King

How would you like to explore exotic tastes from your own backyard like Brazillian Tree Grape or narangilla? Or even turn your kids onto healthier snacks like strawberries, blue berries and raspberries which of course they will love and are jam packed full of antioxidants and vitamin c.

You might think that you need a quarter acre block, but the Incredible Edible Display throws that idea out of the window. Clever design means you can grow a mind boggling selection of edibles and all in a stylish courtyard garden.

All of the fruits are also ?moonlighters?, which mean they each have a second job.

Need a screening vertical accent? Sugar Cane (Saccharum edule) with its super sweet stems or fruiting banana which leaves are brilliant as green alfoil on the barbeque are great options.

Pepino (Solanum muricatum) has a cascading growth habitand makes an ideal low border to a raised bed which also keeps the fruit off the soil.

Chillean Guava (Myrtus ugni) doubles as a brilliant hedge plant as it is perfect for defining a border and it is a real south American beauty with bronze coloured new growth and attractive berry like fruits.

For living wall paper how about the cleverly trained raspberries, with the catchy names Ebony and Ivory. All you need is a few runs of stainless steel wire and a wall.

For a really effective sculptural focal point try using a simple wire frame, some Berry Delight (Rubus hybrid berry ?Marahau?) plants, which are really sweet and tasty and have wonderful flexible stems.

For potted pleasure, strawberries look gorgeous dripping over the edge and are incredibly tempting. The fig in the garden also produces a terrific crop from a tree miniaturised by root constriction, like Bonsai.

Reverse cycle air conditioning is the effect you get from deciduous vines over the pergola with the bonis of delicious bunches of grapes.

How about a living patio umbrella? The exotic Ice Cream Bean tree produces large mustard coloured pods and inside you will find a sweet fairly floss like substance, only good for you, and tastes delicious!

The hard landscaping elements of the garden give it a real touch of class; clean angular lines, saturated tonal colours, the sound of rippling water and the really comfortable outdoor furniture create a very modern urban retreat.

Not only did the Incredible Edibles garden pick up a gold medal, it also picked up a Supreme Award for Design Excellence and it really is not hard to see why.

Incredible Edibles
www.edible.co.nz
info@edible.co.nz

Incredible Edibles?are brought to you by Tharfield Nursery Ltd and are only available through your local garden retailers.

Tharfield Nursery Ltd
60 Lockington Road, RD2, Katikati
(07) 552 0331