Episode:#11 11/11/06
Presenter: Melissa King

The Home of Garden Lovers in Mt Evelyn is just that, a haven for plant enthusiasts filled with all those tried and true, must-have plants for creating a beautiful, sustainable garden.

If you are looking for the latest and best native plants, the new generation of Aussie favourites, then this is the place to come.

The Home of Garden Lovers is also home to a great range of Austraflora natives, which have been trialled and selected for bigger better flowers, more compact forms and hardiness. The good news is that many of them require very little water once they are established.

For brilliant butterfly attracting flowers, try Diane Everlasting (Xerochrysum bracteanthum x hybrid selection) with deep golden yellow flowers that last for many months. It is a great one for the cottage garden and sensational in a vase.

Callistemon ?Cherry Time? is another superb choice with weeping branches laden with vivid cherry red brushes and attractive bronze new growth.

Another top plant for shady areas of the garden is the Little Aussie Larrikin, a wonderful dwarf form of the Norfolk Island Fern (Cyathea brownii). It stands at around 1.5 to 2 metres tall and is an absolute picture in spring when the new lime green fronds emerge.

The Home of Garden Lovers is also socially conscious. The business employs over 100 people with disabilities and profits from the retail nursery are used to provide further services for the intellectually disabled like residential accommodation and training.

They are also environmentally friendly and an accredited Water Saver Garden Centre. So when times are dry you can rely on this nursery for all the right products and advice to create a beautiful water wise garden.

Now this plant has a great story - one of Edna Walling?s favourite Crab Apples called Malus ?Sonningensis?. It is a deep plum coloured variety that popped up as a chance seedling at her house Sonning at Bicklevale in Mooralbark. It has taken over 10 years, but it is now available to grow at home. As a bonus it also has stunning purple foliage in the autumn.

If it is colour you want then you can?t go past beautiful Blue Wren Fuchsias, which bring life to shady settings. Speaking of colour you will also find loads of miniature roses perfect for sunny pots on the patio.

The range and quality of the plants is a sure sign that they have been loved and nurtured by the people who work at The Home of Garden Lovers.

The whole site covers a massive 12 acres and encompasses both a retail and wholesale nursery which keeps the garden centre fully stocked.

Melissa will be there on Sunday 19^th November between 1-3 pm ? so come along and she can help you pick out some real gems for your garden.

The Home of Garden Lovers
136 York Road
Mt Evelyn VIC 3796
(03) 9737 0851