2019 - Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Joint conference with Australian Region in Australia
Novatel Twin Waters Resort, Maroochydore 29th May - 1st June
International Tour: Port Douglas to Maroochydore: 17th May - 2nd June
2020 - Invercargill
April 16th - 19th, Ascot Park Hotel
2021 - Hamilton - our 50th conference so time to celebrate
2022 - Timaru
In this issue:
Changes to IPPS International Constitution
From the Treasurer
2019 Joint Conference in Australia
2019 International tour
Call for Papers
Singapore Field Trip
IPPS Western Conference in Hawaii Report Part 2
Western Exchange report
Wanaka Field Trip Report Part 1
Newsletter Format
This newsletter is sent to all New Zealand IPPS members by email if we have your address or by post if you prefer. It's also available on our website - www.ipps.org.nz
Some members have experienced problems reading the email version and may prefer to receive a hard copy.
If you'd like to change the method by which we send your copy, please advise:
Shirley Ogilvy
Email shirley@bruntwoodnurseries.co.nz
Post 208 Narrows Rd, RD 2, Hamilton
Phone 07 843 4902
Fax 07 843 4396
Mobile 027 490 6010
In mid-January this year, I found myself outside Messe Essen, in the snow, ready to attend IPM Essen - one of the largest horticultural trade shows in the world. Approximately 1500 exhibitors and 53000 visitors attend this event. I was at this show 2 years ago and was fortunate enough to attend again this year and see the great array of exhibits. At the show one can see new trends and explore almost all areas of the horticultural value chain. If you haven't attended I would highly recommend it due to the range of exhibitors. This year it was notable to see the increase in the range of exhibits related to the urban jungle, including in particular cacti, succulents and indoor plants, along with the increase in the different ways to display them in sustainable means.
There was also a noticeable increase in the use of smart technology for indoor plants, for example the water requirements visually displayed creating a better user experience and the various ways which you can display green goods has significantly improved.
For production horticulture there is an increased awareness of the issue of single use plastics, manufacturers are prototyping fully biodegradable pots and pot trays, some are already available to purchase. Some pots are made from 100% recyclable materials and are in a closed loop material system, so the pots can be recycled again and again and again.
There were also a large number of exhibits focused on technology to help growers reduce costs, improve quality and reduce the timeliness of the growing cycle, for example everything from full potting automation to trimming machines of various nature to growing structures and environmental controls were on display.
When attending a fair/show, it is easy to be seduced by new technology. However, particularly in this era of climate change, and with consideration for our environment, we should consider how the new product will add value, benefit the consumer, company and be a sustainable solution - so it doesn't end up in the back of the shed or bottom of the drawer like a new peeler from Briscoes!
Looking forward to returning home to the warmer weather.
Richard
Changes to IPPS International Constitution 2019
Dear IPPS Member
Attached please find a revised Constitution for IPPS International for your review and voting. This is one of many steps the International Board is taking to renew and revitalize IPPS. It is important that you review the changes and consider this resolution:
“To approve the changes to the IPPS International Constitution as approved by the International Board of Directors on September 22, 2018 and presented to the members in January, 2019.”
Here is a summary of the changes to the Constitution:
Adds the right of Regions to define their own territories and to have the territories defined as Appendix ‘A’ to the Constitution
Adds a new process for approving new Regions, i.e. approval required of a majority of Regions plus the Board. This process was previously not defined.
Active members will now include those “previously employed” in horticulture “as a career”
The classification of “Privileged” Members is removed because we weren’t using it.
International (formerly “at-large”) members are now more fully defined.
Wording which referred to all delegates as “directors” has been changed to “Alternate Delegates” instead of “Alternate Directors” to conform to our usual practice and to avoid any misunderstandings about the voting status of directors.
Term lengths and limits for the Executive positions are more clearly defined
Adds to the Board the right to fill vacancies on the Board
Adds a dollar limit to the signing authority of the Executive Secretary
Requires approval of travel expenses by a member of the Executive Committee
Sets out more clearly the process by which the Constitution can be amended
Names the governing law of the organization
This revision has been approved by the International Board of Directors on September 22, 2018. Under the amendment procedure outlined in the Constitution, changes to these amendments would require another Board approval and restart of the voting process. So new amendments will not be considered at this time. Your vote is a straight yes or no on the above resolution. Voting closes on March 16, 2019, so please vote before then.
To vote, go to this online poll: Vote Here! (Click to open link)
Your care and concern for IPPS are much appreciated.
Membership subscription renewals for 2019 will be sent out early February to all members. Subscriptions are due now as they are for the calendar year, i.e. January to December 2019. Many thanks to the many members who regularly pay on time. If you do not intend to renew your membership please notify me as soon as possible so that I don’t have to follow up on outstanding subs. If you have any problems renewing online refer to the information below.
I would also appreciate if members could notify me of any changes in contact or employment details and, in particular, any change in email address as most communications are by email. If you have any queries I can be contacted by email at shirley@bruntwoodnurseries.co.nz.
Thanks, Shirley Ogilvy
Important change regarding the Black Book
From this year, the Black Book will no longer be produced in hard copy which has been communicated through previous newsletters. The New Zealand Region is looking into producing its own copies which would be made available to members at cost.
Renewing IPPS Membership online
Most of you will have received an email generated from the International website www.ipps.org that subscriptions are now due. You may not have received one if you are one of our honorary (life) members, four pack members from last year’s conference and our new student members. If you think you should have received one and it hasn’t appeared in your Inbox, please check your spam folder and then give me an email or a call and I’ll check the email address we have recorded for you.
Just a few tips that have been tripping people up so far:
Go to the IPPS International website www.ipps.org
You log in at the top right hand side of the front page where it says ‘Member Log In’. Your username is your email address that you use for IPPS. Your password would have been sent to you in an email previously. No worries if you can’t find it, just go to the ‘Member Log In’ and enter your email address and push the ‘Forgotten your password’ button, enter your email address again and you will be sent an email with your password immediately. If you can’t remember which email address you should use, if you have more than one, just email me and I can let you know which one you are registered with.
When you get in to the website go to ‘My Membership’ up at the top right hand side of the page, update any contact information or change your password to something you can remember if you wish, then press ‘Update Profile’ if you have changed any details. Then renew your membership further down on that same page.
Go to the bottom of the page to ‘Member Check Out’ where the amount will be displayed. There are two options for paying, the first one ‘Check out with Check (cheque) or Direct Bank Transfer’ or secondly ‘PayPal’ to use your credit card. We would prefer you to pay by direct bank transfer as there is a percentage taken by PayPal for every payment made. Then click the green checkout button, and a tax invoice will be sent to your email address. Don’t do this more than once or you will get more than one email (no problem if you have though, I’ll just delete the extra ones). The bank account is not very clear, it is 02 0152 0411108 000.
Shirley Ogilvy
Treasurer IPPS New Zealand
2019 Joint IPPS New Zealand & Australia Region Conference
'Shaping Up for the Future'
Wednesday May 29th - June 1st 2019
Novotel Twin Waters Resort
Maroochydore
Sunshine Coast, Australia
SUNSHINE COAST – A very special natural place
Following in the great tradition of past IPPS conferences, the 2019 conference at Twin Waters Resort Sunshine Coast, Queensland is set to be an exciting event. A great line up of speakers, people to meet or catch up with and inspirational places to see.
A not to be missed opportunity to network with like-minded businesses and suppliers
Enjoy a field trip day to inspiring nurseries that will provide you with some very stimulating conversation points
Participate in the fun pre-conference tour from Port Douglas to Twin Waters from 17th May to 29th May 2019.
Accessibility
From New Zealand, either fly into Brisbane and travel one hour north to the Sunshine Coast. Or fly into Sydney and then onto the Sunshine Coast Airport which is only five minutes away from the Novotel Twin Waters Resort.
Accommodation
Accommodation for the conference will be at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort, 270 Ocean Drive, Twin Waters, Queensland. When you call please mention that you are booking for the IPPS Conference. The contact number for the Novotel Twin Waters Resort is: (07) 5448 8000.
Speakers
We will have a great international technical speaker programme. Just a few of the line up so far include:
Laura M. Miller is the Texas A&M AgriLife Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent for Tarrant County. She provides informal educational programs and problem-solving services to all aspects of the commercial horticulture industry from green industry professionals to fruit, vegetable, and ornamental plant growers.
Dr. Puthiyaparambil C. Josekutty is Research Manager, Skybury Coffee Pty Ltd, (www.skybury.com.au), is an Agriculture- biotechnologist with 30 years of experience in research and research management. In Australia, Jose managed commercial plant tissue culture laboratories at Yuruga Nursery in Walkamin, Atherton tablelands and the tissue culture facility of the Fleming’s group of nurseries located at Birdwood nursery. Jose has micropropagated over 100 plant species and crop varieties from Australia, USA, New Zealand, Micronesia and India.
Dr. Unnikrishnan (Unni), is a world renowned expert in the field of Aquatic plants business with 25 years of experience in the field. He started the career as a Scientist in the Oriental Aquariums Pte Ltd, Singapore, where he has proven his potential in the area of mass propagation and international marketing of a large variety of aquatic plants over 13 years.
Dr. Mengmeng Gu is an Associate Professor/Ornamental Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in College Station, TX. She is the liaison between Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, and serves on TNLA Education Committee and Park & Patio Task Force. Dr.. Gu is the Project Director of the multi-disciplinary multi-state Specialty Crop Research Initiative project ‘Systematic Strategies to Manage Crape myrtle Bark Scale, An Emerging Exotic Pest’.
WELCOME FUNCTION:
The evening of Wednesday 29th May at TWIN WATERS RESORT will provide a great venue to relax and socialise. A casual evening starting off with a few nibbles and drinks will provide the opportunity for networking and re-acquainting with old friends and the opportunity to meet new ones.
GOLF:
Twin Waters Golf Club boasts a course that is internationally recognised as one of the top six resort courses in Australia – naturally it's the best on the Sunshine Coast. The 18 hole, par 72 championship course was designed by five times British Open champion Peter Thomson and partner Mike Wolveridge. The stunning setting and challenging layout combine to produce an enjoyable game of golf for all players. Delegates are welcome to attend and participate in this 18-hole event. This event will be organised by long time golf enthusiast Tony VanderStaay on Wednesday 29th May. Register your interest on the Registration Form.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY – Will be conference sessions, workshops, trade exhibits.
FRIDAY NIGHT GALA DINNER:
Enjoy the exquisite food and wine surrounded by sweeping timber decks and 240 degree views of the private lagoon from this unique structure. Relax as worthy recipients receive their due recognition for services to the Horticulture Industry.
SATURDAY & EVENING:
Saturday will be Nursery/business tours and visits to some local attractions; finishing up on Saturday evening with a ‘farewell function’ on the beach or other outdoor setting at Novotel Twin Waters.
Long Tour: Fri May 17th – Wed May 29th: Port Douglas to Maroochydore
Short Tour: Wed May 22nd – Wed May 29th: Townsville to Maroochydore
Spend 12 fun-filled days en route from Port Douglas to Twin Waters.
In 2019 the tour starts in Cairns and concludes at the annual conference in Maroochydore. The tour comprises 12 days with stops in Port Douglas, Mission Beach, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Bundaberg. We will be visiting nurseries, Botanic Gardens, farms, research centres and a range of Australian tourist attractions.
The usual participation is 50 to 60 delegates from all over the world. However Australia is a ‘new’ exotic area to many from the northern hemisphere and many people want to come but may never have had a good reason before now.
2019 is also a joint Australia - New Zealand conference which always adds to numbers. With all these influences the 2019 International Tour numbers could be as high as 100 so book in early to avoid disappointment.
The intention of the tour is to provide twelve days of great travel – food, accommodation and experience of our tropical Queensland coastal environment. During thetrip delegates will experience five star food and accommodation, as well as simple local meals and entertainment and classic Australian cuisine. Delegates will also see the foundations of what makes Australians the people we are. It is a big land and in twelve days the group will cover over 2500 kilometres, visit more than 30 towns eat many classic Australian dishes and see aspects of the culture that defines northern Australia.
We encourage you to attend and see tropical Australia in a personal and natural way. The horticulture will be wide and varied, the food fantastic and the people great.
Pam Berryman (pam@ipps.org.au) and Clive Larkmann (clive@larkmannurseries.com.au) can becontacted for booking information. For the tour we are more interested in registration than immediate payment. You can register now and part pay by the end of January ($1500-$2000) with the balance payable by the end of March.
Jill Reader is doing the short tour for the 2019 International Tour and is looking to see if anyone would be willing to share (twin share). Please contact Jill (jill@currantaffairs.com) if you wish to share.
Call for Papers
The conference committee of The Australian Region of The International Plant Propagators Society is calling for papers to be presented at the
Joint International, Australia and New Zealand Conference Twin Waters Resort, Maroochydore in Southern Queensland, Australia 29th May 2019 to 1st June 2019
Theme
With its theme of “Shaping Up For the Future” this conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges being presented by the constantly changing environment that horticultural businesses are facing.
Topics
The conference committee is looking for presentations, demonstrations and discussion papers covering the widest possible range of issues and opportunities that could be of interest to our many members. Topics are not limited to the following items, but could include:
Advances in plant propagation
New or improved media, methods and techniques
Plant breeding, new products, innovation
Equipment and machinery
Market access, trade, export and import, new market opportunities
Biosecurity
Best Management Practices
Production hubs, handling and logistics
Any other topic that the committee decides may be of interest to members
Program Segments
The conference committee is aiming to provide an informative, friendly and interactive forum where members can “Seek and Share” with peers from across all regions of IPPS. The venue has ample space and will provide opportunities for varied styles of presentation which may include:
Oral Presentations Papers and discussions will be presented in an open forum
Around the world Papers and presentations by international members
Masterclass Demonstrations and tutorials to be conducted in smaller groups
Ask the Experts Panel discussions and Questions and Answer sessions
Lightning Talks 5 or 10 minute segments to “Seek and Share”
Poster Displays Communicate your message without presenting to an audience
Submissions Time Table
Submission of proposals August 2018 to 28th February 2019
Acceptance of proposals 1st March 2019
Advanced Draft of presentation 31st March 2019
Presentation Completion date 30th April 2019
Presentation schedule at Conference 30th May 2019 and 31st May 2019
Publication and Recognition
Anita Boucher Award
The Anita Boucher Award is to recognise the best paper presented at the annual conference. This award is sponsored by Hort Journal Australia and is selected by the Newsletter Editor, Regional Editor and Managing Editor of Hort Journal Australia. This committee will select the winning presentation which will be announced by a representative from Hort Journal Australia and presented to the speaker if they are present. The paper will then be printed in a later edition of Hort Journal Australia.
All papers are eligible to be published in Combined Conference Proceedings.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit a brief summary of your proposals for consideration by the conference committee to:
Philip Smith of Totara Glen Nursery and Eddie Welsh are organising a tour for IPPS members to Singapore from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd November 2019
A feature will be behind-the-scene tours through the big botanical gardens tourist attraction, Gardens by the Bay, with which Eddie has an ongoing plant supply relationship.
“The whole concept is based around the notion that ‘the world is a smaller place’” says Philip Smith. “Years ago you’d think going to Singapore was a major trip in someone’s lifetime; now it’s just like going to Australia, and it’s reasonably cheap.”
Phlilip and Eddie say they are loosely capping tour numbers at 40 and are inviting IPPS members from the Pacific and other parts of the world to come along if they wish.
“We could probably handle more than 40 if the demand was there,” says Philip. “It’s just that the more people we get, the more mini vans we’ll need.”
One of the mini-van outings will be a day trip into Malaysia to visit nurseries.
“We’ve also got a series of lectures lined up for the afternoons,” says Philip, “finishing at 3 o’clock so we go back to our hotels for a swim or to replenish ourselves. We have organised some interesting tours at night to look at hanging gardens and visit unique bars for cocktails . . .”
Anyone interested in joining the tour group should contact Philip Smith, totaraglennurseries@gmail.com
IPPS Western Region Conference in Hawaii Part 2
By Janine Smith
It was “aloha” to the Island known as ‘The Gathering Place’ (Ohau) and “aloha” to the Big Island of Hawai’i where the Western Region of the International Plant Propagators Society was holding their annual conference. ‘Aloha’ in Hawaiian means hello, goodbye, peace, and love, all rolled up together.
The conference began with an Evening Reception at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (the conference venue) on the hotel lawn lagoon side; a great chance to meet and catch up with our many IPPS friends from the Western Region, as well as those from other Regions who did not come on the Pre-conference Tour. The ominous clouds that had been brooding all afternoon thankfully held off any rain. It was difficult though, to decideifinfact it was a pending thunderstorm approaching or just the ‘vog’ (volcanic fog) that has enveloped the Kona region thanks to the latest ongoing eruption of Mount Kilauea. ‘Vog’, we learnt, is largely made up of water vapour, Carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas. As SO2 is released from the summit and east rift eruptive vents, it reacts in the atmosphere with oxygen, sunlight, moisture, and other gases and particles and, within hours to days, converts to fine particles, which scatter sunlight, causing the visible haze that we observed. The Kona area is being largely affected by the fine particles and it takes about 3 days for the ‘vog’ to drift across the island to Kona.
Thursday was the all day ‘Cross-Island Tour’. We travelled up over the Saddle Road which runs between the volcanoes Mauna Kea, which is the highest on the island and measured from its seafloor base is in fact the world’s tallest mountain, taller than Mount Everest, since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level, it is also snow capped, and Mauna Loa, the ‘long mountain’. Travelling across the island highlighted the vast differences in climate and as a result, the vegetation from one side to the other.
Our first visit for the day was to the US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center Clonal Germplasm Repository in Hilo which is basically on the opposite side of the island to Kona. Vegetation on this side of the island is very lush due to the fact the rainfall levels are much higher – up to 130 inches compared to 30 inches around Kona.
We were met by Dr Tracie Matsumoto for a tour of the facility. Areas of interest included the papaya seed storage area, the avocado clonal unit where they are trialling a lot of grafting techniques. We also saw a trial house on mangos, this, along with the avocado grafting has increased importance due to the hurricane damage that has occurred in Florida. They also clone 186 varieties of pineapple. Interestingly though there is no longer any large scale commercial pineapple production in Hawaii, it has had the same demise as the sugar cane industry due to the rising cost of shipping and labour.
The facility is funded by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) through the agricultural research fund, this funding is not secure and they have to reapply each year.
Photos clockwise from top:
Anthuriums being grown directly onto lava rocks at Hawaiian Sunshine Nursery.
View of the Nani Mau Gardens
Kiwis (along with Dave Cliffe from Australia) chewing the fat
Cattleya Orchid Hybrid 'Volcano Queen' at the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
Philip Smith and Dave Ogilvy at Hawaiian Gardens Nursery
Megan Robinson from Headford Propagators was selected as the IPPS Western Region exchange scholarship for 2018. Megan reports on her exchange in which she visited Hawaii and California.
When I first got offered the application to apply for the IPPS Western Region Exchange, I actually thought Grant Hayman my boss was having me on. Little did I know that applying for this and actually getting accepted was going to be one of the most mind- blowing, eye-opening and memorable experiences of my life so far.
I had never experienced travelling overseas before from my home country, so it was a very nervous but exciting feeling and buzz that kicked in when I first flew out of Auckland on Saturday 28th July. I’ll try to summarise in this write-up as much as I can about the whole overall exchange.
I attended the IPPS Western Region Conference in Hawaii where I was picked up by Phil and Gail Gredler in Honolulu. The first day there I got to try the local beer and got to go to Pearl Harbour and learn about the history of the place. The rest of the tours included visiting the Punchbowl Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the Botanical Garden, visiting a Hibiscus breeder and even made it to the waterfall at the Waimea Arboretum. From swimming in the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii to taking a whole lot of pictures, the start of my exchange it was an absolute breath-taking experience.
On Sunday 29th July, I flew over to beautiful Kona and also known as ‘Big Island’. We visited the USDA National Germplasm Repository, Hawaiian Sunshine Nursery, Nani May Gardens, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory and shop, Akastsuka Orchid Gardens (which were amazing, I never knew an orchid could smell so good!) and then we made our way back around the Southern end of the Kona Island. I even got to have a go snorkelling for the first time!
On the last day in Kona I presented my speech to everyone at the conference. I think I did my employers Grant and Robynne Hayman and the NZ IPPS Region very proud and touched a few souls at that. After speeches we went on our last tour for conference, we visited the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation and the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary (that was so incredible!) we ended at Dean’s Gardens and then headed back to our motel to get changed and ready for our Hawaiian Theme Dinner!
Below from top left:
Hibiscus Nursery
Inside one of the glasshouses at Waimea Arboretum
Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) Foster Botanical Garden, Honolulu
I flew out of Kailua and flew into San Jose on Wednesday 4th August 2018. This is where the Western Region exchange began. I got picked up by Don Dillon and spent my first night in Corralitos with Don and his wife Donna at their beautiful home. Driving up their spiralling driveway to their home, felt like it was hidden secretly in a forest. The next morning in Corralitos, Don decided to show me around. We started with going and visiting a place called Roses of Yesterday and Today which was a fenced off section filled with roses, some alive, and some dead, the roses were budwood plants.
Our next stop was Don’s nursery, Four Winds Growers which is a wholesale citrus nursery. The nursery is mainly run by Lexa, Don’s daughter as a shared partnership with another guy. Four Winds got its name when alcohol was illegal during prohibition = speak easy, and the orange behind the logo is from Don’s grandad - Minneola tanglo. This was a very well set out nursery. Everything stays shut up to protect plants from ACP (Asian citrus psilid) and HIB (disease bacteria). Four Winds grow 60 different varieties of citrus plants, some of these include, Buddha Hand (the original dwarf citrus since 1950), Seedless Midknight Valencia Orange (semi dwarf citrus), Lamb Hass (PAT), Lemon Allen Eureka and Kieffer Lime. The shade house has bottom heating to help with rooting. All houses are kept very hot. The nursery has joined rails in houses to help with the transport of aluminium benches (massive trays) which seemed like a very good solution for transportation of plants to benches. 1 acre holds 125,000 plants which is 4x4 by 9 inches which then gets transported to a 3 gallon pot. They mostly sell to wholesale nurseries in California, Canada and are going to start selling to the East Coast. The glass house has insect proof vents with insect fabric on sides. For my first nursery to visit in California it seemed huge compared to Headford Propagators back home, I couldn’t wait to see what was next. That about sums the tour of the Don’s nursery next we headed round for a tour of the place.
We went down what the ‘Californian’s ‘call a rough road, which over here is just known as bumpy tar seal. I’d hate to think what their opinions of the some of the roads over here in New Zealand would be. Along our journey, Don pointed out some of the Californian natives and told me a few reasons why they’re known worldwide. Redwoods are the tallest tree in the world at over 116 metres. Giant Red woods are the largest trees in the world on the terms of volume- the trunk. I also learnt a cool little fact that ‘casa’ means house in Spanish. Over in the states, pretty much everywhere that is a working environment you have to be able to speak two languages: Spanish and English.
Later on that day I got picked by Nicky Hughes. I stayed with Nicky and her partner for two days in Soquel. Over the two days we visited a number of places. We started by her taking me to the Arboretum at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I was amazed by the number of gardens at this place from succulent gardens to a butterfly garden, they even had a New Zealand native garden and a place for the plants that attracted the bees. It was so bewildering seeing so many new, but different plant species and some that had so many similarities to the plants back home like the Red Fountain Cordyline. They even had White sage (Salvia opiana).
Nicky also showed me a number of views and drove me right round the ocean side of where she lives. The views were absolutely breath-taking. A place I absolutely loved was Monterey Bay, before walking to the look-out point there was a huge skeleton of a Gray Whale. Along from the bay was also a famous golf course on Pebble Beach. Later on that night we went out for Mexican food and a margarita at a cool Mexican looking restaurant called Tortilla Flats.
Next morning was filled with tours and more sight-seeing, we visited Yamagami’s Garden Centre/nursery. There I learnt that a plant called Asarum caudatum is pollinated by ants, butterflies have tongues and Gazania ‘Daybreak White’ it is from the sunflower family. We also visited the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden in Palo Alto CA, alongside an absolute beautiful garden placed in the centre was a big old historic home. While driving along checking out the ocean and beaches off Highway 1, CA, we pulled over to go check out the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, which was just in the process of being restored. It’s always windy there so a good place to lose your hat.
Soquel Nursery Growers is a nursery covers 9 acres and is right next door to where Nicky and her partner lived. The nursery has a crew of only 11 people - 2 propagators, a crew of 6 on potting and orders, a full time manager and 2 part time sales people. They buy in liners, do cuttings and seed. For transportation they have 1 pick-up truck and a box truck. Electric carts can hook on a trailer. They grow their plants in pots from 1gallon at the smallest to 15 gallons roughly being the biggest. Potting mix is from Sunland and has redwood, peat, coir and lava rock instead of pumice. This is used as a 4month slow release formulation. We also visited Gurdsneidner Nursery where they use whitewash to stop the sunlight coming through their roofs. This was a very well spent day being shown around all these places by Nicky.
Nicky works at a community college called Cabrillo College in Aptos CA. We went for a tour and she explained to me what they do at their college. They were currently doing an Aquaponic lettuce crop, which involved a big tub filled with water and wee lettuce plugs were placed individually into polystyrene and the roots were just growing freely into the water.
Later on, that day we went out for tea in a gorgeous town called Capitola. This had to be one of my favourite places with my stay with Nicky. We went out to Margaritaville - what better place to have a margarita and some seafood. I really loved my stay with Nicky and her partner, not only did she give me awesome tours but she left me with a whole head filled of new knowledge and was never short of an answer for every question I asked.
The next day we drove to meet up with Danny Taiko, my next host and his family in Fresno. This is where I first got a glimpse from a distance of just how bad the bush fires and droughts over In California are. Danny is the owner of Taiko Nursery which is a propagation nursery. His daughter Lisa mainly runs the show now. Danny’s nursery is a very well-established nursery and I was shown a demonstration of his Elle pot machine. Elle pots seems to be very popular overseas. I stayed in a motel for the night, and got a time to be ready and waiting to go for tea. We went to Edo-Ya Tokyo Cuisine, a Japanese Hibachi restaurant. It was a very exciting tea that got cooked and served on a Teppanyaki grill right in front of you.
Now for some more of the fun stuff, I got the opportunity to go to Disneyland from morning to night! What a blast that was so much fun with Lisa and her partner Darren.
Photos clockwise from top:
Part of the large range at Yamagami's Garden Center (Nursery)
Olive Hall Nurseries
Western Cactus Nursery
Alta Nurseries with a hint of the San Jacinto mountain ranges in the background
Shadehouse at Four Winds Growers Nursery
The next morning, we drove to San Jacinto, California. This was my next drop off to my hosts Jim and Andi Conner. I had already met Jim and Andi in Hawaii, so it was a pleasure to see them again and I also wanted to spend more time with Andi so that she understood my kiwi lingo before I left the country and flew back home.
Jim had no time to waste with tours starting right away. First up I got the pleasure of a tour around their nursery, Alta Nurseries and wow, what a beautiful portrait of scenery you get with the nursery and the San Jacinto mountain ranges in the background. I visited so many different nurseries it was hard to write them all down. Jim gave me so much of not only an open-mind, but also taught me so much about the horticulture in California. On our way over to our first nursery visit outside of Jim’s one, we stopped in at a winery, although it was too early for wine testing, I was able to shake hands with the owner of the winery who just happened to be a billionaire. That will probably be the first and last time I will ever get to do that. We visited Olive Hall, Western Cactus where I never knew you could grow so many different varieties of cactuses and succulents!. Jim also took me to a flower market, which is a real talent the way people can design bunches of flowers.
We visited Shearman Nursery which is owned by a German guy called Jim Shearman. Some plants he grows that I took a major interest in were Eucalyptus deglupta, Ficus dammaropsis from New Guinea and the Grape tree (trunk gets huge). Here I also got the opportunity of holding my first ever snake!
I had the pleasure of staying in Jim and Andi’s condo in Oceanside. Oceanside has a gorgeous waterfront with a pier that reaches 400 metres out to sea. They also have a big surfing competition on one side of the pier. Andi and I even got in some time to do some local shopping at the Oceanside Street Faire. They were lovely hosts and made me feel so at home, Jim couldn’t have showed me around more in the small time I stayed with them.
Next Jim dropped me off to Glenn and we drove through Malibu and the majority of the cruise was just beautiful by the coastline and all you can see is the ocean, the calm waves and the sparkling sea. It was also different to see how close the big oil rigs were to the coastline which being a kiwi we don’t have that over here. We finally made it to San Luis where I got dropped back off to Lexa for my last couple of nights before flying back to New Zealand.
The next day I got the opportunity of going for a visit with Don (Lexa’s Dad) and her two children Max and Cora to go see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was just awesome! We saw everything from, Otter’s being fed, heaps of different kinds of fish, eel, Sand dollar,Sting rays, birds, jelly fish (Moon Jelly had to be my favourite) and plenty more, I would go back there in a heartbeat.
I spent my last day at Four Wind Growers with Lexa while she completed her work in the office for the morning before driving to San Francisco (SF-O). To fill in some time before my flight, we visited the famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge which honestly TV and movies do it no justice until you see it in person. Lexa also showed me the Palace of Fine Arts, a beautifully designed building with so much texture and art that was incredible to see.
A massive thank you to the IPPS New Zealand Region and IPPS Western Region Exchange for giving me this amazing opportunity and making this trip possible. It has given me an insight to a bigger world of horticulture. It has also made me realise how lucky we are as New Zealanders that we don’t get droughts nor do we have a high risk of bush fires like over in the United States. Thank you to all my hosts, IPPS members and to my employers Grant and Robynne Hayman for getting me out of my comfort zone. This has been a life-changing experience and has made me have so much more knowledge that I can put to use.
Wanaka Field Trip - Part 1
By Lisa Burton
Thirty or so IPPS members and other plant enthusiasts, took the opportunity to experience Wanaka in all its spring glory on the 2-3 November last year. On Friday morning, Mark Brown carried out the roll call before the assembled vans and cars headed along State Highway 84 towards Cromwell. Our little convoy enjoyed the passing views of the substantial vineyards and cherry orchards set against the backdrop of the Pisa Range.
Day 1
Jo Wakelin’s Dryland Garden
We were soon wandering and admiring the stunning dryland garden of IPPS member Jo Wakelin, located near the shores of Lake Dunstan. Central Otago’s climate is one of extremes with an average annual rainfall of about 330 mm per year and with a large variation in temperature from above 30 C0 in summer to below zero in winter. At Jo’s site the rainfall can vary from 288 mm to 440 mm. If this isn’t challenge enough, add to that strong winds, thin alkaline and saline glacial outwash soils and hoards of hungry rabbits. Most gardeners would aim to beat these odds by improving the soil and particularly the soil moisture through irrigation – it’s what most of us do! However, Jo’s design concept was the opposite. Instead she decided to work with the environment and to seek out climatically appropriate plants that could flourish without her needing to irrigate her garden or change the soil.
Through research and trial and error, Jo has achieved a garden full of hardy plants with many contrasting colours, forms and textures. As Jo guided us around, she commented on the types of plants that had been very successful: euphorbias, sedums, phlomis, lavenders and cistus to name a few. The combination of foliage and flowers in silver grey, mauve, maroon, white and lime green throughout the garden were shown at their best against the deep gravel mulch and views of the surrounding hills. Plants adapted for drought often feature reduced leaves, grey colours, thicker cuticles on the leaves, hairy leaves or underground storage such as bulbs and rhizomes. Everyone was impressed by the dwarf bearded irises and tall flowering spikes of the white-flowered asphodel (Asphodelus albus), complementing the garden sculptures.
A lovely outdoor courtyard at Jo’s house proved to be another lovely spot where the group enjoyed morning tea and had a chance to introduce themselves.
Nature’s Dryland Garden: Mahaka Katia
Once again Jo donned her guiding hat as we took a short walk from there to the nearby Pisa Flats (Mahaka Katia). Clearing the fence was a bit of a challenge but we all made it out into the wide open, and almost alien looking landscape, of this special dryland ecosystem. This Department of Conservation’s Scientific Reserve covers 26 ha and protects over 40 native plant species, some of which are nationally uncommon or rare. The site is a mixture of semi-arid terrace gravels and saline soils. The salinity comes from the weathering of the schist rock or from groundwater contacting salty materials. From a distance, the salt pans can be seen as pale, bare areas dotted across the site. The group enjoyed the opportunity to get up close and personal with these special plants as most were not known to us, and many were small and hard to spot. Plants in this reserve are supremely adapted to the dry and exposed conditions forming low cushion like colonies, or having reduced leaves to limit water loss such as the prostrate shrub Muelenbeckia ephedroides or removing them entirely but continuing to photosynthesise through their stems e.g. desert broom (Carmichaelia petriei). It was a sobering thought that these types of inland saline ecosystems have a threat classification of critically endangered. Not only does this Reserve protect these special plants but also the native fauna associated with them.
Part Two to follow in next newsletter
Photos clockwise from top:
Field trip group in conversation at Jo Wakelin’s courtyard
Life on a schist rock at Bendigo
Courtyard garden at Jo Wakelin’s house where the plants are sheltered by a schist wall
The rare Myosotis uniflora in flower on the Pisa Flats
The tightly mounded cushion of Raoulia australis
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The New Zealand Board has decided to introduce free student memberships as a way of attracting younger members into IPPS New Zealand.
Student Membership will be free and each membership will be for two years, with one right of renewal for a maximum of a further two years. The criteria for recognition as a student will be set by the New Zealand IPPS Board and is as follows:
The individual must provide proof of enrollment in any NZQA approved program of study to qualify for Student Membership
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