WARNERS: PLANT WHAT WHERE

At the 2022 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Warners Nurseries, in collaboration with Robert Boyle, created the ‘People’s Choice’ Gold winning Show Garden, ‘More than Meets the Eye’.

It was a garden designed to showcase a range of plantings traditionally grown by Warners whilst incorporating a mix of new plants in an exciting contemporary design. It achieved this with six distinct zones coming together as one, with minimal hard landscaping and the plants as the focus.

The gardens were linked by a bay hedge, providing a backdrop, and screening the view to what was on the other side. It then gradually revealed the four main gardens; a Traditional Parkland, Mediterranean, a shaded Urban Woodland and a Food Garden with each area highlighting a distinctive look and feel with its diversity of plantings.

The Arbour provided the perfect backdrop to view along the Avenue to the spire of the majestic Exhibition Building. Though temporary in nature the garden sat well placed in the landscape and recalled an historic European influence.

‘More than meets the eye’ demonstrated how plants can be used to create various and almost unlimited garden styles and endeavoured to tell the story that plants can transform a bare area into a beautiful place in just a few days. ‘More than meets the eye’ was praise to the plants that ultimately create a garden.

Over the course of the four days of MIFGS, visitors lined up in front of the Avenue to capture the perfect view in line with the dome on the magnificent Exhibition Building.

The Avenue of Silver Birch framed and accentuated the long axial view to the dome, with the long grassed pathway and mass under plantings of Hydrangea paniculata.

Other plants that captured the imagination included the stunning Ginkgo in the Woodland, it’s foliage just starting to take on the golden yellow of autumn. Lush ground covers included Persicaria and Heuchera, and the relatively new purple Ligularia ‘pandora’.

Selecting plants for the home garden can be a daunting task with tens of thousands of possibilities. Warners Nurseries Plant What Where is a valuable resource for selecting the ideal plants for your garden design conditions.

Selections based on usage, location, environment and style are included based on their proven ability to perform. Garden styles include a cooling Urban Lush setting to a drought tolerant Aussie Mediterranean garden evoking images of holidays in Tuscany and Provence. Contemporary styles such as Poolside Planting and Screening for privacy are also available.