Page 43 - HW October 2019

lawn & garden
George Trower wins the Prebble Seeds 2019 Young Landscaper of the Year Award.
Who is the year’s
top young landscaper?
The annual Young Landscaper of the Year competition in August drew the crowds, despite some ugly weather!
Supporters, sponsors, and people from throughout the industry all gathered at Luitjens Landscaping in Drury, South Auckland, to cheer on the contestants as they tackled a variety of practical skills tests.
Open to young landscapers throughout New Zealand, entrants do not have to be working for a Registered Master Landscaper to enter the competition.
The 2019 Outstanding Achievement Awards were as follows:
• Innovation and Construction Awards – George Trower, Goom
Landscapes.
• Career Development and Communication Awards – Ben
Dyson, Natural Habits.
• Leadership – Jordan Turner, Scapegoats.
The Young Landscaper of the Year 2019 now goes on as a Finalist to represent the Registered Master Landscapers at the 2019 Young Horticulturist Competition in Auckland on 13-14 November this year.
www.masterlandscapers.org.nz
Pruning and Myrtle Rust
Landcare Research says that pruning in the winter can prevent the spread of the highly invasive windborne fungus which blew across the Tasman Sea from Australia and is attacking our plants.
The fungus, which causes the disease Myrtle Rust, has the capacity to infect key New Zealand native plants from the myrtle family, including Pohutakawa, Manuka and the ornamental shrub Lophomyrtus.
Myrtle rust also attacks non-native myrtles including Lilly Pilly (aka Monkey Apple and Acmena), which is widely used as a hedge plant, especially in Auckland, because of its dense foliage, rapid growth and colourful leaves.
Myrtle Rust is less likely to take hold when it is cold or when it is hot and dry, so it’s best to prune in late autumn and winter (May through August) and during the drier summer months (January/February).
Because of its rapid growth, Lilly Pilly hedges must be pruned two to three times per year so, if you haven’t pruned your lilly pilly by the end of August, don’t touch it until the dry weather of mid-summer.
www.landcareresearch.co.nz
Garden tools of guaranteed quality
AVAILABLE FROM
CE Lawford Limited
ph 09 270 5916 web www.celawford.co.nz
All of the above is reflected in the mix across Amazon Australia’s Garden Store by the way.
With Amazon being credited as one of if not the major driver of the Lucky Country’s online spending growth since 2017, it’s now reported that Australian online spending has reached 9% of all retail sales and is expected to reach 14% in the next five years.
Of course Bunnings Australia has already tested and started rolling out its own digital offering and, with as much as a fifth of the total DIY and garden market already in hand, will prove stiff competition for Amazon locally, despite the online giant’s offers of rapid and/or free delivery.
www.amazon.com.au/garden
MORE AT www.facebook.com/nzhardwarejournal
OCTOBER 2019 | NZHJ 41
MPM 8657 0215