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Plantaholic i temptation From lotus bananas to scented starburst lilies, Waiuku gardener David Brundell has amassed a spectacular collection of subtropical plants STORY: jane wrigglesworth PHOTOS: sean shadbolt photo: Paroli Galperti/photolibrary tropical f subtropical plants are your passion, and you’re planning a trip to the 2010 Heroic Gardens festival in Auckland next month, we suggest you pack more than a picnic if Gardenza in Waiuku is on your itinerary. Pack your cheque book too, for David Brundell’s garden and nursery is home to seriously hard-to-resist horticultural eye-candy. But many years ago, this Glenbrook Beach garden, 50 minutes south of Auckland, was nothing but a bare patch. David, a scientist with a master’s degree in horticulture, started the garden 25 years ago alongside his 4ha kiwifruit orchard. His first choice was native flora. In fact, he originally planned his garden to be made up entirely of natives. Trees and shrubs were planted to provide shelter and shade, including rewarewa (Knightia excelsa), tree ferns and lancewoods (Pseudopanax crassifolius). He also planted an impressive collection of nikaus, including the Norfolk Island nikau, Rhopalostylis baueri (its point of difference being white flowers, as opposed to coral-pink, pollinated by flies) and the Chatham Islands nikau, Rhopalostylis sapida, which is considered the best variety for coastal gardens. But David’s first love was subtropicals and, as his increasing collection of exotic plants sat languishing outside in pots, he eventually relented and planted them too. Today, mid-summer stands for total exuberance at Gardenza, although this avid collector’s treasures offer something for every season. Take Encephalartos horridus, the Eastern Cape blue cycad from South Africa, or Ficus dammaropsis, the dinner plate fig from the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Opposite: The South African fireball lily, Scadoxus multiflorus ssp. katherinae. Clockwise from above: David Brundell admires a clump of blooming fireball lilies; The orange paintbrush lily, Scadoxus puniceus; Daruma clivias thrive in shade. 36 37 Crinum x moorei Musella lasiocarpa Then there’s Musella lasiocarpa, the golden lotus banana from the Yunnan province of China. It’s deciduous and grows to 1m tall, with the flower perched on the end of the stem like a yellow beacon. This unusual plant remains in flower for four to six months. Just before opening, the flower resembles a lotus bud, which is where the plant gets its name. “It’s still a rarity,” says David, “something I acquired a number of years ago. But the key is that it tolerates heavy frosts and it has the ability to withstand winds better than other bananas.” A rarity even in its native land, the lotus banana is considered by the Dai and Bulang Buddhist ethnic minorities Mutation of Colocasia esculenta Lilium sulphureum 38 “but when people see this scadoxus in flower they’re blown away. It’s a really good doer, flowering from late December until early February, depending on where you live in the country.” An easy-care plant, the fireball lily is an evergreen, or almost evergreen, plant from South Africa that sprouts up from large fleshy bulbs in part-sun or shade. It clumps freely, tolerates frost and dry conditions, and is excellent as a cut flower. It can be grown in the garden or in tubs. David also recommends another less common scadoxus, Scadoxus puniceus, the orange paintbrush lily. It has similar likes to the fireball lily, growing happily in part-sun and shade and tolerating A rarity even in its native land, the lotus banana is a sacred flower representing charm and kindness. of the Yunnan province to be one of their most sacred flowers. Representing charm and kindness, it’s listed as one of the “five kinds of trees and six kinds of flowers to be planted in temples”. David also has a collection of taro, hippeastrums (amaryllis), haemanthus and ornamental gingers, plus bananas, an exquisite yellow gloriosa, and brash and bold African scadoxus lilies. Many of these choice plants are for sale too. When we visited in January, we asked David to name his favourite varieties. Stopping beside a big swathe of Scadoxus multiflorus ssp. katherinae, David pointed to the fireball lily as one of his top picks. “It’s still not that well known,” he says, frosts and dry. But this easy-care bulbous plant flowers in winter and produces big fleshy, tongue-like leaves in summer. Crinum asiaticum, also known as the starburst lily, grand crinum or spider lily, is another favourite, an evergreen plant that grows up to 1.2m. Its arachnid-like flowers, which emerge atop thick, succulent stems, are large and fragrant with narrow petals that recurve. Its lush green foliage is a feature too. Long, fleshy and strap-like, the lower leaves form a pseudo-stem from which the leaves emerge in a rosette. It adds a dramatic sculptural dimension to any garden, and one, says David, “that leaves Agave attenuata for dead”. Clivia miniata var. citrina Clivias are one of David’s signature plants, including the spectacular yellow varieties. These plants are far from merely decorative though; they tell a story from David’s adventurous life. More than 15 years ago, David was given a rare yellow clivia from British ambassador and eminent horticulturist Sir Peter Smithers. ‘Smithers Yellow’, as it was known, was classed as the best yellow clivia in the world and was eventually named ‘Vico Yellow’. David realised he was sitting on a goldmine, and after years of breeding and selection, he produced the superior ‘Vico Yellow’ hybrids that he sells at his nursery. His clivias have received much acclaim. This year Gardenza Subtropical Garden is included in Heroic Gardens (March 6-7, see the official programme included in this issue). It’s a must-see for those who love subtropicals. Even if you don’t – yet – we suspect you’ll be seduced by David’s extraordinary collection. i Crinum asiaticum Gloriosa lutea is one of David’s signature plants. With its crinkly petals and glossy leaves, the yellow gloriosa is a spectular vine for a sunny, frost-free position. Visiting the garden • Gardenza is open to groups and visitors by appointment. Visit www.gardenza.co.nz for more details or ph (09) 235 3834. • Gardenza is one of four gardens south of Auckland in the 2010 Heroic Gardens Festival. Why not make a day of it? Visit Gardenza at Glenbrook Beach, Fergus Innes and Grant Iles’ 2-acre manicured garden at Pukekohe East, John Tinkler and Lauchie McLean’s farmlet in Waiuku, and Paul Spence’s grand landscape and lotus pond, also in Waiuku. See www.heroicgardens.org.nz for details. 39