NZAGS WINS GOLD AT THE “CHELSEA OF THE SOUTH”

[David Nicholson]

Just so you 'upsidedowners' get it into context our Chelsea is probably the most over rated garden show in the world. Full of overpaid and underskilled television gardeners;because it's part of the London social calander it's also full of personalities! of the world of stage and television; it's also got more than it's fair share of garden designers-a breed of individuals who really get up my nose; it's in London, the filthiest and most expensive slum in the world.

All of these reasons should ensure you avoid it like the plague!

[Lesley Cox]

WOW David. That says it all!

Ray, only to those who are very ready to repay in kind.  You'll gradually learn who they are.

[Greenmanplants]

Well done for the Gold at the Chelsea of the South.  I know how much effort goes into these things and getting a gold on your first entry is brilliant.

I think David has grossly overstated what are minor aspects of Chelsea in London, yes there are some aspects of what he mentions but there are also some brilliant displays every year and the coverage that the "Plant World" gets in general is probably about the most from any single event, so the very thing he mocks is what gives it the extra profile.

Now the team in NZ should be thinking about what went well or otherwise, and build on the lessons they learnt this year to begin planning next years event....Well Done Again.

[David Nicholson]

I think David has grossly overstated what are minor aspects of Chelsea in London, yes there are some aspects of what he mentions but there are also some brilliant displays every year and the coverage that the "Plant World" gets in general is probably about the most from any single event, so the very thing he mocks is what gives it the extra profile.

In a way you are right John but whilst Chelsea concentrates on a media impression I contrast it with the Spring shows at Harrogate and Malvern (and I normally go to both) which concentrate on gardeners and gardening and plants, plants plants. At both I can wander around at my own pace without being herded; I can buy plants when I want to buy plants and I can certainly see the plants of the highest quality; I don't need to take a second mortgage to pay to get in and there are acres of free car parking space; and I can see an AGS Show as part of the package at both. Bliss

[Lesley Cox]

What is deeply sad about the so-called "Chelsea of the South" is that all the plants are established in cultivation here, already and the main "newness" is the gardens and displays that are arranged by clubs, firms etc. Yes there are new cultivars of occasional plants but NEVER new plants, i.e. newly introduced species. We are not allowed to import such plants and so we garden on year by year and lack the challenge of the new or different from what we already know.

Forgive me for going musical again but if a great violinist were told "you already have one so you may not have that newly discovered, 2nd violin concerto of Beethoven," he and the world would be outraged. But we put up with it all the time. If the plant is already in NZ and has been for many years, we may have more but anything that is not already here - NO WAY. It is very depressing, especially seeing the enormous wealth of new plants that gardeners in the UK and Europe are able to access and grow in their gardens.

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, why is you Government so severe in it's policy and can not a horticultural pressure group force a change of policy?

[Lesley Cox]

David, it would take a week to tell you but in short, it is all to do with perceived environmental risk, i.e. risk to what is already here, by way of native flora and fauna, habitats and commercial crops. If it's here already, the assumption is that either it is no such risk (and so we may import more), or, in the case of e.g. blackberry, old man's beard, the plants are way out of control anyway and so the risk can't be contained anyway. Obviously we are not permitted to import plants such as those but who'd want to.

However, if a species is NOT here, or not able to be proved was here prior to the introduction of the "Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act" of (I think) 1993, then the rationale is that it COULD be a risk to our environment and so the risk will not be taken and it may not enter the country without an assessment-for-risk programme prior to import. The risk may be seen as to habitats, such as for blackberry, old man's beard, lupin and many others or to commercial crops, such as pests/diseases which could attack kiwifruit, apples, blueberries, clover or whatever, or risks to native flora and/or fauna such as pests/diseases which may attack native species of flora/fauna. It is not just a matter of whether a new species could have weed potential. Certainly that is one criterion taken into account but the pests/deseases one is of equal or greater concern in the assessment.

Believe me, horticultral lobby groups, such as they are, and in particular people wishing to start a new commercial venture, have spoken ad nauseum to MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) and ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authority) about the whole situation but by and large, get nowhere. ERMA sets policy and MAF carries it out.

A few years ago the NZ Iris Society, aware that there were many more species in NZ than were on the Biosecurity Index/Plants (permitted list) did an exercise which eventually resulted in about 50 more Iris species being added to the Bio Index. However, it took half a dozen people reseaching for literally many hundreds of hours, contact with all members of the Society, searching their records and personal correspondence, nursery invoices, half a dozen trips to Wellington and thousands of dollars of personal money, and about 3 years, to achieve this result.

To apply to have a species assessed for environmental risk prior to import, costs (at last notification) $1500 per species, plus all the costs of the assessment itself. I'm not going down this track to bring in a few new primula or iris seeds. Moreover, the money is payable up front before the assessment takes place and is not refundable if the species is declined for whatever reason. If the species is accepted, it then goes on the Bio Index as a permitted species and the applicant has paid all that money while anyone else may subsequently import it without any of that cost, a vastly unfair system.

A Dunedin friend who was largely responsible for the start on the commercial black Perigord truffle industry in NZ, spent many thousands of his own and others' money before he was allowed to proceed with that venture. Since then he has tried to introduce other edible mushrooms for commercial cropping and last time I spoke with him, he said the cost for 2 species so far, was about $60,000 and still the 2 species were not cleared for import.

So there you are. There simply is no solution to our litle problem. It boils down to - if we have it we can have more. If we don't have it, we never will be able to have it.

This is the NZ situation. In Australia it is different but the two systems are, gradually coming together. At least in OZ (I think) if they can import one frit or iris, they may import the lot - generally and probably with some exceptions. Here every species is judged individually.

[Lesley Cox]

As an afterthought, there is movement now towards NZ and OZ working towards a "common" border, for customs purposes. We'll be able to visit each other without the need for passports or customs clearances, much as happens in the EU. When I heard this on the news I was almost about to cheer but then heard the next words, "of course it won't apply to Biosecurity issues. They will remain in place and fully enforceable."

[David Nicholson]

Thanks Lesley for taking the time and trouble to answer my query in detail. I now understand a lot more about the situation and NZ gardeners have my sympathy, it must be a very frustrating situation for you all.

[Susan]

Despair rather than mere frustration, David. It can be really depressing when the seed lists come out.  It used to be one of the great joys of my life and now all it is just the  same old thing year after year.  You can hope for different variations but nothing newly discovered, and even a hybrid is not always allowed.

Susan

[Ray]

Hi All,wellI did go to the flower show and it was a beautiful day 33c.
also got my new camera,4 times better than my old one,pity the operator didn't get the same upgrade.The reason I have not posted earlier is because I couldn't get the pics resized to send but reading through other posts in the forum it seems that in this forum you can send pics bigger than 150 kb so will find out if thats true.bye Ray

[Ray]

Hi Again, it works, also noticed the fine print on the reply page
500 kb and 10 per post, wellI am a senior!
So willnow send a few more bye Ray

[ranunculus]

Hi Ray,
Thanks for posting ... looks a bonzer show!

[Maggi Young]

Ray, if you knew how grey and cold it is here in Aberdeen at the minute, you'd realise how nice it is to see  all this bright and cheerful colour from the Aussie Show, .....Thanks!

[Lesley Cox]

Well done Ray. Whether it's up to Chch.....?

What's that large building in the very first picture? It looks rather like the shed in Fermi's back garden, otherwise know to many as the Taj Mahal.