BLOOMS OF SUMMER

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 104, 26 January 1933, Page 7

BLOOMS OF SUMMER

To-day’s Great Display NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW Lovers of flowers will forsake their gardens for a few hours to-day and tomorrow, as their interest will be temporarily transferred to the Town Hall, where tlje National Flower Show is being staged. Yesterday the bigger exhibitors were busily engaged preparing the stands which are to hold their exhibits. Last night local amateurs were carefully selecting their choicest blooms for. today’s judging, and the flower world gen.erally was busy in preparation for today. Steamers, trains, and motor-vehicles from all points throughout the Dominion carried their share of the precious freight which will make such a colourful scene in the Town Hall and Concert Chamber to-day anti to-mor-row. Some blooms have been retarded, others have been forced, and every effort made to present to-day the greatest and most varied displilyJof flowers and shrubs ever seen in Wellington. A glance at the entries received dispels any lingering doubt as to the quantity and quality of the exhibits, which will be found truly’ representative of the best of New Zealand’s gardens. Special exhibits include displays of export fruit, citrus fruit, tobacco and flax. Native plants will occupy a large area, while trade exhibits will reveal the latest developments in flowering shrubs and perennials. Competition will be exceptionally keen, as excellent entries have been received in such classes as begonias, carnations, dahlias, gladioli, hydrangeas. sweet peas? cut flowers, and vegetables. His Worship the Mayor. Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, will officially open the show at three o’clock this afternoon. BEAUTIFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS DUNCAN AND DAVIES LTD One of the most interesting exhibits in tlie plant section of the show is the wonderful collection of cut blooms of new ami rare flowering shrubs exhibited by Messrs. Duncan and Davies, Ltd.. Nurserymen, New Plymouth. This land is near the centre of the main hall, and is staged in a square so all varieties shown can be seen to advantage. The most striking flower on the stand is rhe rare Banksia grandis (honeysuckle), a rare Western Australian large-growing shrub; which flourishes so well in exposed positions in New Zealand. Many other rare Australian shrubs are also in prominence, including Melaleuca laterita Red ]

Breast), a beautiful small shrub with large orange-scarlet flowers somewhat resembling a bottle-brush. Stenocarpus Cunninghamii (Queensland tire tree), a very rare large shrub with beautiful scarlet flowers produced in the form of a wheel Brachychiton acerifolium .(Australian fire tree) has suffered in transit, but is still very beautiful. Grevilleas are shown in variety as well as Dryandra, Swainsonia, Russelia j juncea, etc. Among' the New Zealand native flowers are sprays of the beautiful and rare yellow climbing rata; the blooms are gathered from flowering specimens growing ar the nurseries; also the Kerinadec Pohutukawa, a variety which produces bloom all the year round, and is sometimes mistaken for a New Zealand Pohutukawa flowering at the wrong season. Dodmea viscosa purpurea. a bronze-leaved and fruited form of our well-known Akeake, Is also a most desirable shrub. The exotic shrubs are in great variety; conspicuous among them are Erythrina (Coral Tree), Erica, Arbutus Tweedia, and many other striking varieties. The exhibit occupies 100 feet of space, and is composed of over 200 varieties of new and rare shrub and perennial blooms. Garden lovers should make a point of seeing this splendid exhibit.— P B.A