Articles
IRISH GARDENS AND THE NURSERY INDUSTRY – AN INTRODUCTION
Examples of some of the warm temperate and sub-tropical plants that grow in the open in many areas are tree ferns, magnolias, callistemons, grevilleas, melaleucas, bananas and dacrydiums.
Amenity landscapers, the nursery industry and plant propagators have much to give to and gain from each other.
The plant propagator provides the foundation on which a nursery industry or a great garden is built.
If a great garden is to flourish it needs more than just maintenance; new, better and more important species need to be added on a continuing basis.
Large gardens with active replanting programmes are valuable as shop windows for the nursery industry and as show places demonstrating to the public the range of plants that can be grown.
This role will increase in importance as economic circumstances force more nurserymen to specialise in a restricted range of plants.
Garden fashions are continually evolving according to the circumstances and needs of the time.
Scientific advances during the last 20 years, especially in plant propagation methods and herbicide usage, will encourage the development of a new type of landscape based on ground cover plants, shrubs and herbicides.
This development can help to satisfy the need for better landscapes, overcome current high maintenance costs and stimulate further expansion of the nursery industry.
New propagation methods for heathers, other ground cover plants, shrubs and trees provide scope for massed planting at reasonable prices, and more landscape areas in the future are likely to be planned or modified to take full advantage of increasing knowledge of soil management with herbicides.