Voodoo Magic

Floriferous Voodoo Verbenas are taking their place among summer’s top flowers.

The charm of the verbena dates back centuries, but never before have they had so much impact in the home garden. The latest Voodoo Verbenas are showstoppers among summer flowers. “This eye-catching sun lover has truly put a spell on us”, says Megan Baker of Ambrosia Nurseries, where Voodoo verbenas are grown.

The first of the Voodoo Verbenas made its debut in New Zealand in 2012. After wowing the crowds at the Ellerslie Flower Show, the first Voodoos were a hit with gardeners, convincing the growers to introduce new colours to the range. There are now six stunning colours to choose from: ‘Pink Star’, ‘Purple’, ‘Red’, ‘Red Star’, ‘Salmon Star’ and ‘Blueberry’, brand new this summer.

Verbena flowers, like hydrangeas, are clustered together in showy balls. Each ‘inflorescence’ holds many individual flowers. With the Voodoo Verbenas, both the individual flowers and the size of the clusters are bigger and bolder than verbenas of old. Clusters have additional flower petals in the centre, which makes for a fuller rounder ball shape than the flatter inflorescence of other varieties.

Each cluster is held close to a lush mound of olive green foliage, hence the Voodoo Verbenas avoid that leggy look. The overall effect is a beautiful semi-trailing dome absolutely smothered in bloom. The show goes on right throughout summer until the first frosts.

It’s the rich vibrant colours, consistent shapely form, the strong fast growth and willingness to flower that makes these plants such a superb choice for pots and hanging baskets, but they’re great in the garden too. Try them mass planted as a border or groundcover.

Bold enough to stand alone, Voodoos also blend beautifully with other summer flowers, such as petunias and lobelias. Their branching stems artfully weave among thier neighbours.

Best of all, Voodoo Verbenas are unfussy and easy to grow, provided they have well drained soil and plenty of sun. To keep them flowering at their extreme best, regular feeding is recommended. Heat tolerant, and untroubled by powdery mildew, they bloom all summer even in humid and rainy climates!

The team at Ambrosia Nurseries is excited about the colour and performance of their hot new verbena, and they’re confident that gardeners will also find them extremely rewarding plants to grow. “Voodoo Verbena is the biggest, bushiest, largest-flowered verbena available, and the blooms are absolutely beautiful”, says Megan. Try them out this summer and let us know if you have fallen under the Voodoo spell too.

 

Look for these products, tips and advice at a Go Gardening Store near you.

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Feature article from Ambrosia Nurseries. For further information and more inspirational planting ideas, visit www.gardeningsolutionz.co.nz

Verbena "Voodoo Blueberry"

Verbena "Voodoo Red"

Verbena "Voodoo Pink Star"

Verbena "Voodoo Red Star"