focusinterview.
Stephen BRIDGES ADDICTIVE LANDSCAPes STEPHEN SPECIALISES IN COLD GROWING TROPICAL AND RARE PLANTS THROUGH HIS BUSINESS, ADDICTIVE LANDSCAPES AND HAS RECENTLY BEEN HONOURED BY THE INVITATION TO DISPLAY SOME OF HIS RARE SPECIMENS AT THE COLLECTORS PLANT FAIR IN CLARENDON EARLY NEXT YEAR. STEPHEN FEELS THIS INVITATION IS THE PINNACLE OF HIS SUCCESS AS A GROWER SO FAR, AS THE FAIR ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AUSTRALIA …
tephen, tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you lived in the area, and what’s some of your family background? My grandfather, Alan Youdale, pioneered a 46,000 acre cattle property , located west of Kempsey. My mother, Betty, grew up there and helped her father develop the property. We had thousands of acres of virgin rainforest, teaming with ferns, orchids and other interesting rainforest plants. This is where my interest in plants started, as a young child. My father’s family owned the largest Wool Classing business in NSW. Dad was at Walcha on business and attended a local dance, where he met mum. My parents moved to Sydney, after they married, and were essentially “Pitt Street farmers”. Dad worked with Qantas, I followed my father into Qantas and held various positions and parted company in 2000, as a Navigational Database Officer, after 21 years. During this time I had a boutique nursery, dealing in unusual plants. My wife, Julie and I moved to the Mid North Coast with our three children, about 13 years ago. Describe your business ... what’s it called, and how long has it been established? Our current business, Addictive Landscapes, was created in about 2004. We are licensed structural landscapers and operate a nursery from our residence, which is open by appointment. 76 greater port macquarie focus.
What does your business specialise in? We sell most nursery plants and specialise in cold growing tropical plants. We grow unusual palms, gingers, bromeliads, heliconias, frangipanis plus lots more in our nursery at Bonny Hills, all at wholesale prices. We also export rare plants all over the world. Describe some of the rare plants you own ... what is it about them that makes them special? Some of the rare plants I grow are Discorea Paniculata, which comes from South Africa and resembles an elephant foot. It is a really unusual looking plant and very rare. Also, Worsleya Precora (common name-the blue hippeastrum) comes from Brazil and is quite rare, with international demand outstripping supply. We have also hybridized some unusual cold growing Costus Gingers, that will be available next year. Other rare plants we sell include Beehive Gingers, shield ferns, cold growing heliconias and gingers. You’ll be entering some of your plants in the Collectors Plant Fair at the Hawkesbury Race Club in Clarendon on April 11 and 12, 2015. Explain more about this fair ... what types of plants does it attract, and why is it worth a visit? The Collectors Plant Fair at the Hawkesbury Race Club in Clarendon will be held on April 11 and 12, 2015. In my opinion, this is the premier plant show in Australia. Participation in the Collectors Plant Fair is selective and there is an extensive wait list. At this plant fair there are all types of
unusual plants, from natives, fruit trees, the plants. bromeliads, carnivorous plants, orchids and What are a few tips you can give our much more for sale, with growers from readers for maintaining their plants in Queensland to Tasmania. They also have a top condition? speakers program with renowned speakers My advice to gardeners is to keep it simple from within Australia and overseas sharing - place all your plants before planting and their knowledge. view from a distance; allow enough room I am honoured to have been selected to for each plant to grow. Create garden areas display and sell my unusual plants at the with water and light requirements in mind Collectors Plant Fair - it is the pinnacle of my e.g. drought tolerant plants grouped with success. It is a “must see” plant fair, if you drought tolerant plants. are interested in plants … people You should also consider structure, travel from all over Australia colour and eventual height and to visit it. width of each plant and See www. plant taller plants at the O U R CU RR EN T collectorsplantfair. back - it’s like painting BU SI N ES S, com for more a picture. S, PE N DS CA A DD IC TI V E LA information. The biggest IN WA S CR EATE D RE A What success/ mistake people E A BO U T 2004 . W L RA U CT RU accolades have make is planting LI CE NS ED ST AND you previously plants/cuttings LA N DS CA PE RS ERY RS U N A TE received for randomly in their O PE RA SI DE NC E, FRO M O U R RE your plants ... gardens, that cost N BY PE W H IC H IS O have you entered them nothing, that T. ” A PP O IN TM EN other shows in really don’t enhance the the past and won garden. awards? Where can readers Although, personally I have contact you to find out more not won any awards for my gardens, I information about your business? have designed gardens for numerous Our nursery, Addictive Landscapes, buliders who have won awards, with is open by appointment and we can be the gardens included. The last big job I did contacted on (02) 6584 8335 or Mobile was the McDonald Jones display home 0427 941 078 and email: jsbridge@bigpond. at Sovereign Hills, where we did all the com structural work except for the water features. Thanks Stephen. I also designed the gardens and supplied Interview by Jo Atkins.
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