Our weekly email news letter. Sign up here to get them delivered straight to your email in box. See below for previous issues...

Please note that product availability and prices may have changed from when this newsletter was sent. Please check this site or phone us for current availability and pricing.

Saturday 16th September, 2023

Hi
There is more to Boronias than fragrance
It's funny how those memories come back to you, but whenever I saw Boronia, and that is of the megastigma kind (brown boronia), I used to wonder what all the fuss was about this plant. The flower is kind of cute being an interesting brownish shade with a bright yellow colour inside. To cut to the chase I was standing at the door of the shop with my mother when a customer started raving about the stunning fragrance of Boronia. This is when mother pipes up to me saying that she has never been able to smell this plant. Oh, I go... and so it's your fault that I can't smell Boronia. Until that point, I hadn't realised that some don't get the beautiful scent, so just as well its flower is pretty enough. Funnily, there are a few other plants that have scents that I don't get but for the record I definitely can small Daphne.
Brown Boronia is a native of south western Australia and its wonderful fragrance is used in the production of essential oils. This cute shrub grows to around one metre and prefers a cool, moist, well-drained soil type and semi shade to do well. Like many Aussie natives this plant has adapted to nutrient deficient soils but an application of slow release after flowering will be beneficial. This Boronia species is a naturally fast-growing species and can be short lived in the wild but this can be mediated by trimming, but not harshly after flowering or in times of stress.
 
Now I have never been a Boronia expert but there are quite a few more  to meet and they do make for great shrubs in the garden. Let's start with Denticulata which will grow to around 1.5 to 2 metres and smothers itself with the prettiest small lilac, mauve pinkish starry flowers. A quick Google of this also Aussie native was interesting in the fact that this one naturally grows in areas that are seasonally wet like flood plains, wet flats and swamp edges with sedges and the like.
Heterophylla appears to grow taller than Denticulata and is more slender and erect in form. This one has the more traditional shape flowers like our fragrant brown Boronia but in a delightful rosy red colour and I can only imagine it would look stunning in full flower. This red Boronia is found in its natural environment growing near the edges of streams and again in western Australia.
Purple Jared is a hybrid between Heterophylla and the brown Boronia and has the typical Boronia shape flower in a purplish shade and is also fragrant. This one must have the best of genes from both parents being taller growing and scented. A must have for the garden though, again, grow in conditions similar to that of the brown Boronia.
The last Boronia that we have just in is Lipstick and again another hybrid from Heteropohylla and as you will guess bright purple pink with classic bell like flowers, like some fancy lipstick. This one likes dappled light and a cool moist root run that is drained and will grow to some 2 metres.
All of the Boronias have fine needle or slender linear like foliage which is quite attractive and I found some reference to some of them being suitable for cut flowers, a new point that I hadn't known about particularly and with reference to the heterophylla cultivars, perhaps something to grow not only as a attractive shrub but also cut flower virtues. Trim all after flowering.
Who is next  to blossom of the flowering cherries ?
 
Let me help but my guess is that all around the Waikato it will be ablaze with pink blossom trees looking all, for the want of a better expression, like clouds of pink candy floss. Prunus Awanui is the one and it seems to do quite well around here. With the name Awanui you will be absolutely right in thinking that this is a NZ clone selection of the species Yedoensis selected from trees planted by Keith Adams, one of Taranaki's world famous nurserymen. 
I always think that flowering cherries make for pretty awesome shade trees and in the scheme of things they don't get too large like say elms and the like. The other big plus is that they also have quite a layered like tree form which really creates a nice umbrella shape naturally without too much work from us. Awanui we have in the garden centre down one of the main avenues and looks pretty amazing when in full flower with masses of single pink blossoms. Those single blooms sure make up for it in volume creating that cloud like vision. 
Let's not forget that these handsome blossom trees also have another time to star and this is in the Autumn when their foliage starts to change and provide those beautiful tones.
Shimidsu sakura is another fav with me with its definite pink buds that open out into clouds of light pink to almost white flowers and these blossoms are very, very double. This beauty follows Awanui and if I remember correctly Mt Fuji and Tai Haku will closely follow again. These two both have semi double white spring flowers. Finally, will be Kanzan which is another double, though this one does have bright cerise pink blossoms.
Check out these ornamental plums.
 
It's not just all about the flowering cherries but rather there are the lesser-known flowering plums which also make for quite cool small trees in the garden. The main selection of these tends to have attractive bronze purple foliage throughout the spring and summer. These are coming into flower now with pretty, mostly single pink flowers held against that dark red new foliage.
Prunus Blireana Flowering Plum. A robust and highly decorative small tree with fragrant, double pink blossom that decorates the bare branches in early spring. The summer foliage is an attractive bronze-purple tone that makes a nice contrast to the all that green.
Prunus Thundercloud. You can add a nice contrast to the garden with this ornamental flowering plum which has deep smoky purple foliage. In spring pretty single soft pink blossom appears sometimes followed by small, sour inedible red fruits.
Prunus Cerasifera nigra. Purple Leaf Cherry Plum. A fabulous foliage tree which is valued for providing contrast in the 'green' landscape. Purple-black leaves hold their colour from spring emergence until leaf fall. Pretty pink single blossom in spring.
Some plants of interest
 
Podalyria. Compact sweet pea shrub never stops blooming. It grows fast to 3 feet tall and wide, bearing green, heart-shaped leaves and white, pea-shaped flowers that look somewhat like butterflies.
Acacia Howittii. Weeping and an excellent choice for a pot. Sticky Wattle. Usually a ground cover but presented here as a topiary standard transforming it into a beautiful designer plant. Fast growing with graceful weeping branches. Tolerates most soil conditions as long as it's well-drained. Fragrant pale-yellow flowers.
Chamaelaucium Floriferum, Walpole Wax. A tidy compact small shrub which smothers itself in small reddish flowers in Spring. Suitable for picking. Adaptable to a wide range of soil types in full sun.
Roses are growing so fast 
The roses here are looking amazing and they are growing at the rate of knots. A few flowers are starting to form but they will really still be a few weeks away yet.  Just to tempt you here are some new releases from Rob at Glenavon.
 
Attention Seeker, Floribunda. Vigorous medium growing plant, with striking golden apricot blooms catching the eye in the garden. Produced in clusters, the blooms have a good scent. Healthy, medium green glossy foliage. Bred by Somerfield.
Grandmas Rose, Floribunda. This rose clothes itself with stunningly beautiful red-purple flowers that open into an old fashioned style.The dark green glossy foliage compliments the blooms well and it is a highly fragrant variety. I am sure that Grandmas Rose will be loved by all the grandmas out there.
Centurion, Floribunda. New Release. Another gorgeous red rose from the Rob Somerfield stable of roses. A stunning scarlet red that covers the bush throughout the season. Good disease resistance on glossy green leaves.
Green With Envy, Floribunda. Stunning new release from Rob Somerfield. Green With Envy will delight with tight, long lasting buds that have a touch of colour and open to gorgeous green blooms. Flowers last long on the bush and in a vase. Complimentary colour that looks good with any combination. Free flowering. 
 
OMG it's all go right now. The political arena is firing up and I'm sure that we will all hear plenty of crossfire and fall out over the next four weeks. Daylight savings is looming, being that time that all our long summer evenings are back for quite some time. On top of that, the school holidays are due to start. They seem to come around fast or perhaps it's just that time goes quickly for us here in the spring. So much happens quickly!!
On a gardening note, Tony and I completed our rose pruning, a tad late but nevertheless now all done. We have finally got our vege garden weeded too and next step is to dig in whole lot of compost and add some general garden fertiliser and then it's ready to plant again. Too early for all those summer plantings (usually Labour Weekend is the guide) but we can certainly get in some lettuces and brassicas, though I must admit I can't wait to get some beans and toms in again.
I know that there are a few rose bushes to get into the ground here not to mention the plants from our northland excursion so there is still plenty to keep us busy.
I imagine that it's a busy time out there too, whether its gardening, planning around and for school holidays or just getting stuff done.
However your weekend is shaping up, have a good one.
Cheers from  Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team

Archived by year 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |

Last 25 Newsletters...

Viburnums (27th April, 2024)

Rake up those leaves (20th April, 2024)

Things Citrusy (13th April, 2024)

Get harvesting and preserve (6th April, 2024)

Crabapples looking good (29th March, 2024)

Garlic (23rd March, 2024)

Autumn Sale Preview (16th March, 2024)

Orchard planning (9th March, 2024)

Gardens are for play (3rd March, 2024)

Autumnal feel in the air now (24th February, 2024)

Newsletter correction (16th February, 2024)

Welcome back (17th February, 2024)

Thank you (16th December, 2023)

Pot care (9th December, 2023)

Mulch is a must (2nd December, 2023)

Tidy Up Time (25th November, 2023)

Planting now (18th November, 2023)

Waterlilies (11th November, 2023)

Daisies take 1 (4th November, 2023)

Deciduous Azaleas (28th October, 2023)

Labour weekend (21st October, 2023)

roses roses roses (14th October, 2023)

The roses are budding up with this sun (7th October, 2023)

Maples (30th September, 2023)

Happy birthday to you!! (23rd September, 2023)

..... Blossom time

Birthdays (9th September, 2023)

Tree shapes (1st September, 2023)

Sunshine at last (26th August, 2023)

Supa Size (19th August, 2023)

Size can matter (5th August, 2023)

Signs of Spring (29th July, 2023)

Happy Matariki! (15th July, 2023)

Roses all in order (8th July, 2023)

What it takes to produce a rose. (1st July, 2023)

It's all in the name (24th June, 2023)

Rose's, tree's and more.. (17th June, 2023)

Its all about roses (10th June, 2023)

Whats in a Standard (3rd June, 2023)

To Hedge or not (27th May, 2023)

Proteaceae Family (20th May, 2023)

Baby bear, Itty Bit, Little Gem (13th May, 2023)

Species Camellias and more (6th May, 2023)

Its all Lemons and Hiemalis this week (29th April, 2023)

Sasanqua and Oranges (22nd April, 2023)

Mandarins (15th April, 2023)

Citrus (7th April, 2023)

Lloyd here (1st April, 2023)

Evergreen or Deciduous? (25th March, 2023)

Autumn (18th March, 2023)



Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: