Saturday 4th October, 2025
Hi
We had a bit of excitement this week as a hot air balloon looked like it might land at the nursery or in the area behind. I watched as the pilot carefully navigated his way past the large Kahikateas, looking for an open bit of land to touch down.
Around here there are now only limited patches of large trees, but these used to cover the area which is basically swampland. In previous newsletters, and on Facebook, I have talked about the restoration which Lloyd has undertaken around our Kahikatea stand to reclaim (with native plantings) what had become a bunch of weeds and paddock grass. This work is ongoing and recently we received another batch of
Kahikateas,
Coprosmas, and
Oioi for planting out.
It's always good to get the trees in the ground while the moisture levels are reasonable and the milder temperatures we have now will ensure they get a good start. Plenty of preparation has been done in the last few months, controlling weeds and waiting until the boggy areas were accessible again. Although we have replanted with natives, a fly over of the land will show many non-native deciduous trees around our pond and display garden. These add colour and interest to our garden too.
NB: This photo of our garden not taken recently (Wisterias not out yet in 2025)
Maples
As mentioned last week there are many forms of maples from small-growing Japanese varieties up to their larger cousins. This week we will focus on the large-growing varieties which are suitable for bigger properties.
Canadian/American maples
Everyone is probably familiar with the large lobed leaf (with three pointy bits) which adorns the Canadian flag. This is most likely to be a stylized version of the foliage of the
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) which, if you are a fan of Little House on the Prairie, you will know can be tapped to get delicious maple syrup. Who knew! I am a bit dubious about whether you could harvest this in New Zealand as the North Americans also have the bonus (or not) of snowy winters which mean the sap makes a spectacular rise in the spring when night-time temperatures are still below freezing. Warning - if you want syrup make sure you have identified your tree well as only the sugar maple has the high level of sugar in the sap; other trees could actually make you sick. So, maybe save yourself the effort and buy maple syrup at Pak n Save.
Acer rubrum is one of the most common trees in North America due to its spectacular autumn colouring. It makes a perfect driveway tree in a larger section, especially the narrow version
Acer columnare.
Acer Flamingo is a stand out for variegated pink, white and green leaves and cool tasselled seed heads which appear in Spring. This one is a smaller growing version, getting to around 5m high and wide and is one of the box-elder-type maples which typically originate from Canada down to Central America.
Other large Maples
Norwegian maples (e.g.
Acer Platanoides and its varieties) are the big guns when it comes to large-growing trees. These hardy trees can withstand cold, pollution and pretty much anything you can throw at them and STILL get to 20+ metres tall over 15-20 years. As a bonus, most of these have pretty autumn colours of yellow and orange. If you want a large-growing Norway Maple that is showy all year round, then check out the very striking
Acer platanoides nigrum (7 x 5m) whose leaves are almost purple black in Spring and Summer, changing to red purple in Autumn.
For those who love the large leaves of these big Norwegian guys, but want a more compact form, check out
Acer globosum which is typically grafted onto a 1.7-1.8 m standard and grows a sensible 4 metres or so at maturity. Bright green summer leaves turn yellow in autumn.
For something a bit different there is
Acer griseum which hails from China and has super cool flaky bark. This was discovered, and bought back to England as seeds, in the early 1900's by Ernest Wilson.
Other Farm Trees
While we are on the topic of large-growing trees, it's the perfect time to think about additions to your paddocks or lifestyle block for all the reasons mentioned above. Trees are starting to shoot into new growth with the warmer weather and a regular amount of rainfall should help them establish quickly. For areas with damp soils the
Swamp Cypress (Taxodium Distichum) have gorgeous autumn colour and can cope with their roots being in water for long stretches because of their knobbly knees (roots which protrude above the water).
This week at the garden centre
Pots Pots Pots! We have been waiting for our new selection of pots to arrive and finally they are here. Quality Cretan pots, which get that super aged look, as well as the popular Bianca series, which have clean modern lines and colours. There is also a selection of Bonsai pots and Japanese Lanterns which would look amazing with your new maple tree! As well as a new selection, we have a new position for these. They are now next to the new shade house, which was built in the middle of the garden centre last year.
Perennials Galore
Loads of pretty perennials for pots, planters and to make gardens pop, are now available. For something really different have a look at
Pulsatilla Pagageno which are a striking purple blue with yellow stamens. We also have a collection of
Aquilegia or Granny's Bonnets which make a colourful addition to a cottage garden, and
Dianthus which are fragrant and long flowering in your garden border. This includes the Angel series such as
Dianthus Angel of Peace.
For another unusual perennial, check out the
Euphorbia martinii.
These have leaves of various colours (can be green, yellow or red) set on burgundy red stems and in Spring blooms appear consisting of green bracts with pretty red centres. Last but not least, Angela managed to find some more
Mesembryanthemum in varieties
Crimson Glory,
Light Pink and
Yellow. So, we have plenty and have put them all on special at $14.99 ea (reduced from $19.99).
Gentle spring rain over the week, and possibly the weekend as well, will help your new plants settle into their positions. Hope you have a great week.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
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