Saturday 11th October, 2025
Hi
Spring at the nursery is my favourite time of year. When I had a brief stint at a job outside of selling plants, I missed the adrenaline rush of the busy spring season. Yes, I do sometimes look forward to the end of day after a big day putting away deliveries and the reality of aging - fingers and knees groan! But the gorgeous environment in which we work makes up for a lot.
I don't need the research data to tell me about the benefits of being outside in nature as I know that my day starts well when I see the morning sun streaming through the new leaves of a
Shindeshojo maple. My mood is lifted by hearing the Tui or Kaka and seeing the new koru of a Black Mamaku unfurl in the forest area. Plus there's an increase in vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, as well as the exercise which you are doing when you garden or just walk around a nice garden. This, I know is not a view shared by everyone, especially when we are battered by spring winds or fed up with constant showers. "Bring on the summer" I hear you say! Nevertheless, spring is a great time to plant and there's plenty of variety to choose from.
Spring is here in all its glory
Wherever you are in the world, there seems to be certain plants which are great indicators that spring is fully underway. For me, the
Deciduous Azaleas are one of those plants. With vibrant colours of deep red, sizzling orange, crisp white and striking pinks and peaches, these give a lovely display when spring is really starting to hum. The added bonus for many of these is that they are fragrant too and their heady scents add an extra dimension to their presence in the garden.
These lovelies produce their flowers in large clusters at the tips of the branches before the leaves fully appear, so the effect is a glowing shrub of bright colour. They can also get to be reasonably big shrubs, up to 2 metres plus, and prefer full sun to partial shade in moist acidic soils. Their slightly open habit gives the garden a lighter, more airy feel than the more densely leaved
Rhododendrons, to which they are closely related.
Rhododendrons
The acid loving
Rhododendrons are in the same genus as the
Azaleas, and they also make a colourful splash in spring. You will notice them if you are visiting any of the gardens in local and regional garden rambles in the next month or so. I am off to Taranaki for the Centuria festival at the end of October, and I'm looking forward to seeing many flowering Rhodos in an ideal environment for them - cool winters, volcanic soil and high rainfall. These conditions combined allow plants to produce spectacular floral displays.
It's a good time to check out your favourites at the nursery, where you can see them 'in the flesh' so to speak. They are one of the oldest plant genera commonly found in gardens these days with evidence of fossil pollen dating back 60 million years. Some varieties are poisonous and contain the compound grayanotoxin. This grayanotoxin can be also found in the honey produced in areas where
Rhododendrons grow, leading to so called 'mad honey' being used as kind of chemical warfare by King Mithridates (in around 100 BC) to poison Pompey's army. This guy, Mithridates, was exploring the possibility of becoming immune to poisons by self administering them so he was a bit on the mad side too!
At the Nursery this week
Vireya Rhododendrons
For those in warmer climates - think Tauranga, Waihi, Whitianga etc. -
Vireya Rhododendrons can be just the perfect thing to brighten up a shady spot. These are usually in-your-face bright colours of neon yellow, hot pink, scarlet and have a smaller, lush-green pointier leaf than the cold-loving versions. These guys are native to south east Asia and Australia. In the wild you could spot up to 140 species of these in New guinea, or another 40+ in Borneo, if you are on a safari in these places! These can flower all year round in tropical climates but here we generally see flowers more in spring and summer. They like dappled shade in rich moist soil and the species can even be found in the boughs of forest trees where leaf litter has accumulated.
Palms and tropical plants
Continuing with the tropical theme this week, we are excited to see some tropical plants arrive in the nursery from up north. These exotic delights include some we have not had before and some large specimens which could be a focal point for garden or super large pot.
Here in the Waikato we are often at the mercy of the frost (and palms really don't like that) but in sheltered spots or coastal areas these would make a distinctive show. More about these next week, but check out the amazing grade of the
White bird of paradise (Strelitzia Nicolai) when next in store. This, as well as the
'Normal' bird of paradise (Strelitzia Reginae) with its flashy orange and blue flowers, is a favourite for many in sunny sheltered situations or at the beach. I had a large clump under the eaves of my house, which I needed to remove, and the secret to its survival in drier areas is its massive root system of large rhizomes which store water. For those looking for a touch of the tropics with a kiwi twist, check out our gorgeous
Puka (Meryta Sinclairii) plants with their enormous fresh green leaves (the word puka means leaf in Te Reo Māori). Fabulous
Nikaus (Rhopalostylis sapida) can be seen in our boardwalk area and these elegant natives are perfect for a sheltered spot amongst trees.
Basil and other herbs
Basil is a favourite for me, as I love pesto, so I try to plant early and keep picking regularly to keep compact. We have a great selection of herbs including
Coriander,
and all the ones mentioned in the Simon and Garfunkel song:
Parsley,
Sage,
Rosemary and
Thyme.
Whatever the spring weather throws at us, have a great weekend.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
