Where did all those years go!

Hi

THE ROSE POT IS ON

I know that its late this week but it's been a full on week with roses, Yep it's that time of year again and  half the roses are now in and potted. The best and easiest rose potting ever! Great weather and an excellent team and the job went like clockwork. If you want to come and have a look, we have quite a lot of the bush roses in and potted and about half of the standards . Next week we will, be onto the climbers, some more bushes and  the remainder of the standards. Good roses too! I know that Rose has made a start on the orders but there may be a few that we are still waiting on the balance of the roses to come in.  At this stage it's just the roses that are coming in, The new seasons  trees and fruit trees tend to be mid-June to mid-July.  If you want to know where your order is at, then please just email us.

It has also been one of those weeks that you reflect on the past years that we have been here at Gordonton as Charlie our oldest dog is no longer with us.  I know that many of our long time clients will remember him being around and in his latter years, he spent a lot of time sleeping in the shop. But he was here almost from the beginnings of this garden centre and as we reflect that is some 18 to 19 years when he and ourselves had no greying hair. I remember back to those days when  H brought him home from the dog rescue in Te Awamutu as puppy. I spat the dummy, cause we weren't to have any boy dogs around the nursery as we all know what male dogs do ( H couldn't resist a puppy). But hey all those years later and it was never a problem and we have had a lot of years to reflect and remember upon.

ROSE STUFF

Its still too early to prune your roses and I would suggest that you wait until at least the end of June or even July. Now for those that think that it's tricky or difficult, it's not! I think that there are so many theories out there that the average person gets confused and just generally gets put off doing the job. Well this is your opportunity, the  Hamilton Rose Society have offered to come out to us here at the nursery to give advice and possibly a demonstration or two on pruning roses.  Nothing like seeing a live demo. Here at the Nursery Sat and sun being the 16th and 17th of June between 10am and 3 pm.


   

Garlic Elephant and Printanor  

The shortest day is on its way and its time still to get garlic in.  We still have good stocks of Elephant garlic and there is a new batch of Printanor in and more on its way.If you want us to courier you garlic out then order by return email. Now I really like using the Elephant stuff as they are way easier to peel and they have a really nice milder flavour. I also like the Printanor and I don't even bother to peel them half the time
Now Elaine from up north writes
 HI Harry and Lloyd
I just have to reply to your newsletter...
Why because you talk about the flowers on the garlic.
Our tip is, don't let them open but cut them with a long stalk (this assists the bulb to continue to grow) and use them either raw in a salad, raw straight off the bulb ie eaten in the garden, put in a stir fry or even better still roast them but they don't take long in the roasting tray.
We have been growing our own garlic here in Kerikeri for what will be our fourth season this year.  They have gone from strength to strength.  Please advise your readers not to try to grow the Chinese garlic as it has been treated for entry into New Zealand and won't grow.
We make garlic oil every year for our Christmas gifts and is always eagerly awaited for by all our recipients each year.

Jeanettes Crumble Recipe

While we were in Aussie for the Melbourne flower show, Harry and Peter found these cute individual serve oven proof dishes, Le creuset no less, (in the brief time that we had for shopping). Peter suggested that they get them, a set each LOL. Tony has been using them to perfect Feijoa crumbles. Tony's mum provided the recipe and together they made these individual crumbles which are delicious. The secret is to keep the feijoa pieces as whole as you can and not overcook them. Not to much sugar either so that you can use lashings of cream. I guess that you could use the recipe as a topping for any kind of stewed fruit that took your fancy. Tonys next seasonal crumble will be rhubarb.

Strawberries Camarosa, These will be in soon and its time to plant them now. Order yours online now and we will email you back when they are in.

Next week Raspberries will be in  and those gorgeous hellebores from the down south where they have bred all those fancy forms.

Bit of a grey day today, Hope that the rest of the weekend is a good one

Cheers, Lloyd and Harry and the team