Friday 31st October, 2025
Hi
I was chatting to a friend the other day about the meaning of life (as you do). What are we here for? What is it you want to be remembered for? Service to the community, your work, or something else? For me I think I would like to have made a difference to people's enjoyment of life, and working in a garden centre, I believe gives me that chance. I don't think I will ever be famous (apart from my five minutes of fame writing this newsletter) but it would be awesome to be remembered fondly by someone.
There are many people who have had plants named after them based on their fame, fortune or association with a famous rose breeder. Some examples are
Sir Edmund Hillary and
Hayley Westenra for roses,
Bob Hope for Camellias and
Kate Sheppard for both! While some rose breeders look for inspiration in famous people, others go for people closer to home. Our own Matthews Roses has made a statement with their 'family' collection including
My Mum,
My Dad,
My Sister,
My Grandma etc.
The well known rose breeder David Austen spent his life breeding roses and this is a legacy many of us enjoy. He has passed his business onto his sons and grandsons so in many ways he lives on giving pleasure to many people. Creating beautiful places to share with others is a special pleasure and I'll challenge the rose breeders to come up with something suitable for "Lloyd's Gift" or "Wairere Delight" or maybe along the lines of
Sexy Rexy... "Horty Tracy"!! Just saying!
David Austen Roses
Charles Darwin,
Dame Judi Dench,
Kathryn Morley,
Darcey Bussell... what do a famous biologist, actress, the daughter of the Miss World pageant businessman and a ballerina have in common? They are all roses named by British rose breeder David Austin who began breeding roses in 1961 and has created hundreds of amazing varieties, many of which are fragrant and have the classic double or quartered look of the old fashioned roses.
To create a new rose, individual varieties with specific traits (colour, fragrance, size) are selected and then the pollen is transferred by hand from one rose parent to the other parent. Up to 40,000 of these hand pollen transfers, or hybridizations, are done using a knife and paintbrush. That's a lot of keys in a bowl for the sake of fancy flowers. Once the fertilisation is successful and a fruit (rose hip) is formed there are usually about 10 seeds per hip which can have a mixture of each parents' traits (like Aunty Joan's blue eyes, Grandmas red hair or a career in basketball courtesy of the cousins from Oamaru who are all six footers). These are then grown into plants and the wait begins for flowers to form.
An exciting time for rose breeders is the first signs of buds when each individual is assessed and about 150,000 are selected be grown-on and observed to see what develops. Promising flowers are grown for trial and then the best, and only the best, make the 'cut'. Out of the original 150,000 maybe 10 are selected as possible new releases after years of trials. Next year we hope to have some new varieties to offer you which have made the cut and have been imported and grown in New Zealand. It takes a few years to get sufficient quantities for release, so watch this space for more.
New at the Nursery
Hostas: Got a shady spot that's hard to fill? Want something with impact and interest? How about a hosta! Hostas come in different colours and sizes, from blue-green, variegated, yellow, green and white. They often have pretty flower stalks of lavender or white flowers in spring, but are mostly grown for their foliage. They look great
en masse displayed under trees, or in any dappled light area. The different textures of ruffled, puckered, straight, round, lance like etc. can give you contrast and interest when paired with spikey
Liriopes and Mondo Grass or the branching habit of
Rhododendrons and
Azaleas.
Waterlilies are back having started to shoot into life after their dormant season. Many waterlilies can live for 15-20 years in the right conditions, so these are a great way to add a spot of colour to your water feature. While they do provide shelter and food for your fish, the showy flower is the star of the show and it's the mass of yellow stamens which make it stand out. Waterlilies are found in temperate and tropical climates and the tropical ones will make their appearance a little later in the season. Most of the varieties we order are ones which have been requested by people on their waitlist. This is a great way to get first dibs on plants which you are looking for, so although our website many say the varieties are sold out, you might nab one if people decide not to follow through on their order.
Birdbaths. A perfect way to entice our feathered friends into the garden, bird baths make great entertainment if you have ever seen them in action. Our new stock is rustic with a hand made stone look which fits well into the landscape. Check out the range
here.
Gaura or Butterfly bush
These little beauties are in hot demand as they are such reliable and pretty performers in gardens around this time of year.
Gauras flower in shades of white and pink and form small bushes which can be cut back after flowering to get them to shoot again. I have one growing in a pot which is just about to burst into flower after having had a haircut in autumn.
Gardening Events
Speaking of roses, the Te Awamutu Rose Society Annual Spring Show is on Friday 31st October 1-4pm and Saturday 1st November 9am - 3pm at Te Awamutu Rugby Sports and Recreation Club 420 Albert Park Drive.
If the forecast for Hamilton is to believed, the weekend should be mostly fine, perhaps with the odd shower and a bit of wind in the afternoons. Good enough to get out there and plant your vegetable seedlings now that Labour Day is behind us, taking with it the risk of hard frosts (we hope!).
If you're not into growing your own vegetables, or you're feeling virtuous because yours are already in the ground, then I'm sure we can supply you with something else to plant!
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
