Friday 13th March, 2026
Hi
My fridge has died. It has lasted for many years so its probably earned its keep but it was still a pain in the &*%^& when it broke down. Its only when things go wrong that you appreciate all the conveniences we have at our disposal these days. It was the same when my washing machine carked it just before Christmas. Bad timing sure but also inconvenient to have to go to the Laundromat and wait for the washing to finish. For me life is too busy and anything that saves me time is top of mind. The internet tells me that my brain (and probably yours too) is set up to enjoy the dopamine hits of instant gratification and avoid discomfit. We want things now and are not happy about waiting. Which is why social media is so addictive because you are "rewarded" with notifications and likes etc. Sigh. There is a silver lining etc etc because now I have a shiny new fridge which will connect to my phone via an app(should I be afraid?)... and also food that is cold (and not frozen solid) LOL.
We have a lot of admirers for our amazing
Kaizuka cloud pruned trees outside our entrance. And a lot of sad faces when they learn that it has taken 30 years to get to that point. Here's a
link to our gardeners pruning them. Not instant but still worthwhile. If you have the time and the patience you can start with a baby one and make your own. Here are some varieties which you could use for this:
Instant Garden
One of the questions we get asked most often is "what is the quickest growing tree/shrub for ...?". Most people are aware that the best time to plant a tree was yesterday and as soon as it is in the ground it is potentially growing. We are all on a limited time line and want the plant to do its thing while we are around to enjoy it. Planting for future generations is a wonderful plan too if you have the opportunity. Down in Lloyds block of
kahikateas he told me is amazed at how quickly the plants have established mainly due to the maintenance which he and the crew have undertaken to keep the plants as weed free as possible. Releasing the plants by weed spray or physical removal allows them the best opportuning to absorb all the nutrients in the soil rather than competing for food, light and water with the weeds. Planning your planting spacing can do a lot for this as well. To achieve a self sustaining ecosystem you are aiming to shade out any weed seeds and seedlings as quickly as possible. Its simply how plants work - sunlight is the energy which drives growth and with out that the photosynthesis machine fails.
Planting shrubs and trees at 1.2-1.5m centres might mean plants grow rapidly to fill in the canopy and you can space taller growing trees within this mix to give them space to fully develop. In areas with aggressive weeds this might need to be reduced to 1m spacings. For wetland areas where you might just be working with grasses like our native Carex testacea,
buchananii,
secta and
dipsacea you can still create a dense planting by spacing at 75cm, its just a question of adjusting the spacing for the type of plants you are using.
Fast Trees
If you want fast growing plants for a paddock, stabilising a bank or timber,
poplars are just the ticket. You cant beat them for speed and these already have a head start at about 4m tall... so bring your trailer. The varieties we have in stock are rust resistant and will colour up well in autumn. Our guide is 8 metres in 10 years and maybe over 30m at maturity. These can tolerate poor soils and bad drainage. We have Poplar
Kawa and
Crows Nest in stock at present.
If you want fast growing ornamental rather than practical trees, the large growing maples like
Acer Red Sunset is perfect for a paddock tree too. The bonus is a spectacular display of vivid red in autumn as the leaves colour before falling. A large spreading tree up to 10m high and 5m wide they give an air of solidity and presence to an otherwise empty space.
Acer Jeffers Red is a hybrid maple with oval form and brilliant red-orange autumn colour. Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Known for brilliant autumn foliage colour. Leaves turn bright red in autumn providing a beautiful contrast to other green plants, can tolerate moderate winds. Traditional maple shaped leaves. Grows to about 15m high and 10m wide
New Release Roses:
This year Matthews Nursery has come up with some superb new releases which have special meaning to kiwi communities. Top of the list is
Fordell which in case you haven't heard of it is a tiny community (population around 170) in the Manawatu, about 5 minutes drive from the nursery. The Bob Matthews bred rose helped generate $20,000 for the Fordell Community pool from sales in 2025 thanks to the generous donation by Matthews of proceeds from the sales. You can contribute to the pool via their Give a Little page
here. The rose itself is a beauty with spectacular sunshine yellow which will brighten any garden Free flowering all season with clusters of softly cupped, fragrant blooms. Easy to grow, bushy plant with glossy foliage. We will have this plant in June - it can be waitlisted now. It is a floribunda which grows about 1.1m.
The next new release form Matthews is another tribute to a community group: this one is
NZ Opera School. It has a Facebook page which describes it as non profit organisation and is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier residential opera training school for aspiring, young opera singers. This rose has glistening pure white blooms, elegantly displayed in clusters of multi-petal cupped form. The citrus scented flowers are perfect for picking, borne throughout the season on a robust growing plant with glossy foliage. Height 1.2, Hybrid Tea. We will also have this one as a standard in 2026.
Iona rose is a new floribunda rose growing 1.3m high. It has soft pretty in pink blooms of delightful cupped shape form, repeat flower in clusters above healthy green foliage. Easy care vigorous plant, well suited for growing in any garden situation. This one was named in celebration of the centenary of Iona College, Havelock North which was celebrated in 2014. It is the oldest Presbyterian School in NZ. This rose was bred by Bob Matthews.
Rural Women are found up and down the country and are the inspiration for the name of this gorgeous rose from Bob Matthews which was released as a limited edition in 2025 to their members. This will be available in limited numbers from us this June and is decadently fragrant, soft lilac hued clusters of blooms, on a compact growing easy care plant. Freely formed rosettes repeat flower above mid-green foliage.
New in store
Brunfelsia are an underrated plant which can be a lovely feature in a garden planted together in a group or an individual plant for contrast and interest especially for your nose. Fragrant and changing colour flowers are their point of difference - you will know them as yesterday, today and tomorrow plant as each flower is a slightly different colour from purple, blue fading to white. We have three varieties current in store and a different form on order for the winter months.
Plenty here to get your teeth into and start planning for your next garden project, there is no time like now. Have a great weekend regards Tracy
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
