Our weekly email news letter. Sign up here to get them delivered straight to your email in box. See below for previous issues...

Please note that product availability and prices may have changed from when this newsletter was sent. Please check this site or phone us for current availability and pricing.

Friday 28th September, 2012

Flower Power

Hi

Get your love beads and oils out
You don't even have to go to San Francisco to have flowers in your hair because you can at Wairere this week with all the cherry blossoms in the air like confetti!!  Not to mention we have some serious  flower power going on. The garden centre is looking a picture with all the spring colour happening, It all just keeps on unfolding. I have seen a couple of rose blooms starting to emerge but in another few weeks in will be all go and the roses will be just a riot of colour.

Geraniums
Its always been a dilemma for me but is it a Geranium or a Pelargonium and I rang my trusty colleague who usually knows most things and together she got me sorted. Well I kinda knew but just needed a confirming chat. Now most of us probably think of a geranium as those plants that you see in Italian terra cottas pots in that classic red or white colour. Then there are those climbing or ivy leaved geraniums but I gotta tell you that they are all properly Pelargoniums  Chris writes" Hybrid Pelargoniums (Zonal, Ivy Leafed Regal) etc are popularly known as Geraniums but should not be confused with the plant genus of this name. True Geraniums are hardy perennials that are commonly known as ‘Cranesbills' . This refers to the beak-like seed pod that follows the flowers. The word Geranium comes from the Greek geranion or geranos which means Crane.

             

Pelargoniums are not as hardy as true Geraniums but what they lack in toughness they make up for with real flower power. Pelargoniums will flower non stop for months in a warm well drained spot making them perfect for adding colour to summer bedding or providing a punch of colour in a container. Perfect for potting up as a living gifts for your gardening friends.

Delphiniums
While we are talking about flower power - arriving next week Dowdeswell Dephiniums. Now Dowdeswell Delphies are D. elatums types which means  that they are the tall majestic English Hybrids and are generally regarded as far superior to the Pacific Giants. Now I learnt  something really cool about these beauties and that is nowhere in NZ is too cold for them and the new shoots will even push through snow. Now the Dowdeswell people are the Delphie experts and as such have bred ones that are really suitable for the NZ climate not to mention awesome flowers. Blue is quite a difficult colour for flower genes and delphiniums tend to do it well not to mention cool whites, pretty purples and pinks.

             

The name Delphinium is also derived from the Greek language, it comes from word delphis which means dolphin and refers to the shape of the flowers. Did you know that Delphiniums are fairly gross feeders and love organic matter, plant them with some sheep pellets and they'll flower their heads off. These sell out really quickly so make sure you get in quick to secure your favourites. Click here for Delphies.

Bolar or Topside In Guinness!!!  

Whilst we are on the subject of gross feeders Harry has been slow cooking Bolar roast or Topside roast in the oven in a large enamel camp oven. Now his secret weapon is Guinness beer and what he does is just so easy and so tasty that I thought that I share it here.  Now he not one to do anything in small amounts so out comes a couple of decent sized roasts. Fry a hole heap of chopped onions, add a pile of chopped herbs of your choice like Pizza thyme, Rosemary and or Garlic if it takes your fancy. Dont forget to season with salt and pepper
Add the roasts and approx. 4 small bottles of Guinness and pop the lid on and into the oven on a slow heat for approx. 4 to 5 hours. The amount of the Guinness almost come to the top of the roast but you will find that it will reduce with the cooking. Finally Harry thickened the gravy at the end of cooking by using butter with flour rubbed in and back onto an element for a short time or you could use cornflour.   Serve sliced on a platter with lashing of  rich dark Guinness gravy. Delicious.

Fig and Orange Tart with Star Anise  I have just made this tart  but havent taken a pic so you will just have to take my word for how good it was. The original recipe was for fresh figs but I just ammended the cooking time and subbed my home bottled figs that I had well drained of their excess juice. I just adore things made with ground almonds and it was another excuse to use some of my fresh oranges that are nicely ripe. Check out the recipes under whats cooking, sweets, fig and Orange tart.

Spuds........!! There is still time for new spuds for Xmas.

Earlies: Now there is still time to get your earlies in for Christmas dinner and we still have these available at the Nursery. I'm a bit of a fan of Jersey bennes but there are others like Swift and Rocket which I imagine have the shortest maturing time. One year we also grew cliffs kidney which I have to say that I really like and they have such a cute shape! LOL Kidney shaped. Maris Anchor is another early variety.

Second earlies: are Heathers,  which I have to say are just yum boiled with lashings of butter with salt and pepper. Nadine and a couple of purple cookers called Purple Heart and Purple Passion which we have also grown.  also have to mention here Ilam Hardy.

Mains: These tend to be your classic varieties and include Agria, Rua, Desiree and Red Rascal

Hybrid Clematis. These are a little trickier to grow than most but are they just so worth the effort,  They like a cooler root run, so I put a rock or a couple of bricks over their roots. This also doubles as protection from being disturbed when gardening around them. Now these can be susceptible to wilt infections but I have successfully treated them with rootmate or Trichopel which, for the want of a better name, are a friendly fungus to treat the soil with.

      

I love this fine spring weather and the team and I have been in the garden, refreshing some of the older parts, but we have also had time to get on and do some new bits. Quite exciting really as there have been some projects on the boil for a few years now. Every spring I want the garden to look its best as its open for all our clients to wander around but there are also some garden rambles that its part of. Now whilst on the subject of garden events I want to include a calender of events as part of our website for those that want to know whats going on. A couple of bigger events that spring to mind are the Tauranga Garden and Artfest 2012 and the Taranaki Garden Festival. Check their websites out on www.gardenandartfest.co.nz and www.taft.co.nz/gardenfestnz/welcome.html.

Daylight saving is coming this weekend so there will be long evenings in the garden to take advantage of. For those that the hols are just about to begin have a great time, however no matter what the plan is for the weekend, have a good one!!

Have a great weekend and take care.

Cheers, Lloyd and Harry and the team

Make it a Wairere weekend where gardening's not a drag

Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, RD 1, Hamilton
07 824 34 30
www.wairere.co.nz

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archived by year 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |

2012 Newsletters...

Rhubarb Pie (27th January, 2012)

Plums and more plums (4th February, 2012)

Projects and Roses (10th February, 2012)

Lily of the Nile (17th February, 2012)

Apples and Hedges (23rd February, 2012)

Hedges and Zucchini Cake (2nd March, 2012)

Camellias as Hedges (9th March, 2012)

Swan Plants and Blueberries (23rd March, 2012)

Peaches and Tree Dahlias (23rd March, 2012)

Autumn Tree Sale (6th April, 2012)

Rhodos and Azaleas (20th April, 2012)

Feijoa'd Out (27th April, 2012)

Roses n Lemons (4th May, 2012)

Copper n Oil (11th May, 2012)

Small Fruits (18th May, 2012)

The big pot is on (26th May, 2012)

Roses R Us (15th June, 2012)

Tree fetish (15th June, 2012)

Cloning Trees (22nd June, 2012)

Pruning (29th June, 2012)

Planting (6th July, 2012)

On the Move (15th July, 2012)

Lilacs (20th July, 2012)

Lilacs (20th July, 2012)

Grapes (2nd August, 2012)

Campanulatas (17th August, 2012)

Spuds for Xmas (25th August, 2012)

Bee time (31st August, 2012)

Downy Mildew (8th September, 2012)

Best In Show (14th September, 2012)

..... Flower Power

Cherries Again (5th October, 2012)

Update the garden (12th October, 2012)

Hedges lavs and lilies (19th October, 2012)

Snowballs and Pointed Leaves (26th October, 2012)

Toms, Veg and Pinks (2nd November, 2012)

Lemon and passionfruit slice (6th November, 2012)

Lavenders (9th November, 2012)

Trees and more (16th November, 2012)

Roses are gorgeous (23rd November, 2012)

Dogwoods and Prezzies (30th November, 2012)

Passionfruit and Tamarillos (7th December, 2012)

Christmas Lilies (21st December, 2012)

Merry Xmas (21st December, 2012)

HL Nurseries Limited t/a Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: