I'm getting excited because all my new Roses at home are starting to produce buds and I can't wait to see how they look all together. Careful planning and a bit of educated guesswork went into the selection of these - I've got The The Endeavour (which was a gift), a couple of Wildeve, Old Friends, Ali Mau and a cute mini standard of Little Miss Perfect. I fell in love with the last when I saw it flowering in the nursery last year and just had to buy it. It's great to have the mini standard because it sits up above the bark and shows off the dark leaves next to our cream coloured house. I am waiting to see the first hint of the peachy pink come through- shouldn't be too long! 

 

For those who like to check out the roses in person before they buy, you won't have long to wait either as many are opening each day and before long the whole centre of the nursery will be a colourful Persian rug of beautiful roses of every colour and shape. The long weekend is a great time to come out and explore what we have in stock, as I see there are some popular favourites which have already sold out. The display garden is also looking a picture, with standardised Wisteria and Deciduous Azaleas just some of the stars to check out. In person you can enjoy the fragrance, which just can't be conveyed by some fancy words. 

There are many benefits to growing a Standard Rose as opposed to the bush varieties. A standard rose, is one that has the head of the plant raised above the ground on a stem. Normal heights of these stems are usually 45-50 cm and 80 cm, with the later being the norm. The root stock that is commonly used for the standards in New Zealand is rose multiflora. The reason you have probably never heard of this is because it is basically exclusively grown for this purpose because it produces long straight stems with minimal kinks, no thorns and has thin bark which allows the placement of the buds from the desired rose. It is also reasonably quick growing, although it takes a little longer to grow up to 80 cm than the growth of normal root stock of about 10-20 cm, hence the added expense for standards. 

Once the root stock is ready, two buds are selected of the desired rose (scion) by taking a shallow cut which includes bark and the node (area where bud will sprout). A T-shaped cut is made in the bark of the stem at the height where you want the head of the plant to begin and the bud is carefully inserted into the T and taped up with grafting tape. Once the new bud has 'taken' and is starting to grow the original stem of the root stock is cut off and sealed to prevent it sprouting. A bud on each side allows for a nice, even-shaped head which will produce a gorgeous display for you. The added benefits I mentioned at the start are not only that the flowers, scent and colour are closer to eye and nose level, but the standards tend to be healthy as they are not affected by droplet splash from rain bouncing off the soil and are easier to prune (for those of us whose knees are getting a bit creaky). We have an exceptional selection and if you can't choose, there is always Iceberg which is your 'go to' for a reliable, long flowering, disease-resistant doer. 

 

Cannas - these make a delightful show with a rainbow of flower colours and leaf tones. These beauties will grow well in moist sunny situations and like a good hair cut after they have finished flowering. Protect from heavy frost.

   

Peonies - What are you waiting for - it's time to plant these spectacular perennials and ours have buds ready to burst into colour in the next few weeks. Peonies are growing successfully in Hamilton Gardens and I had one in Cambridge many years ago which flowered well. The secret is to leave the plant undisturbed, use plenty of well rotted organic matter and try to ensure it gets cold and sun by being in a fairly exposed situation. Further instructions for growing peonies can be found here.

 

Leptospermum - In New Zealand we know several of these as 'manuka' or 'tea tree' and they are doing their thing just now, much to the delight of local bees. Many are smothered in flowers and not just our native ones, but also those which hail from Australia. The bees are not fussy about Trans-Tasman rivalry and will take any and all on offer. Due to continental drift the two branches (pun intended) of the Leptospermum genus separated about 9 million years ago, leading to some distinct differences between them, mostly about bark and leaves but also some of the flower colours. The Aussies have the peaches, apricots and variations of pink whereas kiwi leptospermum are generally either white, pink or red. Breeders here have also nailed the range of heights from groundcovers to dwarf shrubs and taller growing forms. There's plenty to choose from and they are looking fabulous at the moment. 

 

For something a bit different check out the new Japanese Ginger which we have just received in. These would be great in a sheltered spot in your garden, and both these and the Alpinia nutans (another ginger) are apparently hardy to -16 degrees! The Wasabi, which we have not had before, needs consistent moisture to keep it growing well. Something different to try are the Yacon, which are similar to a kumara being a fleshy rhizome that multiplies in the ground.

 

According to MetService, it's going to be mostly fine in Hamilton for the first part of the long weekend (Friday to Sunday), but may just turn to custard on Monday. So, if you're coming in to check-out our beautiful plants and gardens, we suggest you don't leave it to the last minute.

Enjoy your long-weekend!

Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.