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Thursday 4th April, 2013

 

Autumnal Plantings and a dash of Rain

Hi

Trash or Treasure ???

Harry has this habit of putting stuff on the side of the road that could be more useful to some one else. You know the old adage; one man's rubbish, another mans treasure. Well can you imagine the look on my face when a well known gentleman from around the Hamilton lake asked me politely if we could remove the screws from some giant Bamboo before he threw it into his new Audi. Once an emporium owner you can't stop collecting trash, lol, or is it treasure!

Speaking of treasures there are heaps of bargains here to be found , still some half price roses,  Feijoas from $6.99 and good named varieties too, ideal for a fruiting hedge. Dont forget that all the new seasons Camellias and Rhodos are here and heaps of fruit trees as well. We finally have had a couple of showers of rain, nowhere near enough but at least we can all think about Autumn planting...

Where would we be without our Mothers...

Its not too long now until the big rose pot is on but the prep work starts way before they arrive. One of the pre rose arrival projects was getting ready the ten thousand labels by ripping them up and putting them into name and holding by rubberband  so that they can be tied to the roses in the field.  Well what does one do! I can tell you... you rope in your mother, who patiently  sorted the whole job, right down to removing the little perforations and lets just add they had to be in alphabetical order. 10000 labels and 600 varieties, thats no mean feat. Where would we be without our Mothers!!!!


Now just while on the subject of mothers I am meant to be getting a few Mum in a Million roses especially for Mothers day which is coming up. Now I guess that this could depend on rain but last time I checked on their arrival we were still on schedule. If you would like to pre order and have dispatched before mothers day with a card or something then please order online with a note to Rose in the office or even just fire Rose an email. Don't forget that these are rose plants and being Autumn will be leafless and I have to say be in first since there are only a few as the rest will arrive normal time in the winter. If a Gardenia would be more your thing to give then we have a whole heap of Gardenia True Love which would make for an awesome gift. 

                

On the garden front

I would be leaving the roses alone from now on, no more deadheading or cutting back as you want the roses to end the season in rose hips which I think are just as attractive inside in a vase as the flowers. This will mean that the roses will finish the season properly and be ready for that all important winter prune in June or July or when the weather here gets cold enough. I think that its really important that that your roses get a good rest before the next spring

Hedges are stating to autumn flush  and will do more so with some much needed rain. I would tend to not cut them back until this flush has hardened off so when the temps do drop then get in and cut them back and your hedges will stay tidy then all winter and right through  until the spring flush again.

Bourbon Roses Its still all about the birds and the bees (horticultural  hanky panky)

Bourbon Roses are named after Ile de Bourbon a small island in the Indian Ocean (now known as Reunion) which was once a French Colony but is now an "Overseas Department of France", whatever that means. The Bourbon Rose was a natural cross between Rosa chinensis and Rosa damascena bifera, these two pollen parents being a popular choice for hedging on the Island so there was obviously some horticultural hanky-panky going on in the hedge-rows. There are several disputed claims as to who saw this chance seedling first however it remains undisputed that seeds of this ‘new' rose were sent to France around 1817.

         

There they were grown by the head gardener to King Louis-Philippe and became known as ‘Rosier de I'lle Bourbon'. A very similar rose - many say exactly the same - grew in the Calcutta Botanic Gardens around the same time and was known in India as Rose Edouard. Perhaps the original seed was more widely distributed than first thought? Still, no matter who did what with whom and where they were when they did it, there is no doubt that French horticulturists were the first to recognize the potential of the Bourbon. They went on to reproduce an extremely popular group of roses which we still enjoy in our gardens today. Perhaps the most celebrated of these is Souvenir de la Malmaison - named after Empress Josephine's garden at Malmaison.

The Empress, better known to gardeners as a great Rosarian rather than being the second Mrs Bonaparte, continues to be a constant and important thread in our Rose story. Souvenir de la Malmaison is a rose that loves the warmth perhaps harking back to its origins in that little Island in the sun. Other desirables are La Reine Victoria, Mme Isaac Pereire, Mme Ernst Calvat and Commandant Beaurepaire (Vince's favourite Rose) - I know, that's a "treadful" joke!

Characteristics of Bourbon Rose

• Red tinged glossy foliage
• Flowers are usually very double with a high petal count
• Blooms in clusters and repeats
• Often quite thorny
• Vigorous in habit and can be quite tall with long arching canes
• Fragrant

Boursault Roses
A small and relatively unknown Group of Climbing Roses that were introduced and grown between 1829 and 1851. They are named after Henri Boursault, a prominent French Rosarian. Boursault roses are thought to be crosses between Rosa chinensis, Rosa banksiae and/or Rosa blanda. Their mostly thorn-less stems would certainly support this parentage. Very few are grown today and here at Wairere we don't currently stock any though one of the most well known ‘Amadis' is available in N.Z.

Characteristics of Boursault Roses

• Arching thorn-less stems
• New growth has purple-red tones
• Flowers early on previous years growth and does not repeat
• Vigorous habit - requires space
• Little or no fragrance

There is nothing surer than change and the way these computers keep updating themselves is almost beyond me. My version  of Firefox updated itself and prevented me form putting up pics and so here is the pic that I wanted to share a couple of emails back of the bizzare looking  Magnolia fruit. Another weekend is looming and its clocks back Sunday so don't forget.

Have a great weekend.

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 |

2013 Newsletters...

New Year and Crepe Myrtles (8th February, 2013)

clivias and Roses (15th February, 2013)

Roses in the beginning (22nd February, 2013)

The Albas (1st March, 2013)

St Patricks day (9th March, 2013)

Cabbage Roses (15th March, 2013)

Hirsute Roses (22nd March, 2013)

Portland Roses (28th March, 2013)

..... Bourbon Roses

Big boots to fill ... (11th April, 2013)

True Love and Large Hips (11th April, 2013)

Happy Birthday (10th May, 2013)

Tea Roses (17th May, 2013)

Hybrid Perpetuals (24th May, 2013)

Planting and caring for your new roses (29th May, 2013)

Polyanthas (31st May, 2013)

Hybrid Teas (8th June, 2013)

Floribundas (14th June, 2013)

Austin Roses =?utf-8?Q?e298bc?= (23rd June, 2013)

Different Coppers (29th June, 2013)

Pendula or weeping (5th July, 2013)

All in a days work (19th July, 2013)

Daphne (26th July, 2013)

Hydrangea Secrets (2nd August, 2013)

Maples high worked (9th August, 2013)

Magnificent Mags (16th August, 2013)

Mags Part two (23rd August, 2013)

Hedges (30th August, 2013)

The fluffy stuff (12th September, 2013)

Fluff and Stuff (12th September, 2013)

PC Irises (20th September, 2013)

Beardless Irises (27th September, 2013)

Lavender (4th October, 2013)

The Ilams (12th October, 2013)

Maples (17th October, 2013)

Maples (18th October, 2013)

Maples Part two (24th October, 2013)

Maples Part three (1st November, 2013)

It's Rained (8th November, 2013)

Busy week (15th November, 2013)

Hydrangeas (29th November, 2013)

Its rained some more (6th December, 2013)

Who's pinching my Peaches (13th December, 2013)

Merry Xmas (24th December, 2013)

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