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Friday 17th May, 2013
What would we do with out Wikipedia!
Hi
So then, why is a loquat called a loquat? A talkative fruit? ..... Thanks for all your emails - love them........ Best, Barbara
Well of course I didn't know the answer so I just had to google Loquat. Now Loquat is the common name and Eriobotrya japonica is it's technical name. Its at this point that horticulture becomes a tad tricky as nobody (well not many) and me included would call the loquat by its correct botanical name. I even have to own up to the fact that I didn't even know what the proper name was. Now where did that name of Loquat come from. Well according to Wikipedia, the name loquat derives from lou4 gwat1, the Cantonese pronunciation of its old classical Chinese name. Loquats form quite a handsome, smallish, evergreen tree that would suit a subtropical look garden with deliciously fragrant flowers which are followed by tasty yellow round fruits.
Be careful what you cut back at this time of year as trimming plants in our warm climate here can promote them to start growing and then 'Bing' we get a ripper frost and it all gets burnt. Don't touch plants like lavender as they don't like our damp waikato winters at the best of times. Lavenders should have been trimmed way back in late Feb early March. Roses, leave them alone too so that you get those pretty hips and then once the weather is cold enough, then they can be pruned, usually in July or earlier if we start to get some decent frosts. Now for those that want some pointers on rose pruning or just want some advice on choosing a rose then some of the keen enthusiasts from the Hamilton Rose Society will be here on a couple of weekends in June. Let me know if you are interested so that I have some idea of numbers, just email your interest to lloyd@wairere.co.nz
Saturday 1st June 11am to 2pm
sunday 2nd June 1pm to 3pm
Saturday 15th june 11am to 2pm
Sunday 1pm to 3pm
Why don't you pop kettle on love and we'll have a nice natter about
Tea Roses.......
Tea Roses hail from the Orient and are an ancient cross (deliberate or otherwise) between Rosa gigantea and Rosa chinensis resulting in a rose we know botanically as Rosa x odorata, common name ‘Hume's Blush Tea-Scented China'. Tea Roses are such a key part of the Rose story as they are one of the ancestors of the Modern Hybrid Tea rose we grow and exhibit today. John Reeves, a Tea Inspector for the British East India Company, based in China from 1812 to 1831, was especially passionate about these Roses and paid Chinese agents to collect specimens from areas that were forbidden to foreigners. Mr Reeves also patronized and exported to Britain large amounts of plant material grown by the Fa Tee Nursery in Canton. Such was the excitement of the day that paintings of the ‘China Teas' were commissioned and these can still be seen today in the RHS Lord Lindley Library in London.
These ‘new' roses were eagerly embraced by European horticulturists. The French and the Italians began making their own crosses which resulted in 250 new Tea Roses being introduced between 1830 and 1840. Sadly a series of hard European winters around the 1840's resulted in the decline of the Tea Rose as they did not do well in the cold damp conditions. Many popular varieties of the day are now thought to be extinct though they could still be growing, much loved but unidentified in secluded corners of the globe. Luckily for us the Tea Roses that were taken to Australia and New Zealand by early British settlers thrived in the warmer temperatures therefore ensuring their enduring popularity. We can thank British Rosarian Graham Thomas (the popular yellow Austin Rose bares his name) for fighting for the preservation of Tea roses in the 1960's. Eminent NZ Rosarians Nancy Steen and Trevor Griffiths also admired and wrote about the importance of Tea Roses and here at Wairere we are contining the love affair with these most beautiful and desired roses. Check out some of our favourites:- Jean Ducher, Lady Hillington, Devonensis, Monsieur Tillier, General Galleni.Characteristics of the Tea Rose
Open growth habit
Silky petals with subtle colour tones
Distinctive pointed buds on slender stems
Cupped nodding blooms double or semi-double
Delicious distinctive fragrance
Will grow in sun or filtered light as long as it is warm and cosy
Long lived therefore require space to grow
Resent hard pruning - best just dead-headed regularly
Recurrent i.e. bloom continuously if in a warm sheltered spot
Whats in this week
Griselinia Alpine, Harry did a bit of bartering to get these and they are a lovely grade plant at around 50/70cm, attractive foliage and make for a very tidy hedge Normally at $14.99 grade priced at just $10.99 and for 50 or more just $9.99 each.
Topiary Lonicera balls stunning fresh plants, larger grade balls in the denser form of nitidia and smaller plants in pileata species. While on the subject on Box honeysuckle there is a really bushy grade that Angela spied of nitidia and another form that has ruby edge $11.99 these can go at $7.99 Will clip into a tight dense small hedge
Pitto Mountain Green, couldn't resist these, a field grown batch, nice and bushy and while on the subject of field grown, a lovely grown grade of Griselinia Ardmore Emerald and Broadway Mint.
Lophomyrtus Kaikoura Dawn, these have really smart foliage and would look great in a shrubbery, always omething to pick for those that like foliage for floral arrangments or something different for a hedge
Brunsfelsia latifolia, best known as Yesterday Today and Tomorrow and this is the fragrant form. We are wanting to move these as its too cool here with no crop cover. Big bushy plants that would suit a home where the frost doesnt reach just half price at $10 normally $19.99.
Michelia Blush, Cream and White Magnolia fairy blush was new out a couple of years ago but this is the first time that we have had the cream and white form. if the pink form is anything to go on these other two will be just the business.
Family Fun day and Fundraiser, Sat 25th May 2013 10am to 4 pm Awapuni Donkey Farm 372 Whitikahu road $5.00 pp includes free donkey Ride contact Jenny on jenny.bryan@xtra.co.nz or visit their website www.mammoth-donkey.co.nz
Cheers
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where gardening's not a drag
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 (4th April, 2013)
Big boots to fill ... (11th April, 2013)
True Love and Large Hips (11th April, 2013)
Happy Birthday (10th May, 2013)
..... Tea Roses
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: