Have you got those spuddies in ! If not click here

Our friends have suddenly become townies and maybe the garden space downsize became just a tad too small, a tad too quick. After being used to a huge potager, come, vege garden and being amazing cooks with those fresh home grown veges and then all of a sudden, there's just not quite enough room. I mean to say, you need a bit of space to grow a few spuds and theres nothing like a freshly dug home grown tattie..  Even a Zucchini needs a bit of room and when they start to produce, there's no stopping them. I tell everyone that soon well be on our six month stint of zucchini served every way possible.

Our friends plight prompted Harry to make a bigger vege patch than usual, up behind our place so as to offer them a patch to grow their own crop of potatoes. A rotary hoe was hired and H spent a good couple of hours bringing the area to a fine tilth. Now H is quite good with machinery, unlike me but that didn't stop him getting a decent blister or three.  After work each evening we have been up there and planted  a row of potatoes. Rocket first, so hopefully, we'll have some spuds for Xmas, last night effort was Heather's, next will be Cliffs Kidney and the last row will be that new spud that all are talking about Summer Delight.

We have all manner of zuchinni / Scallopinin / Courgette planted in all shades of green and yellow, 22 plants to be exact, pumpkins as well, butternut (or is it cup)  being my favourite.  Some dwarf beans  and  tomatoes and we are done, well out the back anyways, theres always a leafy selection in the garden at the back door.

I m looking forward to learning a thing or two from our friends about good old fashioned vege plot growing and perhaps we can trade  some produce....

 

Not much beats Maples for  stunning spring Foliage

This week we conclude our focus on Maples, or for those of you who are on to it.. Acers. After talking about small and beautiful Japanese Maples we turn our attention to the big, bold North American cultivars. Not only are these highly ornamental trees, especially valued for their autumn colour, they are also important production trees in both Canada and America. If you decide to plant a North American Maple give it the space it deserves to develop to its full magnificence, it will be worth it. The leaves of these trees are quite large in comparison to the daintiness of Japanese Maples. They still have the palmatum (palm) shape but the ‘fingers' are not as dissected. Of course you are probably very familiar with the leaf shape I am talking about as it is featured on the Canadian Flag and Coat of Arms.

What you may not know is that Maple hardwood is used to make baseball bats, bowling pins and bows for archery. It is also known as a ‘tone wood' i.e. it is ideal for making musical instruments especially drums. The ‘Sugar Maple' AKA Acer saccharum is used to produce Maple Syrup and charcoal from the same tree is used to filter Tennessee Whiskey thereby giving it a unique flavour. Cheers dears! So check out Acer nigrum, Acer rubrum and Acer negundo ‘Flamingo' and ‘Kelly's Gold' to bring some big bold colour to your patch.

 

Siberian Irises  OMG these are just coming into their own and our dear rep Kim from Growing Spec shared her own pic of this vibrant purple Caesers Brother  Iris which I shared on our face book page. We also just happened to have our our Siberian Iris Crystal Bright out in flower and you can check the pic out here on our Wairere FB page.

          

These Irsies will grow in most garden positions but are tolerant of quite moist or wet areas all summer. Planted en masses thety are just stunning.

NEW IN THIS WEEK

Potato Summer Delight Main Crop. A high yielding, vigorous, disease resistant potato that produces lots of large delicious potatoes with yellow skin. The flesh is creamy yellow and is considered to be "all purpose". Usually mature 150 days after planting. Yum.

Lavenders, Just arrived in yesterday new stocks of English lavender Grosso, Super, Pacific Blue and Pacific Pink

Littletunias, These are just Sooooo cute. Masses os small petunias flowers on great chunky plants which we thought that we would plant in our garden, These perennial petunias wont be repeated next year and are available in three shades of purple. Amazing all summer flowering  in hot sunny positions they will just thrive.

 

Rose Climbers Highlights

Pretty in pink and climber to boot are the new rose All my Love and this beauty has caught Harrys eye,  he keeps saying to me "Lloyd , This one is a winner" . I have to add in here, while on pink climbers, Nahema is a pretty pink fully double old fashioned flower, Bantry Bay is a bit of a classic and Uetersen is a bright pink and really really floriforus with big cabbage bright pink flowers and masses of them. Papi Delbard is a delightful blend of peach apricot and pink in an old style form.

Another really popular rose is an oldie called Birthday present, Dark black red and a fragrance to die for. Makes for an awesome pressie as well.

Rose Care.. Its time to watch out for Aphids and when these little blighters get going, they really get going. Females that can produce live young without a male are a force to be reckoned with. Control them with Shield or Super shield, but make sure that you do a couple or three sprays 2 days apart. Now Its Black spot time and if you see this starting then do the same as for aphids and break the spore count with two or three close sprays. Don't forget that rain spreads this disease as well so spray before the rain and after the rain.

 

The garden centre is looking stunning if I do say so and the garden is well worth a wander, so if you have the time, its well worth a drive to check us out. I think that our roses are the best ever and so worth looking over.. there are flowers abundant.

Other than that we could have a decent shower or two to keep the spring on a roll.

Take care and have a great weekend.

Cheers

Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag