It's only fitting that this weeks email is dedicated to roses and as I was wandering through the rose bay this morn looking for some cool pictures to show you, I thought of this piece of Bette's "The Rose" I googled it to get the lyrics and it even provided a link to send "THE ROSE" ring tone to my phone. Modern day technology Huh!

While raving on about roses, Harry has discovered this chance seedling in our garden and we think that it's a cross between Wedding Day and Moonlight or maybe Gruss an Aachen, we will have to grow it to see, whatever its parents are it's looking healthy and quite lovely and the other proud parent is Harry as he struts friends and family around the garden to view it. The garden is also looking quite picturesque at the minute so if you have time then it's worth a look so don't be shy and come out for a wander.

           

Other Rose Facts

I have seen the same lady in our garden centre at least three times this week and I know that she isn't the only one. If you want to see roses, now is the time and the whole place is just a blaze of flowers and you can see exactly what you like. These photos are ones from plants, that we have, that just happened to catch my eye this morn.

While I was in the roses checking them over, it brought  to me a whole lot of random thoughts that most probably don't know like: lilac or purple roses will more often than not be extremely fragrant, take Royal Amethyst, Hi Ho Silver and Bering are all silver, lilac, blue and all very, very, fragrant and let's not forget about Blue Moon which was in every mother's or maybe grandmother's garden. Lol! Harry and I could only think of one that wasn't fragrant...

 

            

Often we have clients that want their roses in flower for an event like a wedding and the trick is to cut them back 7 weeks before the big day.  It's like cropping cabbages lol, cut the spent flowers then re feed them and give them plenty of water and they will be at bud burst for your big day. It's a tricky deal at this time of year cause if you want them in flower for Xmas then you may have to remove the first spring flush before its finished... I think enjoy the spring flush and then cut them back for the next big one... maybe just after, in time for the new year.

Its aphid and black spot time and especially with these squally showers that we have had. If you see one or the other and want to take control then spray with shield or super shield and do at least two or three really close sprays like one to two days apart. The reason being that you won't get 100% kill with one spray so follow up closely with another one. The other main point is that rain will provide perfect conditions for black spot so follow the weather and spray prior to rain and then after rain. If it's fine for ages you may not need to spray at all. Those pesky aphids are clever at sex (or not) and females can give birth to live young without a male in sight and that is why they can smother those rose  flowers so quickly.

           

 

Lavandula: It's not hard to guess this is Lavender and there are a few main species

I'm not so good on the common names but I do know that English lavender is my favourite type, I call it real Lavender and it's the kind that you can pick and dry. Now Lavender is fairly promiscuous and today there are many clones or cultivars that are available to tempt Lavender lovers. Back to the English kind which I believe to be of the Angustifolia species and there are either the normal tall ones or those that have nana attached to their name and are much smaller growing.

Another main class of lavenders is the stoechus kind and these have what I call rabbit ears appearing out the top. These ones flower heaps and heaps and are a very pretty and free flowering plant to have in the garden.

The other main lavender is Dentata called such because of its toothed (dentate) leaves. This one never seems to stop flowering either and is quite often used for a taller lavender hedge.

Right now we have quite a collection of English lavenders so if you have a hankering for this classic plant click to follow the link. There is even some of the Pacific Pink English Lavender in the garden centre at the moment.

Plant collectibility

I couldn't resist adding these two plants this week as they are both flowering at the moment and are a bit different. I have never seen the fringe tree in flower before and thought that it was really cool. Laburnums are quite a classic and often trained as espalier or over arches, hence The Laburnum walks that are famous over in the UK

Chionanthus Virginicus

   

Fringe Tree. An unusual tree with long leaves and drooping sprays of creamy-white fragrant flowers. The flowers are slender and appear 'fringed' hence the common name. Prefers a cool climate but likes to grow in the sun in nice rich soil. May take some years to flower but worth the wait. Deciduous.

Laburnum watereri Vossi

Golden Rain Tree. Glossy green foliage set off with 60cm long racemes of fragrant golden yellow flowers in late spring.  Very showy and well worth giving a special place in the garden. Easy to grow in most soils as long as they are not too dry in summer. Deciduous. Est.10yr.growth.

New in this week

The new range of Penstemons from my fav supplier.  Click here to go to the latest in Penstemons.

Buxus rotundifolia: This is a form of sempervirens that the grower tells me that he has never seen the Buxus blight on. Whilst I can't promise this I can pass on his experience in growing this form.

Spirea Gold flame, a variegated form and sets of other green foliages.

 

Whats on

Waihi Lions Club Garden Ramble, Nov 23rd and 24th

Auckland Garden Design Fest 17th Nov    www.gardendesignfest.co.nz

Waikato Rose Show  Sat 16th Nov 11am-4.30pm   Sun 17th Nov 10am-4.30pm    Ham Gardens Pavilion

Rose Bowl Fest  14-17th Nov   Ham Gardens   www.hamiltongardens.co.nz/pacificrosebowlfestival 

 

OMG it was so good to get some rain, it will just keep our spring on a roll and the garden looking fresh. Come on out and check out the garden and all the fabulous roses in the garden centre. It's forecast for a nice weekend so will be great gardening weather especially after the rain.

 

Take care and have a great weekend.

Cheers

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