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Friday 28th November, 2014
Christmas is looming... time to get that garden in shape
Hi
Train Whistle Blowing
Imagine going to a show celebrating 50 years, Well The Seekers are doing just that! They were just up at the Civic in Auckland and last night they played at the Claudelands arena. We went along last night taking my mother to enjoy their 50 anniversary tour. LOL Im sure that we seemed like the youngest there (just kidding) but figured that I would have been about 3 when they were topping the charts, seems like a liftime ago now. It was one of those occasions that you just knew all the tunes and words instinctively, probably because when I was at school everyone sang those songs. Judith Durham has an amazing voice and last night was no exception as I was guessing that she and the band must all be in their 70's.
Goodness time flies and November is all but done and dusted and then its that crazy New Zealand hype as we slide towards Christmas. For us here at the Nursery there is a truckload of projects that need to be done from completing getting the whole garden centre re blocked to having all the gardens up to scratch so that the team can have a well earned break. Not to mention getting all the orders made for the next rose and tree season in 2015. On that note I will just add that if you do want something specific for 2015 now is the time to make that order especially if you want numbers, say of trees to line a drive.....!
As I write this I have been looking at the hedges thinking that the leaf colour has all but nearly changed and that they are not growing quite so fast so its my guess that over the next few weeks , it will be the plan to get all the hedges done. We always have a Christmas Brunch here for all the families and any that have nowhere to be for the day and I do like to have the garden up to scratch for everyone to be able to go and have a wander. Lol no family rows here as everyone can have time out and wander the garden.
I was chatting to one of Anthony's (Wairere's Garden Designer) clients yesterday who proudly announced that she had recently acquired a new passion for hydrangeas. She proudly announced that she was feeling all Hydrangerous. I guess that its how language changes when people make new terms for how they feel about something and I can totally understand how she feels. Hydrangeas would have to be right up there for me as well but I'm not sure that I would quite describe myself as feeling all Hydrangerous.
Some of my faves would have to be the the species types but then - hey, I like them all.
Agnes Pavelli, Alpen Gluhen, Annabelle, Ayesha, Blaumeise, Bloody Marvelous
Blue Deckle, Blue Prince, Blue Wave, Bridal Bouquet, Bridget Blue, Brilliant
Fireworks, Fuji waterfall, Geoffrey Chaubund, Grandad, Grayswood, Le Cygne
Hydrangea Aborescens Annabelle is really cool with green parsley like clusters that open to delicious cream flowers that then age to a really cool chartreuse green. As Anthony's latest little saying goes 'Too delicious to eat'. At this chartreuse stage they pick and dry beautifully and will last inside forever, well ages until the dust gets too much... Now Annabelle is a tad different from other hydrangeas in that in can be cut back to ground level each winter when its finished and then in springs up again, in the spring, no pun intended. We have this one planted in the garden with the tractor seat plants and it all looks pretty neat together.
Hydrangea Villosa, one that you may see in the english picture books with its lace cap like heads of what I would describe as lilac-ie (my new word) blue. Grows into quite a substantial shrub that just smothers itself with these gorgeous flowers. The leaves are kinda furry as well which is a bit different from all the normal hydrangeas that we all know and love.
Another one that I just adore is the oak leaf hydrangea or Quercifolia for those that need reminding. Awesome large creamy cone shape flowers but also stunning leaves that are of course, the same shape as Oak leaves. This hydrangea is more tolerant of those drier spots and about those leaves again, but they do turn the most amazing red colours in the Autumn.
Finally on the species are the Paniculata forms that also will grow into quite large shrubs and will smother themselves with large creamy white cone shaped flowers. A spectacular sight when a large shrub is in the garden in full bloom.
Libelle, Mariko, Reiko, Madame Bardsee, Mars, Masja
Matilda Gutges, Merveille Sanguine, Mrs Kumiko, Nightingale, Nigra, Nizza
Paniculata, Paniculata Kyushu, Paniculata Limelight, Paniculata Tardiva, Paris, Piamina
Now most of us are probably well acquainted with the classic mop head type of hydrangea but these species also come as the lace cap which is where there is an outer ring of flowers or should I say the one with petals/sepals and the centre is like a pin cushion. These ones love to be in the dappled light so that the hot summer sun doesn't burn their flowers. These types also like to have adequate moisture so whilst they are tough and hardy they will do better with good rich moist soils. So many to choose from so I have put a small selection of pics from A-Z below.
Quercifolia, Quercifolia Pee Wee, Quercifolia Snowflake, Raspberry Crush, Red Start, Renate Steiniger
Tosca, Trophy, Venice, White Wave, YouMe Emotion, YouMe Eternity
YouMe Forever, YouMe Passion, YouMe Romance, Zurich, Schizophragma hydrangoides
New in this week
Daylilies.... Tough hardy and will grow any where, well just about, and no summer would be complete with out a summer display of these blooms. I think these are great plants to mass plant a space and when planted at approx one per metre will almost prevent weeds from growing by excluding the light.
Brocaded Gown, Alvantine Taylor, Amadeus, Buttered Popcorn, Cane Fire, Chestnut Lane
French Tarragon. dont plant anything other than this the real deal. Harry has been harvesting ours already to make his infused oil as we keep using it all up. Last night we had pre show dinner starting with nibbles of fresh ciabata and tarragon dipping oil washed down with a chardy which is why yesterdays emails is a day late..
The oil is slowly heated in a crock pot or slow cookers as he once nearly burnt the house down leaving a pot of oil on our gas stove that gently simmered away to nothing. He did catch it just before the flames burst forth but do have to add that smoke was pouring out of all the windows and the alarms were going crazy.
Pohutukawas... Metrosiderous carmina, Red carpet and Metrosiderous excelsa just in case there is someone out there that has a desire for a pohutukawa in a pot for xmas. Red carpet is a small growing bush form that has red flowers and excelsa is that classic native form that will eventually get huge. Both are great pot or tub subjects.
Red Carpet, Crimson Glory, Excelsa, Springfire, Tahiti, Vibrance
Vouchers. Gotta add this in here, but if you are searching for something and not sure what, for that, gardening friend then a voucher is a great choice. Then they can come on out here and choose their own.
Harry can't resist a bargain
Betula pendula Alba Typical silver birch with those classic white trunks. Awesome plants that must measure 3.5 metres and the trunks are already white Normally $69.99 these priced to go at just $44.99
Crab apple Jack Humm. attractive tree with blossoms in the spring followed stunning fruits that can be turned into jelly. Stocky strong plants that would normally be $53.99 these to go out at just $26.99
Cedrella sinensis or Toon tree. Spring foliage is that pretty pink that changes to green over the summer. Stunning in the spring these good strong plants are $26.99 to go at just $12.99
Well like it or not we are on the way to Christmas and the spring flush has now mostly finished so its time to get that garden into shape. I have been looking at my hedges and I reckon that the flush has mostly finished so its my aim to get all the hedges done now before Christmas day.
Many roses now have finished their first flower so if you cut them back they will be in flower again in approx 7 weeks. If you need some fillers in the garden, we still have plenty of the pretties to fill those spaces.
Silver Birch, Crabapple Jack Humm, Toon tree
Housekeeping
Wairere is open all Christmas break 8.30 to 5pm except for Christmas day so if you want to come on out to have a wander or cruise through the garden with friends then its all good. Someone has to do the watering LOL
Mail orders The week of the 15th will be our last week for nation wide dispatch, and mail order and courier will resume again Monday the 12th of January after the holiday period.
Well the weekend is well on the way now and there are a few brief showers hanging around but hey thats all good for the plants and as one of the newer staff member says, "I'm not made of sugar" so there you go!
Have a great weekend!
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag.
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2014 Newsletters...
Lily of the valley 2014 (24th May, 2014)
New Year (23rd January, 2014)
Grapes dahlias and more (29th January, 2014)
Test (5th May, 2014)
Fabulous February (6th February, 2014)
Rosmarinus (14th February, 2014)
Bottlebrush (21st February, 2014)
Feijoas Feb (28th February, 2014)
Luculia (7th March, 2014)
Camellia debrief (14th March, 2014)
Autumn Planting (21st March, 2014)
Awesome Autumn Sale (21st March, 2014)
Autumn Sale update (28th March, 2014)
Roses Still to Go (4th April, 2014)
Heucheras (12th April, 2014)
Bracteata (18th April, 2014)
test 24th April (24th April, 2014)
Anzac Day (25th April, 2014)
Chefs Choice (2nd May, 2014)
Mothers Day (6th May, 2014)
Sasanquas (16th May, 2014)
and the pot goes on (13th June, 2014)
Strawberries and Daphne (13th June, 2014)
Winter Colour (3rd July, 2014)
Mid Winter (11th July, 2014)
Mid Winter (12th July, 2014)
Its time to prune!!! (18th July, 2014)
Marmalade and Witches (1st August, 2014)
Flowering Nude (5th August, 2014)
Asparagus and Spuddies (13th August, 2014)
Garden Coverings (22nd August, 2014)
Fluff and Stuff (29th August, 2014)
Officially spring (5th September, 2014)
Officially spring (5th September, 2014)
From where I sit (26th September, 2014)
October 3rd (3rd October, 2014)
leaves (5th October, 2014)
Lavender (15th October, 2014)
Its show time (31st October, 2014)
Roses are red pink yellow and more (3rd November, 2014)
Calibrachoa Surprise (13th November, 2014)
Roses In November (21st November, 2014)
..... Hydrangeaeous
Peanuts (3rd December, 2014)
It's Christmas, Lets get Potty (12th December, 2014)
Its The big day (24th December, 2014)
Its The big day (24th December, 2014)
HL Nurseries Limited t/a Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: