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Friday 20th March, 2015
Hi
The little things in life
It's been a couple of years since I got my first pair of glasses for reading. I had lost one of my two pairs and I have absolutely wrecked the other one. Chipped and scratched from falling off my head or from the neck of my shirt where I try to keep them handy in case I want to see something important like a plant label. It is just as well I don't have to read the plant label to know what they are and I haven't been able to see mites under those rose leaves for quite some years now but luckily I can tell that they are there by how the leaf looks, or is that just a sign of maturing years? LOL
I'm sure that many will well know how it is. They are never on my head when I want them. They are just a nuisance when I am in the garden centre moving stock around and where are they when I want to serve a customer and see that computer screen. That same computer screen that Harry is always moaning about the screen font being too small. Perhaps I should just suggest that he gets his glasses on too or perhaps I should invest in two gold chains to hang glasses around our necks.
Well the story is that I went and got another couple of pairs of reading glasses and what a huge difference. . Close up is what I haven't seen for a while, even food looks so good to eat if I happen to have them on. It makes me think that I always want to have my reading glasses on just to eat dinner, not just using the computer. I'll even be able to see that slug in my salad.
Now on a gardening theme...
Living fences
Why have a hedge ? Because they are cool! I just love them and the look they create. LOL probably why we have so many at the nursery... to start with there is the hedge around the old boys cottage which gives him total privacy (and we don't have to be subjected to his little nude sunbathing habit). I must admit that this hedge hasn't kept the chooks, ducks and dogs out of his section over the years. There was a time that Pete got rather upset over the chooks wrecking his garden and these days the dogs seem to have an uncanny knack of knowing when there are any scraps going as they drift through and sit on the front porch. He also knows when to not own up when a chook is laying eggs in his garden.
Then there is the main front hedge which serves many purposes ranging from wind shelter to security as its damn prickly and looks awesome with the roadside plantings of trees that sit above further adding to breaking that westerly that is so prevalent in NZ.
Whatever your purpose, and there are so many reasons to create a living fence, whether it be purely to look out onto something green instead of yet another wooden fence, hide a tacky view or create a boundary, break the wind, even just privacy and its not too difficult to grow your own living structure.
I often get asked about how many plants are needed to create a hedge and I remember my colleague Chris writing a piece on just this subject. If I remember correctly she suggested that you would plant your selected hedge plants at spacings that are half the expected height of the hedge which is in keeping with what I was taught. External hedges or ones that are expected to grow around 1.2 to 1.8 metres should be planted at no further than one plant per metre. Now you may well bring this spacing to around 70cm apart according to the grade and quality of plant being planted or whether you are after a more finished look. Just while on the subject of spacings smaller internal hedges are planted at 20 to 30 cm apart, dependant on grade etc.
Now a hedge is like a garden and does need a tad of looking after to be that centre piece that you want it to be but just for the record, on the whole, they are pretty easy and low maintenance provided they get their twice a year trimming.
When planting a new hedge, I suggest that you run a string line and create the space, usually around 70 to 100 cm wide as most will mature to this width. I always suggest that the grass or lawn be skimmed or sprayed off and then this designated area can be mulched after planting. Mulching is for several reasons and the first being that it will suppress the weeds, secondly will benefit the soil and also conserve water and importantly make the area look like a hedge to be. Plant your chosen hedge in the centre of this space along a string line and at measured spacings.
I get so many that weed eat around their new hedge plants not realising that they are ring barking them so if you mulch the space this will suppress the weeds and spot spray with round up so as not to disturb the soil surface. Once the hedge is established weeds wont be such a problem as the hedge will exclude the light at ground level so that weeds will be a minimum.
Keep your hedge trimmed from day one so that all the growth goes into creating bushy plants that will all join up quickly. Initially hand shears is easiest for this job but as the hedge matures its important that you keep it cut back hard. As i tell my team if you even leave a centimetre each time you trim then your hedge will gain an inch (2cm) per year. Remember that your hedge should be maintained slightly wider at the base than the top so that all parts get the sun. Regular feeding will also promote good health and vigour and like the garden should be fed twice a year prior to Spring and Autumn.
What should you choose for a hedge? Well I guess this depends on position, budget, time frame, life span etc.... Camellias are hardy, long term and for this reason one of my number one choices. Sasanqua Camellia would be a usual choice and will give you a very classic look especially if you choose a typical Sasanqua of which there are many to choose from. Early Pearly, Setsugekka,Silver Dollar spring to mind. The Camellia outside Petes house is one called Gay Baby (and no we didn't plant it because of its name) but rather it looks a bit different for a Camellia as its new growth is this amazing bronze red. LOL we ran out of plants and completed the back of his hedges with another species hybrid called Fairy Wand... where do they get these names?
Griselinias, Pittosporums and Corokias as all good examples of NZ Native plants that usually create relatively quick screens. Griselinias seem to be all the rage with their glossy limey green foliage but if you are are after this shade of green then also consider the port wine magnolia or there is another Michelias that Harry has been buying called Coco which has an awesome leaf and pretty neat looking flower. There are other Michelias that are also worth checking out and include Fairy blush, Fairy Cream and the species of Gracipes and Yunnanensis.
Harry's sister Teresa just happens to work in a place that produce NZ native plants and she suggested to Harry that Putaputaweta (Carpodetus serratus prostrata )would make for a pretty neat hedge for those that want something a tad unique and I reckon that she is right. It has the right growth habit and and unusual leaf that is kinda green with darkish marks on it.
Autumn is the perfect planting time for a hedge.
Just arrived in this week
New seasons Rhodos and they are just stunning plants. Lush and chunky, all our old usual's are there and even some newbies that we haven't had before. Rhododendron like those dappled light positions just like Camellias and they like peat or compost like soils that stay moist with their delicate fine roots, however they are not really a wet feet type of plant.
Cotinus Royal Purple ... purple leaved smoke bush
The other week we had the smoke bush Grace that has the new leaves that emerge a greyish pink and then age to a bluish green, well we have lucky enough to score a whole batch of another selction called Royal purple and the foliage is just gorgeous and these too have that classic cotinus or smoke bush flower in a gorgeous shade of smokey pink.
All manner sizes and shades of glazed pots but you will have to call into the nursery to check these out as they are not up on the web.
Black mondo
A lovely grade of this grass like perennial with its dark black foliage and pretty mauve flowers. Does well in the full sun and is pretty easy to grow
I don't know if this one has a common name but a pretty good plant to use as a ground cover in semi shade.3
Myrtus ugni has those little cranberry like fruits that are quite tasty eaten straight from the bush. It has attractive small leaves and would hedge well or just use as a shrub in the garden.
Everyone loves the fragrance of gardenia and this is an easy number to grow. Forms a small bush with those classic white fragrant flowers.
Winter roses (Helleborus) have started to arrive in too though it does seem early for these relatives of the buttercup family. Of the Orientalis types we have Ice Queen and Tutu ballet and the stunning foliage not too mention flowers of Corsicus and Foetidus.
We have more cucumbers than we know what to do with. I think that H counted at least 20 and i see the recipe books of Alison Holst, Delia smith and the CWI are out on the table so there are no prizes for guessing that we must be going to be making some form of relish or pickle with all the cucumbers.
Its going to be on our agenda for the weekend and its looking to be a fine weekend so enjoy yours
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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2015 Newsletters...
We're back (8th January, 2015)
Settling In (29th January, 2015)
Summer colour (30th January, 2015)
Fabulous Feb (6th February, 2015)
Roses on sale (16th February, 2015)
stevia (20th February, 2015)
Cheeky Climbers (6th March, 2015)
Michelias and Camellias (11th March, 2015)
..... Living fences
Easter is nearly here (25th March, 2015)
Mourning the end of summer? (2nd April, 2015)
SALE NOW ON!!! (8th April, 2015)
Autumn Harvest (17th April, 2015)
What to do with all those leaves. (22nd April, 2015)
Autumn Flowers (1st May, 2015)
Sunday Mothers Day (8th May, 2015)
Colours of Autumn (15th May, 2015)
Always a project (22nd May, 2015)
Rose potting (23rd May, 2015)
Clip n Snip (4th June, 2015)
Roses Galore (14th June, 2015)
Rose Climbers (19th June, 2015)
Its Time to prune (3rd July, 2015)
Like a candy shop (11th July, 2015)
The pruning session (16th July, 2015)
Red and white stems (24th July, 2015)
Rose pruning Thur and Fri (24th July, 2015)
Winter Colour (31st July, 2015)
Time to feed (9th August, 2015)
Magnolias (20th August, 2015)
Gardeners work is never done (25th August, 2015)
Till the cows come home, or get shoooood away! (28th August, 2015)
Topiary Art (11th September, 2015)
Tosca in spring (19th September, 2015)
An extra hour (25th September, 2015)
The first Friday in October (2nd October, 2015)
Pretties Galore (9th October, 2015)
Frantic Fridays (16th October, 2015)
geraniums are in (20th October, 2015)
November events (31st October, 2015)
Movember (9th November, 2015)
Christmas is coming (20th November, 2015)
Harry was blowing in the wind (26th November, 2015)
December (3rd December, 2015)
Chilli out for Christmas (18th December, 2015)
HL Nurseries Limited t/a Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: