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Wednesday 25th March, 2015
Hi
Harry has ...
popped down to Woodlands the other day and scored a bag full of quinces. Now Woodlands is quite the place and is just down the road from us. A beautiful historic homestead nestled amongst some quite old and historic trees. Not only is it a historic home with beautiful gardens well worth checking out but it is also a very popular, stylish wedding venue and boasts a very cool cafe, so a trip to us at the nursery could also include a visit to Woodlands.
Getting back to these quince that must have come from some old original trees and apparently they have a couple of varieties. You'll probably notice quince around town at the moment as they usually have masses of huge golden globe fruit with voluptuous curves. But the fragrance of the fruit is just so delicious almost a case of not eating them but rather just smelling them. A bowl of picked fruit just looking trendy giving off that beautiful fragrance into your room. But wait there is more, Anthony and Harry Googled a recipe last night and whipped up a batch of quince paste and OMG is it ever just delic. A good effort for a couple of virgin quince paste makers. I feel that the remaining quinces are going to be peeled chopped cooked pasted and cooked again with sugar tonight to make another batch. If I'm brave enough to venture an opinion it would be that I reckon the next lot should become more jam like so that I can have it on my morn vogels. I have posted some pics on facebook.
I had to think what the proper name for quince was as its one of those plants that most will know by its common name. I always like to know so Cydonia oblonga is its latin name and this ancient fruit belongs to the rose family just like Apple and pears. I will quickly point out that there is another plant that has very similar fruits that also smell just soooo good called Pseudocydonia sinensis (false quince) and they also look impressive just sitting around in a bowl. When I first started out in Hort there was just the cultivar called Smyrna but today we stock quite a few different cultivars like Taihape, Pineapple, Giant of Gascony. I haven't mentioned the flowers or blossoms yet but they are larger than apple blossom and in quite a pretty shade of light pink and the new leaves in spring are quite felted looking, so pretty in the spring and Autumn
I have always pruned these into a vase like shaped tree.
Project in the Tron......Gallipoli 100 year Commemoration
In case, like me, you haven't been up or down the main street of Hamilton lately I thought to mention the Gallipoli Commeration project that has been in progress since Marlborough Place was renamed Sapper Moore-Jones Place.
Now a bit about the project
It is to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, the Gallipoli Campaign, the city of Hamilton's history and 150th anniversary of our military settlement.
A bronze statue of Sapper Moore-Jones, artist of the evocative 'Man with Donkey' watercolour painting depicting a military medic transporting a wounded soldier by donkey, a painting which became the face and glory of the Anzac tale of Gallipoli and has today been unveiled. The Turkish government gifted a slab of Turkish stone which was used as the plinth for the statue.
We were approached to see if we could help in donating the plants to this worthwhile project and so together with one of our preferred and major suppliers - Growing spectrum, we have organised and supplied the plants as per the planting brief that we were given.
I imagine that if you are driving up Victoria street that you will now see this new statue on your way past as its official unveiling was today.
Collectors pieces
If you are looking for a stunning plant to add to your garden you can't go past the Telopeas AKA Waratah. Telopea has five species all confined to east coast regions of Australia. Telopea speciosissima is the floral emblem of New South Wales and one of Australia's most beautiful and spectacular native plants. It was one of the first Australian plants to be collected for cultivation in Europe as it was common in the sandstone country around the first European settlement at Port Jackson. They grow as either large shrubs or small trees with spirally arranged leaves with either entire or serrated margins. They prefer sandy loam soils and are a pyrogenic flowering species, meaning that they rely on post-fire flowering followed by production and dispersal of non-dormant seeds to take advantage of favourable growing conditions in the altered environment following a fire. Luckily we don't have to set fire to them to offer you these plants. These plants should be available in September. Hoping the link will be working when you want to order all of these but only one showing at the moment. Send email if you want to put the missing ones on order.
Mothers Day.....May 10 is coming
For those of you looking for a great gift for mothers day then Mum in a million is a gorgeous rose pretty n pink, gorgeous fragrance and a good healthy rose to grow. We will be have a limited number of our new seasons winter stock ready early especially for Mothers days. If you have a hankering to get one of these held for you or even get us to courier it out just before Mothers day with a note from you then order it now.
There is a section in our website that tells you what specials we have running and you will find some terrific bargains there. Follow the link and have a look! An excellent example of this would be the Leptospermum Coppersheen. Not only are these gorgeous plants but at 2 meters tall these plants will give you that instant hedge opportunity and for only $14.99 each (usually $19.99 each). Check out the Dahlias too all at 50% off marked price.
What needs to be ordered for mid winter planting
Strawbs need to be planted in the winter.... I know you won't be thinking about strawberries but seriously if you plant these little babies in the winter, then spring will be just a feast. While you are at it throw in some garlic, shallots and asparagus. Garlic and Shallots are usually planted around the shortest day onwards and harvested around the longest day. Asparagus crowns are also planted in winter. Taking orders for these now.
Housekeeping
Good Friday is one of the few days when we are closed. We will be open all the rest of the long weekend including Easter Sunday and Monday and our usual hours of 8.30 am to 5 pm. Our website is never closed at all so you will be able to shop online on Good Friday and any other time that suits you.
Online shopping dispatch will have a shorter window around Easter due to the two short working weeks so orders will have to be in by Tuesday prior to good Friday and again just two dispatch days after Easter Mon
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even
GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag
Archived by year 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
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 (20th March, 2015)
..... Easter is nearly here
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)
