Thursday 20th August, 2015
Hi
Its the silly season of sex again...... and we are talking flowers here!!!
The peacocks out the back of our place are calling, sparrows are flitting and flirting around with bits of hay in their beaks, and because we have beehives out the back, there are bees everywhere. The season of Hanky Panky has begun with the bees helping out those perfect kind of flowers as they forage for pollen. Most plants have perfect flowers with all the female and male bits and pieces in the same flower and of course a bee can get in there and its an arrangement that suits everyone.
Then there the other types that have separate female and male flowers like say the
hazelnuts, long
dangling male catkin flowers that produce copious and wasteful amounts of pollen. These rely on the wind or breeze to carry the pollen to different plants and of course a female flower. Some examples of familiar plants that use this method are corn, grasses, birches, chestnuts (in fact many of the nut trees) and conifers. The Kahikatea trees that are on our place produce copious amounts of pollen which drifts around the place like a dust storm. It may surprise you to know that a
nother wind pollinated group of plants, that we all probably have in our garden and all will know, are grapes. I reckon that horticulture is all about shades of grey and as such there are always exceptions and oddities for example, those plants that actually have separate male and female plants like some of the holly family and the wonder tree or
Idesia. Just when you think that you have covered off pollination we have to also consider beetles and even birds. Magnolias apparently being helped out by beetles and its reputed that small birds get amongst the
Feijoa flowers helping them set fruit so there is more to pollination than bees alone.
Magnolias are a very ancient genus and its theorised that the regal flowers appeared before bees existed and therefore relied upon
beetles to help them with their pollination. Whatever way the pollination happens, with these regal flowers, they are still one of my favourite trees and I have many planted. I even planted one of the large white one (
Sir Harold Hillier) in memory of one of my favourite Aunties and I cant wait for it to flower this year. I just adore the white ones, another I must get into the ground.... I think that I can find a spot or two is
Lennei Alba and Milky way. We have an impressive
Iolanthe in the nursery and it wont be long before that its out in flower, its worth coming to the nursery just to see it in full flower.
Daffodils are all pushing through up to flower and the
Campanulata cherries are in full bloom now.(well Felix Jury is here, Superba close on its tail). I notice that another flowering cherry that we have in the nursery is also out in flower right now called
Jims delight. This is a newer one to me but it looks lovely with its starry bright pink blossoms.
Hydrangeas are a staple garden plant in NZ gardens. They line fence lines and driveways, fill shady spots in tree thickets and provide an abundance of colour from spring through to autumn. Most hydrangeas need pruning back to a pair of fat buds to get the best display of flowers early while leaving the tall unflowered spikes to start the show off. An exception to this rule is
Annabelle, this hydrangea does not need to be cut back to a fat bud pair, it can be cut back to almost ground level and still provide the next season with profuse bloom. We have a mass planting of Annabells interplanted with the tractor seat plant or
Ligularia renniformis. A pretty cool look with that stunning foliage combined with the limy green leaves and creamy flowers of the Annabelles
We still have a great deal on for hydrangeas and have even had to restock the numbers as they sold so well.. Buy four or more of the ones priced at $19.99 and get them for $17.00 each. There will be no more of these hydrangeas coming in as this is the end of these line for this season. Watch out for dreaded Downy Mildew and don't forget - feed your garden
Its been such typical spring-ish weather, warm days constant squally showers and a frost was forecast the other night, and it was a good one.... perfect conditions for that nasty sneaky downy mildew on our precious roses. I know that I do keep on about this downy mildew, but it really is a baddie, especially on the new rose leaves of your new rose plants. On formed leaves it can appear as a faint purplish mark and will cause the leaves to fall off. Its can be quite insidious though as leaves can be falling before there is any symptom. Spray in relation to the weather patterns ie before rain and after rain.
Spring is a major period of growth in the plant world and there is a lot going on and of course growth means
food is needed. Its time to feed everything in your garden. Citrus fert for all your fruit trees, regular for all your other plants and of course don't forget your roses. They will need a good rose fertiliser to kick them into spring. Don't forget that a well fed plant is way more resistant to all diseases. Just like us really good food, right amount of sleep and not to much wines and never have a cold or such....!
Just arrived this week, the start of the fluffy stuff (perennials)
Salvia Gogo Purple, A taller variety with deliciously purple tubular flowers, something for further back in the garden bed with a richness in colour that will draw the eye.
Nemesias have started with a small range of colours, pretty good for colour over long periods of time
Daisies great fillers for colour in the garden or even pots, trim to keep bushy and new flowers coming
Helleborus Snow Love looking gorgeous with the creamy flowers showing beautifully held above the deep green of their foliage.
A tree or two for the paddock
Acer sacchrum Lovely tall tree which gives gorgeous autumn colour change, lovely form when in leaf and non toxic to livestock makes this an ideal farm tree. We have stock currently around 2.5m plus tall.
Eucalyptus Nicholii (black peppermint gum) is an attractive lacy gum trees to put out in the paddock with attractive bluish green foliage.
Michelia Bubbles makes for a large flowering, fragrant evergreen tree and is easily grown and don't forget about
Maudaie with its cool bluish green leaves
Golden Elms have lovely limy yellow leaves and make for a great pasture tree or even will look pretty cool down the drive.
Corylopsis spicata with pretty yellow flowers first thing in the spring hanging like hop flowers. A good filler shrub that is deciduous.
Mock Orange or
Philadelphis another classic shrub with very fragrant flowers in spring
Kolkwitzia Pink Cloud AKA beauty bush, smothers it self with apple blossom like flowers in a pretty shade of pink.
Cryptandra Scortechinii here is a superb evergreen ground cover that will give gorgeous white flowers throughout winter. Awesome easy care plant.
The Topp Twins latest series is about to hit the screens this sunday
We all know the Top Twins and their new series
Topp Country which is all about food is about to start this Sunday, 23rd August at 8.00pm on TV One. Make this a must watch as you will get to see us on the backyard episode. We had a most enjoyable day filming with these hard case characters and are looking forward to seeing how it looks. You can find out more information
here.
Saturday already
Hopefully a busy day in the nursery and my plan is to be in the nursery garden next week. Have a great weekend and a good week ahead.
Cheers
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend w
here even
GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag
