Friday 2nd October, 2015
How do the plants know that its spring????
Hi
Stolen lunches
When we have a new person start I always have to say "don't forget, DO NOT leave your lunch lying around. I will only provide for one dog stolen feed", after all with six dogs hanging around here the temptation of food that may be left on the bench, well may be just a tad too much for our fur children......
The funniest thing the other day was when a rep from Auckland was doing her best to sell plants to Harry, needed to go to her car to get her pad. Well our nursery cat had jumped in the open door and was busily tucking into her lunch and its not like we don't feed her twice a day . I have to say the cat will go for anything that belongs to some one else. The down side of all of this is Harry had to give her what was left of our lunch which was a delicious bacon and egg pie that he had made. His pies are about a hand size thick and filled with sliced kumara, peas, chock full of bacon and all settled in with home grown eggs, some whisked and others just left whole. A little slice will last you the whole day.
Of course he scored some bargains in return for his pie and the bad behaviour of the cat!!!
Deals this week
Spiraea cantonensis. These are claim spring with stunning display of masses of white flowers and for those that don't have space for a flowering cherry tree then you might have one of these Grows into a largish cascading shrub with masses of white flowers and lime green leaves all summer Grows to approx 1.5 x 1.5 metres $14.99 these just $9.99 each and awesome as a filler. Check out the other spiraeas, Snow mound and Prunifolia.
Astelia Chathamica. Everyone probably knows the silver spear which is the silver form of this plant but this parent, or original form, has grey green leaves (these ones are more silver green than I usually know but still a cool colour) and look great in all manner of plantings from informal to the more formal. Prefers a well drained sun to partial shade position. Remember these things grow in the crutches of large trees and so are used to good drainage and poorish conditions. $19.99 down to just $9.99
Star Jasmine. My favourite climber or ground cover if that is what you are after. Great evergreen foliage and stunning fragrant flowers in spring. Cut to keep it in what ever form that you desire it to grow. Stocky plants $12.99 these just $10.99.
Spring is well and truly here
We were driving through Huntly the other day and Tony remarked on a huge Norfolk pine that was putting out a new growth spurt...
Isn't it just so amazing that plants know that it is spring, well I guess that there are a few signals that let the trees/plants know that its either time for flowers or for the leaves to appear. After that cold Waikato winter that we have just had I imagine also that the ground temps have started to rise and of course we have that lovely spring rain that keeps pumping water into that new spring growth.
Some plants are day length responsive and I guess that as the days lengthen then that signals the time to get cracking and get the sex or flowering part of the cycle over and done with and onto the serious business of making food which is all in the leaves.
The time clocks of the cherries is pretty fascinating too,.... how do the campanulatas get to flower first, I don't know the answer to that one, other than I know that they are different species and that is just how it is ? The next species to flower have been the yedoensis forms like Awanui which have been just spectacular The flowering cherry that is next on the calender and about to pop into a mass display of double pink flowers is Accolade which is a deeper pink than
Awanui but oh so pretty.
Lastly on the flowering cherry calender is the Serrulata's of which
Shirotae Mt fuji is a cultivar and I see that the flowering buds on this species are all starting to swell and then it will be all go. Mt Fuji as its name suggests is white and very double and creates a lovely umbrella shaped tree that will nicely create shade over the summer.
Its not just the flowers that make spring so beautiful but take time to look at leaves ( which of course provide the food) and I'm a soft touch for that new growth in the spring. Walking through the nursery the other morn I spied that the
Maples are all starting to leaf up.
You can't miss Shindeshojo with its gorgeous salmon, shrimp, pinkish leaves that will change to a cool green through the summer only to delight again in the winter with more fiery colours. I noticed one of my favourite dwarf maples (Mikawa Yatsuba) is looking all fresh and green buts its the shade of green and the reddish stem bits that makes it look special not to mention that it has this awesome habit. Goshiki Kotohime is a bit of a mouthful to say but nevertheless looking pretty handsome right now.
Tis the season for Fluff n fillers
Latest offerings in
Nemesia's There seems to be a never ending array of colours and varieties of these pretty fillers. Hack them back after flowering and they should flower again. A great plant for the front of the border and/or for pots.
Havent had
Euphorbias in for a while . Great foliage style fillers and the bract like flowers are quite neat and here are a couple that just arrived in this week
Euphorbia Jade Dragon Beautiful blue green foliage with burgundy tints and classic Euphorbia flowers that are lime greenish with reddiish dot in the centre
Euphorbia
Ascot Rainbow as its name suggests a myriad or rainbow like colours well only in the way that a Euphorbia can look like a rainbow. Pretty and something a bit different. This would look cool next to some green foliage to set it off.
Calibrachoa just getting warm enough for these small petunia like flowers which will delight by flowering over all the spring and the summer. Just awesome in pots and hanging baskets and the garden too.
The
lavender range is increasing, still probably not quite warm enough for the English types to be in in big numbers yet but check out what is here by following the link.
New in and hot off the press
Latest offering in Hebe are the regal series Catherine George and Charlotte
For all the online aholics that make paper lists of plants that you would like to to look at and then come out to the nursery to view them and forget your list then I think that this is for you. Log onto our website as yourself and click the like box, which you will now find next to every items name, and then if you forget your list then you should be able to bring up your like list in the nursery... wait for it, but on your smart phone.....
A few newsletters ago I mentioned about the
Topp Twins latest series that is airing on Sunday nights at 8pm called
Topp Country. Well we are all excited to see the outcome of our awesome day with these lovely ladies and see how we look on air. If you have been loving this series then you may get to see us after this weeks episode The love of Bread. View Love of the Backyard Top Country with the Top Twins and Wairere Nursery 4th October. Find out more
here.
Just so that you know that Im not fibbing and do go home and do some gardening I have put up some pics of our vege garden that is really starting to grow now. We love the taste of home grown food and so I have thrown up a couple of pics of our colour chard and the french shallots that are just romping away. I even managed to get in some broad beans eventually which are well up now but I hope that I got them in early enough.
PS we are still digging out the aggies and it will be the ivy next Have a great weekend
Cheers
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend w
here even
GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag
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