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Saturday 16th August, 2025

Hi

Birds in gardens by Tracy
Wheeling and screeching, whistling and swooping, a native kākā has kept us entertained at the garden centre this morning. It's hanging out in the massive gum across the road at the marae. I love hearing and seeing native birds around the garden and there's definitely ways to entice them in by selecting the plants they like best. Tuis are a particular favourite with their glossy plumage with colours of midnight blue and deepest green fading to jet black. Their melodious trills are interspersed with weird coughs, grunts and whistles which adds to the interest!   
A case in point to attract tuis to the garden are the Taiwanese Cherry trees or Prunus campanulata. In Latin, the campanulata part of the name means 'bell shaped' which describes their long, tube-shaped flowers. Originating in Taiwan, these bright pink flowering trees have been popping up in gardens since being introduced to New Zealand in the 1960's. 
The down side with them though is that they produce a massive amount of fruit which is then distributed by birds all over the place including in bush areas where it can become a pest. This has led to them being banned in various areas of New Zealand including Northland, Auckland and Nelson. Waikato Regional Council status is "sustained control" of these trees if they are on your land. Happily, plant breeders including Mark Jury have bred alternatives to this tree which are sterile and therefore safe to plant while still attracting and feeding birds. One such is Prunus campanulata Pink Cloud which has a lighter colour flower and flowers around September. We also stock Prunus Felix Jury, which is closer in colour and flowering time to the original campanulata.
Other plants to attract birds
Other native-bird-attracting plants include kōwhai, flax, pūriri, wineberry and cabbage trees (Cordyline). Many of our native birds love the berries produced by natives including corokia, kahikatea and karamu (coprosma robusta).
There are of course other plants which bring in the tuis including a lot of the Australian natives which are known for their nectar-filled flowers. Banksia are a popular shrub as they have spectacular flowers and grow best in sunny well drained frost-free spots. A little less fussy and still full of flowers are the Grevilleas, a genus which boasts a huge variety from ground covers to tree-sized plants. The unusual flowers, which can be described as a cross between a toothbrush and a spider, are found in bright colours of yellow, orange, red which make them stand out in your garden as they flower for much of the year.
Don't forget the Bottlebrushes (Callistemons) too - hot colours of pink, red and sometimes white, they are full of the nectar that tuis love and with any luck the birds will be hanging around visiting the flowers all summer long.
What's interesting in store this week?
Daphne
Scent is such an underrated addition to garden planning, but it can be a real bonus when you open the door or window, or enjoy an outdoor beverage at the weekend. Daphne are a favourite of many. Even though they are not large plants, they pack a punch with the heady fragrance of the flowers in late winter and early spring. Traditional pink Daphne Leucanthe is in stock as well as the equally fragrant but white-flowered Daphne Odora Alba. The Greek legend behind the name Daphne is equally romantic and dramatic. Daphne (a river nymph) was sought by the God Apollo as he was captivated by her beauty; her father (a river God) transformed her into a tree so that she could escape him.
Deciduous Azaleas
Deciduous Azaleas really do knock your socks off when you see them as they are a brilliant selection of vibrant colours on a medium sized shrub or small tree. Bright orange, yellow, red, icy white and pink are some of the colours on offer for these beauties. They are part of the rhododendron family so prefer soil on the acidic side. Adding a twice annual application of acid fertilizer will get your display of trumpet flowers popping and turning heads each spring. Check out our selection here.
Potatoes
Also just arrived are our seed potatoes. It seems a lot of people are itching to get their hands on them based on the inquiries we have received so far. It's still pretty early to plant them out as early shoots can get hammered by the frost. If you want to get a start on them now you can 'sprout' or 'chit' them by placing them in a well-lit, cool, dry and frost free spot (probably inside). Once sprouts have emerged to a good 2-3 centimetres and are compact and strong you can plant them out in rows which will allow you to mound them up as they grow. This will protect the potatoes from insect damage and potential frost or greening from exposure to the sun. See our website here for more information about potato varieties and how to grow them.
We have been blessed by another week of gorgeous sunshine and chilly clear skies, so hopefully that has primed all our gardens for bursting into bloom once the soil temperature heats up a bit.
I'm catching up with family this weekend as we have a few of spring babies in the family. Cake for me! I hope you enjoy whatever the weekend brings you.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.

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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 (20th March, 2015)

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: