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Tuesday 20th October, 2015

English Lavenders 

Hi

OMG  Its Labour weekend!!! where has they year gone !!

Its the first three day weekend  after the winter and its the traditional time to start getting that vege garden cranking.  Technically because the ground temps are supposed to be warm enough to plant those tender plants that we all love so much like Basil. Gosh its even raining on the long weekend, but I'm not complaining as we so need the rain, well my vege patch does any ways  other wise I was going to have to find that sprinkler.

Many growers out there have been also been waiting as some plants need plenty of warmth to get them ready for dispatch and English lavender types are one such plant. English Lavenders are the Angustifolia or munstead types and what I consider to be true Lavender.  These are the ones that have the tall stems and very fragrant flowers that can be cut and dried or even the essential oil  extracted.

Lavender is pretty precise about where it grows  but and easy plant to cultivate if it is in the right spot. If you think of where it comes from, (Mediterranean regions) it needs long hot summers and crisp winters and sharp drainage but other than that will take little care other than a once a year trim after flowering. I reckon that I got twenty years out of my English lavenders in our potager garden before I needed to move them on.

                

There are the taller growing versions and  which the bush can get up to around 70cm high and Super, Dilly Dilly and Grosso are some names worth remembering.  The smaller growing ones tend to sit at around 30cm and a couple of good examples would be Foveaux storm and Pacific Blue. 

If you are looking for an informal hedge or border then the smaller English cultivars are quite a good choice, just remember that that have to be in all day sun. Foveaux storm as it names suggest is a very dark blue almost purple lavender  and the pics Ive seen of Pacific blue are just gorgeous.

Whats happening with the roses 

Phew I glad that the downy mildew season is almost over, the last couple of weeks has been windy but relatively fine and so fungus diseases have been not too prevalent. Rain is due again this weekend and so if you have the time, a spray over the roses would be a good thing to do as we move from downy mildew  to the next fungal attack....... black spot!  Again the rain will aid its spread over the leaves of your roses as the moisture and rain drops spread the fungal attack.  If you notice black spot starting to happen then do a couple of sprays  just 2 days apart. If you use Super Shield then this will nail pesky aphids as well that will be feeding on your now forming rose buds. 

           

Ahpids are really good at sex or should I say lack of it as they can give birth to live young without a male in sight if conditions are optimum and I reckon that your Rose buds that are now forming will be looking pretty delicious.. Again always spray twice as you will never get 100 % kill and get them all.  If you don't have  a sprayer and a few roses then maybe a Mavrick RTU (ready to use) gun will do the trick. Might save Harry running out with the fly spray as he does to knock off a few aphids.

The wedding season (summer) is coming up and I know that  many like to have their gardens looking pretty gorgeous for the special day. If you want your roses in flower then you need to prune  them back 7 weeks prior to the event and this may mean on missing out on the up and coming flush. Think of roses as Cabbages as for every  flowering or flush then you need to re feed them as roses just love tucker . Just like growing a cabbage feed the soil harvest the cabbage and the re feed  before you put the next one in.  It can be hard to get colour in the garden in the summer months but watering and feeding of roses will help them flower repeatedly.

Daisies and plants that flower easily will help provide colour when the the thrust of spring is over  and pots of annuals will always help

            

 

I reckon that you could practically grow roses without spraying by making sure that your plants are well fed with plenty of compost / organic matter and rose fertiliser.  Ensuring that they are grown in a sunny spot  with plenty of air movement around them. Choose varieties that have a reputation of being healthy like the ones in the pics  

What arrived this week shrubs and the fluffy stuff

Thryptomene Saxicola Rosea....   an evergreen shrub of quite modest proportions, that smothers itself with the daintiest  tiny pink flowers. Best suited to a sunny position with good drainage. Large grade of plant too and at a great price, normally a $19.99 grade, these are just $12.99.

 

         

Bauera Ruby Glow (New)  If you are looking for  a compact shrub then the Baueras are a good choice, again a plant for a sunny position 

Prostanthera Eddington Blue (New) Australian mint bush but this one with pretty  mauve to bluish flowers and apparently a New Zealand hybrid. Knowing that it comes from Aussie then one can almost assume that it will light a sunny position in the garden that has pretty good drainage.

Weigelia Florida Purpureus (New)  commonly known as Apple blossom  this one is different from the classic version in that it has purple tinged leaves and a pretty  deep pink flowers. Will grow into quite the speciman shrub of some 1.5 to 2 metres

I think that everyone leaves Friday to deliver their plants to us here at the Nursery and there is so much to get done to get it all away'

Alstoemerias  These are such good value and so easy to grow. follow the link to check out this selection

 

Geraniums  or more correctly Pelargoniums. awesome for pots and colour all season long

Gerberas  or Garvinea with their stunning bright daisy like flowers

Calibrachoa  or mini petunias 

Kumara... more plants in next week 

Check our face book page out to see what we have been doing in the garden centre this week

If you have gone away and taken advantage of a long weekend, then enjoy the extra day off  but do take care out there on the roads. If you are in the garden then the weather is just perfect, gentle rain to water new plants in. 

We are open all weekend 8.30 to 5pm Monday included and the roses are about to be a picture and worth even just a look.

Have a good one 

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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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

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: