Thursday 26th November, 2015
Hi
Harry and his sister both needed to renew their passports, Wellington was the place that they had to go and Friday just gone was the selected day. All was meticulously planned from the flight out of Hamilton to arrival in Wellington, appointments made, ID photo place sorted and then taxi back to the airport for Harry to catch a flight back to the Tron. Harry's sister and her friend were staying on to enjoy Wellington and catch the scenic train back on the Sunday.
Harry has always been a nervous flyer and the prospect of flying into Wellington was a tad of a challenge but he decided that he was going to get this flight under his belt and off he went.
I get a text that says..... At airport flight delayed 40 mins due to weather...... Its then that I remember hearing on the weather report that morning about gale force winds in Wellington and think OMG Harry won't be very impressed.
Next a couple hours later comes another text ...... diverted to Palmerston North. On a bus to Wellington, have missed appointments tried to rearrange for today but no luck. Will get to Wgtn about 3pm. will then need to sort Harrys return will keep in touch...
Harry arrived at Wellington airport in time to see the return flight to Hamilton in the air ....Teresa leant across to H and says "thats your flight that has just departed'. Then was told there are no flights left to Hamilton ... All full.... Harry inquires "where s that guy going" as he knew that he was trying to get back to the Tron ..... Auckland was the reply
I then get the call to say pick me up from Auckland airport at 5pm
Harry thought that taking off from Wellington was really bad but the lady beside him said ..... you should have been on this flight landing this morning and proceeded to tell him how bad it was and on that note Harry didn't say any more about his rough flight as he realised he got off lightly by comparison.
Getting that garden ready for Xmas
The spring flush is starting to look as if its over and so now's the time to really get into the garden and starting trimming all those hedges. I was looking at the Camellia hedge outside of Pete's yesterday and was thinking that the red glow that it has has started to green off indicating that the flush has finished. This means that its time to get in and give it a short back and sides. Remember that all hedges should be cut with the base ever so slightly wider than the top so that the light can reach to the base, always looks better that way anyway.
Wrong shape
Right shape
Hydrangeas are in flower and you can check them all out online. Its important to know that Hydrangeas flower colour responds to available aluminium in the soil and the correct ph. It's lime for the reds and pinks and
Aluminium sulphate or blueing tonic, and to lift the pH and make the blue ones really intensify that gorgeous elusive blue colour. I have to add that the tonic to help the colour has to be applied in the winter time or before the flower buds are initiated to have an effect... that is if you want to enhance the hydrangeas natural colour. Don't forget that when you feed your blue hydrangeas you should use an
acid lovers fertilizer as it helps maintain the acidity of the soil. There is information on our How To.. page for those of you who are interested.
Haemanthus albiflos blood Lily or rather the albino form of it. You would grow these for the most amazing leaves and then you get the flowers which are the white form of the blood lily. Plant them in semi shade in a mass planting
Christmas lilies and other types always provide colour at this time of the year. Plant these where they are going to sneak their beaut flowers above the other perennials.
Luculia Grandiflora or Fragrant Cloud Luculia is one of the most fragrant and delicately beautiful flowering shrubs. These are sub troprical mostly evergreen shrubs native to the Himalayas. Give them a warm position, sheltered from winds and frost that is free draining, constantly moist with slightly acid soils rich in organic matter and you will be delighted with the delicious aroma of the delicate blossom.
Tibouchinas like a warm sunny position and if you are going to grow these in the Waikato then a possie out of the frost is the go. These will delight with flowers nearly all season long in pretty shade of mauve / lilac or purple.
Thinking ahead
I know that Christmas is looming but think ahead to those planting projects that you may want to do next year as now is the time to make an order if you want something in particular. We have started making next seasons orders so if you are wanting several trees of a specific type for a drive or a certain tree now is the time to start inquiring. We have to be in early to get the plants that we think we will need.
Oooh it does get in!
I had a client in today who made my day.... gets my regular newsletter and said how helpful some of the information was. After reading one article I had written on downy mildew she finally understood what had been causing her roses so much trouble and went on to say that she followed the advice re the downy mildew on the roses in her garden that were getting the sneaky disease in that tricky wet period of spring and how they didn't loose their leaves this year. Yahoo I love to get that kind of feedback.
On the wet note is it fab that we keep getting these almost regular weekly showers as they keep the garden growing and the roses flowering.
Don't forget in the build up to Xmas, that will surely happen as we get to the beginning of December, that we would like to have most mail orders out the week before Xmas and the absolute last day will be Monday 21st Dec 2015. Mail orders will resume again Tuesday 5 Jan 2016
Have 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
