Friday 20th May, 2016
Hi
It doesn't always fit the box that you want
Nothing about plants is ever cut and dried but rather shades of grey.... It was just yesterday that Cathie, in the receiving office, was asking me about the correct classification of the rose
Indian ruby that we stock as a
1.8m weeping rose.
It is listed on our page as a weeper although technically its probably a climber but we don't stock it as a climber. I imagine that most weeping or cascading roses are either weepers or shrub roses that arch and because they are grafted on a 90 or 1.8 stem they become known as weepers.
Trees are another tricky area because most trees keep growing over quite long periods of time. I know that is quite an obvious point but most people when thinking of a trees size think 7 to 10 years is a long time but often a trees life span could be 50 to 100 years or longer and of course they keep getting bigger. Having said that initially growth could be quite quick and robust but as the tree ages growth slows and becomes less and the tree will take on a mature state.
I often get asked for a small tree for a small garden and that's quite a tricky question because what is a small tree and often time will take a small tree from small, to what I say is many trees, of average size (5 to 8m).
I tend to think of most trees as being either of mid range size or large rather than small as often it is how long have they been growing there. For example a Prunus or flowering cherry I consider to be a medium sized tree may be around 3-5 meters high and wide after 10 years 5-7 meters after 20 years but perhaps
8-10 metres across after 50 years.
Now if you want a really small growing deciduous tree in your spot
Magnolia Liliflora are truly small reaching a petite 2.5 metres though can grow quite wide, nothing some enhancing pruning wont fix.
Stellata magnolias can be kept quite small as well though these do tend to be a bit shrubby but again removal of the lower branches as it grow to give a trunk effect will enhance it's tree like appearance.
Styrax Japonica or Japanese Snow drop tree is a nice smaller growing tree with a conical appearance.
If you want a truly small tree then many shrubs could be trained to create a small and manageable tree. now there are small shrubs and large shrubs LOL another grey area of trying to fit plants stuff into boxes and rules. A large shrub may reach somewhere in the region of 1.5 to 3 metres and you can also gain more height by training. Shrubs by nature tend to be multi branched or trunked but by making a single leader which will form a trunk and let the shrub branch from the desired height..... Too Easy
Smoke bush or
Cotinus with a little training could make for a handsome small tree.
Stachyurus Praecox also springs to mind with its lovely Lily of the valley like flowers that arch down the stems, some of the viburnums like snow flake or really most of the deciduous ones could work up into a small tree.
Don't be limited to shrubs to make small trees either, consider climbers, train a
Grapevine or a
Wisteria to fit the bill. Plants are so versatile and with a little creative energy and some time, smaller growing plants will stay as smaller growing trees and what box will they fit in then.... climber shrub or small tree ??????
Dove, Ghost or Hankerchief tree Davidia involucrata named for its really cool unusual flowers that grace this speciman tree. Potentially get to quite a large tree in excess of 8 metres interesting in that it used to belong to the Nyssa family but now belongs in the Cornus or Dogwood family. Grow in a more sheltered position to protect the bracts from harsh winds.
Harry lauders walking stick tree or more correctly Corylus avellana contorta..... A fave of mine with such cool twisted stems and I just love the hanging males flowers (Catkins) that it seems to produce in abundance. I have a large shrub of this in the garden and I prune out some of the multi trunks that it produces to get a more structural look in the garden.
Ornamental Quinces as in Chaenomeles of different colours. An easily grown shrub that flowers whilst naked in the winter... too much info LOL but they doo look really neat with their pretty flowers along the bare branches. Has those little quince like fruits in the summer that are edible occasionally used in jelly and pie making.
Satsuma mandarins are looking bright and ready to eat in the garden right now which means that the rest of the citrus family will be following as in oranges grapefruit lemons and limes... I am picking mandarins right now and I see that there are limes that are ready to use.
Bearrs is a
good cropper for the home grower
Citrus are so easy to grow and crop... maintain with
sheep pellets or good
compost around the feeder roots and spray regularly with
copper and
oil to keep their common pests away.
Labels printed, lists made, potters organised, nursery is empty in the centre and next week it will be all go with the sounds of our cheery team all potting the new seasons roses. Amazing how fast it all comes around again. There will be a few last minute tasks left to complete organising the space but I think that we are on track. So that's our weekend.
Camellias are blooming amazingly at the nursery right now so it is a great time to come look at them to see which suit you best. We have some of the new
Sasanqua cultivars in stock now which are superb for
hedging. It is the Paradise range and I have put some nice pics on the
facebook page if you want to check them out there.
Remember that the bold underlined words in the newsletter are a link to another page so click them and see where they take you and don't forget that if you want to know what plant the pictures here are about just hold your curser over the pic for a couple of seconds for the name to show.
We still have some Roses at 50 % off so if you are keen for some at half price then come on out as they have to move to another spot come Monday. Selected glazed half price pots here too but these are not online so you do have to call out to check them out
Its not expected to be such a fine weekend but then today's not looking bad so here's hoping that its a good one... If not its time to get in the garage and hunt out those
secateurs and get them
sharpened for the pruning season. Look out for the copper and oil and
lime sulphur as its probably time the next time its fine to start your winter spray programme.
If you have got spare feijoas hanging around then perhaps turn them into cakes and or Chutneys if its going to be a wet one. Check out Pete's Feijoa Cake in the Sweet section of our
What's Cooking page or perhaps try Peter Gordon's Roasted Feijoa Chutney. This can be found under the preserves section. These are both tried and tested recipes that we think you will enjoy.
Have a great weekend,
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even
GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag
