Our weekly email news letter. Sign up here to get them delivered straight to your email in box. See below for previous issues...

Please note that product availability and prices may have changed from when this newsletter was sent. Please check this site or phone us for current availability and pricing.

Friday 16th September, 2016

Hi

Done and dusted  those chores that I had procrastinated about

It's such an awesome feeling when you do one of those jobs that you have been putting off for ages and this week I have achieved not just one but two that I have literally been putting off for years.

I'm not sure if you have noticed a lonely steel pot benignly sitting under the Tilia or lime tree, growing in the middle of the garden centre's carpark?  Under that pot sat an electric junction box that supplied power to the shop. I know you are thinking - why there? but it was just how the nursery grew and in the early days the car park was a gully 4 metres down. (it was actually where the initial nursery originated and we filled it in to create the now carpark)

Well over the years that junction box has been hit a few times and hit just recently which I decided was once too often and that it just had to be shifted to under the olive tree and right out of the way. It was always a job that got the short straw, or long straw whichever way you want to look at it, as it involved having to dig a deep trench through the car park, through stones and tree roots to relocate it out of the way. To be honest I started the task and then passed the remainder onto a keen team member, Simone, who really got it all sorted.

100m+ of extension cords kept the shop in power whilst Matt from E4 electrical sorted a new junction box and had us all up in running in no time.

The other task was also a biggie with the automatic irrigation not being so automatic anymore. It had a few leaks, needed rewiring to the computer system and suddenly became a more urgent task with summer looming as it's really the life blood of the nursery. Imagine not being able to water!!! . A couple years back I rebuilt the pipe network that would take all new solenoids but that was as far as I got. To do the complete job, I needed to take the whole system down. When we are needing to water every day its not the thing to start in case there is a problem getting it all to go again.

Well this was the week for this task too. While the power was down to the shop, so was the power down to the pump making this the ideal time to get cracking.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts again of Simone, solenoids (electric taps) were all Teflon taped into place, pipes extended, new cold water joins made and a resulting bigger and more able to be maintained irrigation junction was sorted.  It's all able to be used manually now but we still have to sort out how to correspond its wires to run the right bays automatically. 

Summer shade tree keep bees happy

The old pot hiding the electric junction box is now gone but I'm loath to take out the handsome Tilia that sits there in the middle of the car park. Not the most practical place for a tree but hey it wasn't always a carpark on such a scale but it does create a lovely shady spot in the summer.

There is also a gorgeous row of Tilias that create a backdrop to Pete's cottage and filter that predominant south westerly wind to the nursery. These Tilias have now also created a stunning right of way to Kahikatea Homestead being the villa that is available for self contained accommodation.  Tilias are commonly called Linden or Lime trees  and are native to Europe where they have always been known as Lind or Linden trees. Lime trees is thought to be a corruption of Lind but has nothing to do with the lime that we squeeze into our arvo cocktail the G & T.

Linden trees are quite tough and hardy and make for very handsome speciman trees, they are also used extensively in Europe for pleaching, essentially hedges on stilts.  These cool trees produce an abundance of fragrant, nectar producing, flowers that will keep the bee hives that are on our place busy when these do their thing. Not only are the bees kept happy with Tilia flowers but nearly all parts of the tree have been used in herbal remedies over time. Teas are made form the flowers to treat coughs, colds, fevers infections and high blood pressure  to list a few, the wood is used for liver, gallbladder and cellulitis though how its used I don't know and the charcoal from the wood used to treat intestinal disorders and topically on ulcers. All in all a pretty fine tree to have for our avenue.

Tilia Platyphyllos is the large leaved Linden tree, Tilia cordata is known as the small leaved lime and Petiolaris is another handsome tree where the leaves have a silvery reverse.
          

Pyrus is the proper name for pears and there are some pretty cool ornamental ones that are blossoming right now especially the Calleryana cultivars .  Typically a mass of small, pretty, single white flowers that are followed by attractive lime green leaves which turn in the autumn to some pretty stunning hues of red. These make for stately specimen or avenue trees but they can be pleached similarly to the linden or lime trees or they can be pruned to form a classic vase shaped tree that would suit a smaller space. Being a pear by nature means they can suit being shaped. Once when in Hunter Valley, Australia years ago, I saw ornamental pears pruned to vase shaped trees which when in flower looked pretty stylish.

The latest one that we have and planted as a driveway tree at home is Calleryana Candelabra which as its name suggests forms a more upright tree. Ours have been a mass of flowers that are now giving way to those fresh green leaves. I also thought that the small ornamental pears that form after flowering looked attractive and I imagine as they ripen will provide plenty of fresh fruit for our increasing bird populations.

Bradford, Kea and Aristocrat are all cousins of the Calleryana species which we currently have in the nursery.

          

Horse chestnuts or Aesculus are handsome shade trees that are often found in parks and reserves but if you have a bit of space they could equally provide shade in your landscape.  They are quite distinctive forming rounded or dome shaped trees with palmate leaves (like a hand) with 5 to 7 leaflets.  I just love the flowers on these trees as they look just like white or strawberry coloured foxglove style blooms. There is one main species being hippocastanum which has the white flowers. Carnea and Briottii are Hippocastanum crosses that have pink and dark pink flowers respectively.

Commonly called horse chestnuts due to the fruit that was once believed to be a kind of chestnut which was most likely to be toxic to horses..... well according to google. The seed does contain some slightly poisonous alkaloid substances but again according to google it would appear that the seed have been used to some extent in medical trials but hey not something I would recommend. Lets just enjoy them as a handsome shade trees with rather pretty flowers in the spring.

Whats in this week

Check out what's new in...... as the perennials are all starting to arrive in.  Daisies, Heucheras, Astilbes, Dianthus, hedging pittos, griselinias... its all there.  

          

Looking to forward order.

Clematis Hybrids - A lovely selection of large flowering Clematis hybrids has arrived this week and we are still offering to get in varieties that we don't usually stock which you can access via our Over and Above at Wairere page.  This page is only available via this link www.wairere.co.nz/over-and-above or via the link on our facebook page.  Just indicate which varieties you wish to buy by entering the number of plants you require of each variety you want and then entering your details at the bottom of the page.  

Bearded Iris are due around Mid October and you are able to place your orders for these on the website now. We have also included Bearded Iris varieties that we won't be stocking on the Over and Above at Wairere page as well.  This is on the same first in first served basis on the limited stock available from our supplier. These have been divided into Dwarf, Median and Tall varieties so check them all out. 

King Fern Marattia salicina has changed its name (name changes can be hard to keep up with) to Ptisana salicina.  We have a couple of these in large pots and are they are luxurious with amazing large leaves...  best in a shaded spot as in keeping with the classic nature of ferns and definitely out of the frost

Hen and chicken ferns Asplenium bulbiferum  an oldie but a goodie and certainly generally quite a tough and durable outdoor fern. It would be nice mass planted in a shaded or woodland style area particularly if you contrasted leaves with something like Clivia or Aspidistra (cast iron plant) 

Metrosiderous Moon Maiden being the yellow flowered form of our classic Pohutukawa... something for the collector or those wanting something a tad different ... only managed to get a few so be in quick.

          

Harry is on a clean up mission in the main office and has found another box of the popular book Roses in a modern garden.  This book retails for $49.99 usually but Harry wants them gone so out they go again at $10 each.  Christmas is only 100 days away and this would be a beautiful gift for anyone interested in gardening.

Local events to add to your Calendar 

St Josephs Garden Ramble - 6th November 2016

12 wonderful gardens and Ticket Prices at $40-00 include a cut lunch.

Gardens this year are River Fringe on the East side and then out west to smaller plots and beyond to Te Kowhai/Horotiu to some pretty fantastic lifestyle gardens.  Some owners will be offering home propagated plants. Our two Cafe Gardens are in Woodstock and Vintage themed, with fine china and embroidered cloths. Beautiful baking with tea and coffee to accompany.

There will be a limit so the sooner you buy the better.   Email address for ordering and paying for tickets is stjosgardenramble@clear.net.nz

Huntly Wearable Arts Awards Show - October 1st, 8pm, Huntly college

I'ts getting closer.....and tickets are now on sale. These are $25.00 and can be purchased from Allen's Fabrics, Kaizo Hair and the Huntly I-Site.

With local lad TE RADAR as MC, lots of fabulous designs, and some exciting stage performances, including our MAIPI WHANAU, DANCERS and LIQUID HIP HOP dancer MAYO.

It may be a wet weekend but that is all good, we need regular rain to keep the spring rolling and  to make our garden grow lush and beautiful. It also means that those newly planted plants are getting regular moisture. Ideally I would love it to rain just at night but that is not going to happen so it will just have to be shopping in the wet or online.

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.

Archived by year 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |

2016 Newsletters...

Picnic....ing in the shade (28th January, 2016)

Wairere Newsletter 5th feb (3rd February, 2016)

To Run or Not to Run... (19th February, 2016)

Wairere Newsletter 02 Mar (1st March, 2016)

Camellia time (11th March, 2016)

Magnolia or Michelia (17th March, 2016)

Easter weekend (24th March, 2016)

HW or LW Trees (3rd April, 2016)

Evergreen Trees (13th May, 2016)

All about shrubs (20th May, 2016)

Rose Time (27th May, 2016)

Frosty Friday (3rd June, 2016)

Tiny Camellias (9th June, 2016)

Gorgeous Trees (24th June, 2016)

wet wet wet (1st July, 2016)

Burgundy foliage (8th July, 2016)

Fruit trees abound (15th July, 2016)

Fruit Tree Pruning and Flowering Cherries (21st July, 2016)

Cider apples (29th July, 2016)

August already (4th August, 2016)

wood pigeons (7th August, 2016)

Feed Time (19th August, 2016)

Magnolia's and Cider Apples (20th August, 2016)

its Official (2nd September, 2016)

Spring shrubs (7th September, 2016)

Spring Shrubs2 (7th September, 2016)

Spring Shrubs 2 (7th September, 2016)

..... Tricky Tasks

climbers (23rd September, 2016)

Wairere Newsletter 23 Sep (23rd September, 2016)

Beards are in vogue (23rd September, 2016)

Gin Oclock (14th October, 2016)

????Kumaras are in (20th October, 2016)

summer is coming (27th October, 2016)

Plants for eating (2nd November, 2016)

November 11 (10th November, 2016)

Hamilton Gardens (17th November, 2016)

Xmas Trees (22nd November, 2016)

Holly (2nd December, 2016)

Xmas Brekkie (9th December, 2016)

Merry Xmas (16th December, 2016)

HL Nurseries Limited t/a Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: