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Thursday 27th October, 2016

Hi

Sun or Shade ... That is the question

Most plants tend to be inclined one way or the other but will cope with variations of sun or shade to greater or lesser degrees..

Now some are just total sunlovers, the hotter and sunnier the better and they will cope with being baked like say Bird of paradise and then others are just total shade lovers like Clivias. But wait there there is more.... dry and sunny, moist and sunny  dry and shade and wet and shady and all the variations in between. Its no secret to me but the more right or correct the position is for the plant, then the better it will do in the garden.  Sun plants that are in too much shade for example will be more prone to pest and diseases.  In some cases I know that if for example an evergreen Viburnum has a bad thrip problem that it will either be in far too much sun or shade. Often scale and sooty mould on citrus is also an indication that the position isn't quite perfect.  Just don't forget though, that plants are often quite adaptable and can usually cope with more or less but just cant take the extremes.

Now there is also a difference in sun levels, from all day and baking in the sun (often concrete walls and drives increase the heat and cause baking) and all day sun and the same goes for shade, from dappled light to heavy heavy shade. Its all about looking at the light quality and reading how the plant is going to behave. I have said before, and I will say it again, but its all about observation and learning from what you see when you look at how plants perform..

Shade plants usually like some degree of shade for a portion of the day, usually they'll grow in those south and eastern positions or in the cast shadow of a tree.

Now Hostas are technically shade plants but they like moist rich soil rather than dry soil. So under trees may be perfect but mature trees will make the soil condition less than Hostas like having already stolen all the water and organic matter. This means if you have a hankering to grow Hostas under the shade of mature trees then you will need to improve the soil with heaps of compost and even moisture.

The effort of Mulching will help the soil stay cooler and moist for longer. I am even going to split Hostas from being just shade plants but its interesting to note that some can tolerate more sun than others for example, if I generalise, the blue cultivars will handle more light while the gold or variegated ones may possibly require more shade with their more sensitive leaves.
                

Hostas are grown for their fabulous foliage first up and then the flowers generally take second place though are also quite pretty in shades of mauve, lilac and through into white. They look pretty cool in mass plantings but remember that they are winter dormant and overwinter as crowns in the garden so I always plant next to them evergreens like Winter roses so that the space is not naked all winter. Like all things in life they come as big and small,  short and tall and in every shade of cream, green or yellow that you can imagine.

Some biggies are Blue Umbrellas, famous for its large blue leaves that gave its namesake Blue Umbrellas. Then there is Big Daddy and with a name like that can only imply that the leaves are massive. Empress Wu, expect to be wowed by huge green leaves and I can't leave out Abiqua Drinking Gourd with large cupped and puckered shaped leaves that almost trap the water just like drinking gourds.

Some of my favourites in the variegated varieties are Patriot and Loyalist both with crisp white and offset with green. Patriot being green centred with a white edge and Loyalist being the reverse. June is another pretty one with green and creamy yellow leaves and most are of average statue.

Purple hearts is pretty cool with purple black stems and a dark heart at the base of the leaves, Raspberry Sundae is a smorgasbord of colours with white and green leaves complete with tones of burgundy on stems and base of the leaves. 

I could go on and on as there are just so many but check them all out for yourself by following the Hosta link. There is a pretty good grade of these foliage queens at $7.99 each or get 10 for just $7.00 each

                

In the garden 

Spring growth is not just about the plants as the weeds sure take off as well given that we have had so much warm and wet weather. Left unchecked, weeds can cheat your desirable plants of food and water and they also occupy space where you may want your plant to grow. For example weeds left in a hedge line will create holes in the base of your hedge. Spot spraying with round up is good but remember any thing that is green that your spray comes into contact with can potentially be affected. Best to hand weed around plants and then weed spray the spaces. If you weed spray then make a policy of spraying early because once the sun is up you get spray drift due to air currents as the day heats up. Be really careful with lawn sprays, these really affect ornamental plants as they are designed to kill broadleaves and that is what all our garden plants are. Lawn sprays and other weed sprays are much stronger than roundup and will carry on the wind as well as having some residual effects in the soil.

Keep up on the trimming of quick growing hedges and topiary of  Teucrium and Lonicera types as they can quickly  grow  out of form. These usually need trimming every two to three weeks and if this wet keeps up then this quick growth will last well into the summer. Hold fire on trimming of Camellias and Buxus hedges. Wait till the new growth becomes its mature colour as then you know growth will have slowed and you will have to do the job just the once.

Grape vines will be starting to run  so train any new runners to where you want them to be, usually letting each lateral runner have two sets of grapes and then keep the laterals pinched so that all the growth goes into the grapes and not the vines. LOL its all about growing the grape!!

Summer flowering annuals can go in now and get all perennials of every  kind to add colour into the garden.

Watch out for slugs and snails and aphids on roses. 

Keep feeding the garden, use bio boost or sheep pellets  blood and bone, remember all well fed plants are less susceptible to bugs and pest of all kinds.  

Small trees for the garden Wistaria as trees 

Check out our facebook page for ideas on growing wisterias.

Whats arrived this week.......well so much that's its hard to know where to start !!!!

Viburnums of all types, Most of these make for handsome garden shrubs with flat or snowball shaped flowers. Summer snowflake is a goodie that will even throw a light repeat flowering of lacy white flat flowers that kind of layer on the shrub, Mariesii is another plicatum type layered branching with flat white flower (and Harry scored a deal on these plants... $15.99 down to $9.99), Opulus sterile, the snowball tree that we all know with its snow ball like blooms. then there are some of the pinkish ones like Roseace and Pink beauty. 

Alstoemerias ....gorgeous flowers, tough and easy to grow and will almost grow any where from dappled shade to full sun. These are from the Inca series and so are of the dwarf to medium growing height, amazing as a cut flower as they just seem to last forever in a vase.

Siberian Irises, Everyone loves these clump forming perennial Irises. These will grow in full sun and like average garden conditions to quite moist spot in the garden particularly when growing and in flower. Looked after they will increase in size and provide masses of gorgeous iris flowers.

Liliums... perfect for the picking garden, these orientalis forms usually come up to flower in late spring, easily grown... requiring just full sun and good rich soil

Penstemons give colour in spring summer and autumn, cut them back after flowering to bring them on again and again. These shrubby perennials love full sun and good rich soil conditions Choose from the taffy or Cha Cha series.

Lemons, Oranges, Mandarins, Grapefruits... Ang has topped up all these again this week so if you are out looking for some citrus trees for your orchard or back yard  then these are back in stock and the long awaited dwarf forms have arrived so be in quick to secure yours.

                

Deals Just in 

Not a Viburnum but a grand small deciduous shrub ....Spiraea Snow Mound  when in full bloom is just a gorgeous snow mound awesome plants marked down from $12.99 to only $9.99

Hydrangea Blue diamond awesome big chunky plants that has the most beautiful sky blue flowers, dont forget that aluminium sulphate will keep these beauties the most goorgeous shade of blue,  while on big plants Harry also scored some Hydrangea snowball of such a decent grade.

Ligularia Martian invader. $12.99 these just $9.99.. a great plant for those dry shady areas... largish round leaves with a crinkled edge. Tough and hardy 

Less rain, full sun and the garden is just romping away, keep those weeds in check and fill those spaces with colour. LOL if there is no soil showing then technically no light to grow weeds. Last week we replanted a huge bank that was covered with Ivy with winter roses and we have planted to cover. This week we managed another bank garden and dug out a heap of Acanthus or bears breeches that was threatening to take over. My guess is that we plan to plant in out with Rhodos that will grow in the shade of the existing trees.  if you are not in the garden then come out to the nursery and check out all the new colour and fluff that has just arrived.

Have a great weekend 

Cheers 

Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team

Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag.

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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)

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Gorgeous Trees (24th June, 2016)

wet wet wet (1st July, 2016)

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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)

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