ITS ALL ROSES HERE AT THE MOMENT !!

Hi

THE BIG ROSE POT IS ON !!

We are potting roses and the weather has been so kind to us this year. Normally we are knee deep in mud and potting mix and its usually damn cold to boot. It takes a team of about six of us and on a good day can manage potting around twelve hundred to fifteen hundred plants.

First off, the roses all get checked off, labelled with colour labels, roots trimmed to ensure that they fit into a bag and then put down for the potters.  It's a bit of a trick to get a rose into a plastic bag. First you have to flick the bag open and throw your hand into it to make sure that its open ready for the first scoop of mix.  Then you kinda suspend the new rose with your left hand in the centre of the bag and then fill the bag to the top with proper rose potting mix. It then gets a couple sharp bangs on the bench to settle all the mix really firmly and to hold the rose in place. The rose has to end up in the centre of the bag approx a thumb width down from the top and with the soil just under the bud union It has to be just the right firmness not to soft,  or they sink in the bag, not too hard, cause that's just a waste of time.  Then its out to the garden centre in alphabetical order. I laughed as I said to the new guys "  we have just shovelled ten cube of mix using lolly scoops.
Its been cool catching up with all the old favourites like Peace, Margaret Merrill, Paddy Stephens, then we have come across  some newer ones like Hamilton Gardens, Memoire, Hayley Westenra and then some of the really new ones. We should have most of the modern and English roses done by the weekend and then next week  the climbers and other oldies.

                  

Can't get close to the shortest day without mentioning GARLIC

Garlic Printanor  comes as a packet of four and  Garlic Elephant as a packet of three.  Get them planted on the shortest day. Well traditonally its always been around this time, sort of a celebration really as spring will be on its way. Harry has been on the garlic binge and its in everything even the dogs food which sometimes smells better and the fleas dont stand a chance.

Shallots French red as a packet of four. A must have for the foodies but grow your own. Available at the end of May early June.
Strawberry Chandler, Strawberry Pajaro need to planted in the middle of winter so that they are well established to crop with heaps of Luscious strawberries from early in spring.  They come in bundles of 25 Available for June planting. Aspargus Jersey Giant, I just adore fresh succulent asparagus and you'll be able to grow your own but putting these crowns down in a rich garden bed. Available for July plantings.

If you are looking for bulk quantities of any of the above then send us an email with what you are after and then we can give you a price.

New in this week

These new Dianellas have awesome foliage! If leaves are your buzz, like me,  then you'll love these! Its not just the colour of the leaves but the whole shape and form. Dianellia Somersby has the most beautiful bluish colour, then there's Crompton  with olivey sagey green leaves and Kentlyn in a similar colour but much taller. 

Harry keeps finding these bargains

Echinacea Tiki torch I just love the simplicity of these cone flowers and these new colours are just stunning. Tiki Torch has the most vibrant orange blooms and we had monarch butterflies just drooling over them this year.  $15.99  reduced to $6.99

Hebes: Big chunky plants for only $6.99

Phormium Pink Panther A lovely dusky pink flax that is normally $14.99  available at $9.99

Daffodils Boxes of mixed bulbs
Just a few of these left!  A full banana box of Daffodils must have between 500 to 700 mixed bulbs all just waiting to be planted. Get in them in this weekend

Its amazing how fast those weeks roll past, before I know it another weekend is here, make sure its a good one

Have a great weekend

Cheers, Lloyd and Harry