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Sunday 12th April, 2020

Hi
The things I do in the garden...
Last night I had to grab all the quinces off the tree because the possums were starting to get to them... Today I picked the figs because they are so delicious and too good to waste... The feijoas are just starting to drop and I see the Persimmons are starting to ripen. Then I looked to my half planted vege garden, lucky I had managed to get some plants in before everyone ran out but felt that I needed something more so I then searched out my seeds to complete the plantings but, disappointingly, there wasn't too much there.  I did find I have silver beet, of the rainbow kind, some celeriac, purple Kohlrabi and these hard little bulbs from when I grew elephant garlic and it flowered. 
I have to admit that it's been absolute years since I have direct sown seeds but I currently have both the space and time and at least the garden will look full and be growing something other than weeds. I was on a roll so I then went through all the shallots in the kitchen and graded out the ones that were too small or just starting to go soft and set them out into the garden as well. Nothing ventured nothing gained... I even planted a row of broad beans which I think is a tad early but we will wait and see what happens. 
and in the nursery...
Day to day hand watering has now gone to every second or third day and all depends on the weather.. with these gusty winds we have to make sure all the plants are standing so when the irrigation is on that they do actually get watered!
By now you will know that we have nailed the roses... cut them back, fed and watered them and have now sprayed them and they are coming along really nicely, a couple more weeks and they will be fab. I see rain coming again so will probably get another spray over them again before it arrives as the cool moist days are perfect for fungal infections.
Plums and apple trees have been re blocked closer together so as to start making room for all the new seasons stock that is still due to arrive. Not sure when and how that is all going to roll but at least we will be somewhat ready.
Next on my agenda is to tidy the area around the shop as I see some weeding that needs doing and the standards need some tipping... might even put together a new display. Then I will look at all the ornamental trees and start to move them backwards.
I have reacquainted myself with lawn mowers, 15 litre Knapsack for weed spraying, leaf blowers, brooms, rakes and the list goes on and probably to the amusement of my team and you know I love it. There is no shortage of things to do here everyday.
The sasanqua camellias have started flowering and I have enjoyed taking some timeout to photograph many of them as it is always a pleasure to try to capture their beauty. Check them out on facebook or instagram. You can order these online now for delivery or collection once we are able to open again.
and in the kitchen...
We have all these figs, I just adore figs, but what do we do with them all? I have already bottled some of them for future winter breakfasts, stewed them for now but still there is more. I don't really need desserts or jams and all those delicious but sweet tastes so in my google search for 'What do do with figs' I came across roast Peking duck with roast potatoes, figs and rosemary.
Well it's lock down and I have no duck, but wait, I do have a frozen chook in the freezer and some bacon so I'll make my own take on this Peking duck!
I cut the chicken down the breast and laid it out flat to making the cooking time quicker and then covered the chicken with bacon strips. Seasoned with a drop or two of olive oil, quite a few rosemary leaves, salt and pepper, then cooked for around twenty mins.
I added some gourmet potatoes, that I had forgotten we had, and a hand full of peeled shallots same size as the spuds and added these around the chicken for a further half hour or so. When I thought that it was all cooked I added a bowl of tailed and halved figs and cooked for a further 5 to 8 mins and voila  Peking Chicken with bacon shallots, potatoes, figs and rosemary.
I had some leftover sprouting broc with cheese sauce that I reheated as a green to go with the dinner... it ended up looking like a photo shoot dinner and tasted damn fine too, the figs just completed the picture.
It's amazing what you can find and make with what's hanging around the freezer and in those vege drawers when you need to. It's all about being creative and using what you have in the house. I have only braved the supermarkert the once.

I think that the remainder of those Figs are going to be turned into a Fig paste tonight as I spied some jam setting sugar in the back of the pantry while I was looking for other things but I did read that you can freeze figs for a later date... Ill check out the fig tree that is in Petes cottage to see how many of them are still left 
The neighbours in the villa shared a couple of jars of the best crabapple jelly that I have had in a while... beautiful and clear and perfectly set. Homemade from the crabapple trees in the villa garden.
I know that Tony has a hankering to make some quince paste from some of the quinces and I did wonder about giving some quince jelly a go.. I may have to google search what else to do with quince... not sure about bottling them as I think a childhood memory of these pink dry chunks coming out of Agee jars hasn't quite left me!
Feijoa are just starting to fall so will probably get onto bottling some of these and they make for really good chutney too.
The persimmon tree fruit is also just starting to ripen and I did see a recipe for  chutney made from these beautiful looking fruit. If I make a bit of chutney then I wont need to buy a heap of tomato sauce.
Looking to what the future may be
Week three on Wednesday and then week 4 of our bubbles commences... I m sure that all business owners are going through the same stuff as to what is going to happen in the future and I am no different. What's in store after Alert level 4? Is it going to be Alert level 3, are we going to be be able to open the shop again or can we dispatch all the increasing mail orders? Can we encourage more mail orders and so it goes on?

The rest of the Camellias all of the Rhodos, Pieris, Azaleas and citrus were all imminent and I guess will definitely be in as soon as we understand what future trading is going to look like. I would suggest that it will be different in the short to mid term and retail as we know it wont be as it was. You can always check our plants out online and do pre order so that stock is at least allocated to you... no deposit required. It could be that in the future it could be delivered or it could be that we can compile orders and have them sitting waiting for collection. Maybe one in, one out like the dairies. The good thing is that all of our plants are sitting in an online order system, clients can pay there and perhaps no need for the shop as we know it. If we are to operate then I guess it will be like schools, personal trainers and others businesses that have had to adapt quickly.
My crystal ball isn't helping me when looking to what the future, post lockdown, may be... just putting some random thoughts out there.
I have almost lost track of the days of the week and so this is either a very late or an extra early email newsletter for the week. 
Take care 
Sincerely Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.

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Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: