Friday 4th September, 2020
Out with the old... in with the new.
Hi
It sure has been a year of change and in so many different ways, as we all respond to the current climate. Home has become our haven and our gardens a passion, whether for flowers, food for the table or a place just to enjoy. Gardens also keep us active without having to go out and about. I just love pottering in our space at home Lately I've been making those changes that, well, just haven't been a big enough priority before.
For us in the nursery we have seen a huge spike in plants being couriered or trucked out to our customers. More than ever online purchases have been made, and collected, already collated. Our car park has been brim full and it seems sensible to change how our many truck deliveries arrive and leave here. Negotiating large delivery trucks, around customers and their cars, not to mention cars and trailers, has started to become increasingly difficult. Then there's all the plants sitting in the car park, taking up valuable space, until we have managed to get them all put away.
It now makes sense to have all arriving stock unloaded at the other end of the nursery and then filtered into the garden centre all labelled and ready for sale. Don't know why we haven't done this years ago. (The old saying "Necessity is the mother of invention" might apply here). So just had to, first, make a space for the team to park their cars. A quick call to Trev who is just magic with his bobcat and a few truckloads of metal and the staff carpark space is done and now in use... new systems are all go and the customer parking is once again uncluttered.
The fun fluffy stuff and there is lots
On that note this weeks deliveries have seen a huge influx of the pretties, or fluffy stuff for the want of a better term, but hey it's what they are... great fillers and colour for the garden.
Some, like
Astilbes, have just started to emerge... I do tend to use their name Astilbe rather than false goats beard, which doesn't seem to do them any justice. Astilbes do like some dappled light and are quite tolerant of moist areas in the garden, having said that I always think of them as able to grow in the garden and overall quite tough and hardy. Attractive leaves emerge with quite pretty feathery flowers, coming after, standing above the leaves.
Dianthus or commonly Pinks are quite an old fashioned perennial but these days there are many new gorgeous cultivars. I love these, firstly for the fragrance of the pretty flowers, then there is always the carpeting or ground covering habit of those bluish leaves. Great for between roses or at the front of flowers beds and will truly delight when in flower. In right now is Candy floss, Dancing Queen, Pinball Wizard and Waterloo Sunset, all new cultivars to me.
Iberis
Snow Top... another awesome perennial plant that covers the ground and, as its names suggests, tops itself with masses of white flowers.
Sisyrinchium Devon Skies and Snow Drift are long time favourites. Having a carpeting effect of pretty miniature spear like foliage and masses of pretty blue or white flowers.
Lithodora... great groundcover for those sunny spots with dark green leaves and that sought after blue colour that seems to be elusive in the plant world. Three to choose from Grace Ward, Heavenly Blue and Crystal Blue.
Phlomis russeliana. This ground cover should really take off in popularity... attractive heart shaped green leaves and really suits a full sun place in your garden... Hardy and easily grown with pretty yellow whorls of flowers on stems.
Armeria... often called thrift, sea thrift or sea pink. The new cultivars that we have now are like the old ones... but on steroids... with larger leaves and bigger flowers ... Check out Dream Clouds or Dreamland from the Dreameria collection.
Dampiera purpurea rich purple flowers on a soft leafed shrub (herbaceous perennial in hort speak) very pretty and easy to grow in a sunny spot and great addition to the garden.
Just have to mention here also
Boronia... everyone loves the fragrance, except for me, lol, as I can't smell this particular plant when it's in flower. I get told, when ever it is in stock, that the scent is amazing. We have a batch of Megastigma lutea in right now which is the pretty yellow version.
Speaking of Lutea we also have the well known and commonly called thornless roses, Banksia Lutea and Banksia Alba, in stock. These are rambling roses that produce a prolific display of small double flowers in white or yellow.
Potatoes... It's that time to start getting these in now. In the cooler areas get sprouting them first but in the warmer areas get planting.. or sprout these if you prefer. Once sprouted you can cut between the eyes and make that bag of seed potatoes go that much further. Nothing like home grown fresh spuddies for Christmas.
Events for the Calender
Woodlands just down the road from us are hosting an
Antique and collectable fair... what a great place to have this at the local historic homestead and they have a cool garden to check out as well not too mention a great cafe as well..
It is being held on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of September from 10 am to 4 pm. There is a a $2.00 entry... seems the ideal event and place to go if you like antiques, gardens and food.
Taranaki garden festival is nearly here again. Lots of amazing gardens are available to view from 30th October through to 8th November. Plant purchases, practical advice from garden hosts and some even have arts and crafts available. Entry is only $2 per garden. Visit their
facebook page or
website ,by clicking the bold word links, for more information.
Just when I thought the Winter roses were done and dusted Ange manages to find a couple more to tempt us all with, Tutu and Golden Girl.
Tutu is a goodie with pretty Tutu like flowers in pink complete with speckles and an anenome centre.
Golden Girl is brand new with simple lemon yellow blooms that appear to have a dark eye...
On that note, have just taken the call to have some more
Helleborus doubles but these wont be here until next week... they are mixed colours and apparently quite a few in flower so you will have to check them out late next week... you can order online but as they are mixed we cant specify the colour.
That orange cake
If you have a few extra oranges hanging around on that tree right now then this Annabel Langbein
Orange and Almond cake is pretty easy. I have written about this recipe before but it is a goodie and well worth doing again. I had a couple of friends around for dinner the other night, remembered it was a good dessert cake, easy to make and served with some yoghurt makes for a great end to a lovely dinner.
It's our first email in what is regarded now as officially spring, off to a roaring start with a good frost this morning to boot, even though I think spring actually sprung weeks ago. Daylight saving is looming fast, being now only three weeks away, and then we are heading on our way to summer... don't forget Fathers day this Sunday so maybe make that orange cake for after dinner.
Have a great weekend, here's hoping you get to enjoy your garden, good food and good company.
Cheers Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team..
PS
Flannel flower awesome plants, great for floral work or just something different in the garden $24.99 down to $19.99... be quick as these do go fastth of
Hedging grade of
Pittosporum tenufolium... great plants for the price..... 60/80cm high nice and well furnished, perfect for a quick growing hedge $12.99 down to $9.99 per plant 10 or more just $9.00 each
