Monday 16th November, 2020
Hi
Last week was all about those pesky night time munchers that make skeletons out of new season, fresh and tasty, leaves and I wasn't much help in how to solve the problem other than helping you all identify what was going on. Thanks to all of you who take the time to give feedback as I now have a few more ideas and thought it appropriate to share them... so if you don't have any neem oil then now may be the time to get some... also on the Neem front, I had a client tell me the other day that Neem Granules around Rhodos helps prevent Thrips, which causes the leaves to go silver, Ang says just make sure that you incorporate the granules into the soil.
Hi, I enjoy getting your newsletter every week, it's a nice end to the week/start to the weekend. I have found Neem oil spray to be very effective against bronze beetles, not sure about grass grub. It is supposed to stop them from eating rather than poisoning them. I apply it in the evening to minimise effects on bees etc. Cheers Catherine
We used to have a problem with bronze beetle but now - there's been a distinct improvement since installing starling boxes. Apparently starlings enjoy eating grass grubs etc! Thanks again for this newsletter which I always enjoy reading! Wendy
Hi, Just a note on bronze beetle. I have had success with spraying with garlic/chilli/oil spray and even neem oil to deter them. Works well on smaller plants. They seem to love basil.
Also putting up starling nesting boxes helps. This is a longer term solution as the starlings eat the grub while still in the ground. Each lot of fledglings will stay in the area and sometimes have more then one lot of babies each season. The boxes need to be of a certain size. This works! Good luck! Gardening sure has its challenges and rewards Janice
It's rose picture taking time and this week it's a pink theme!!
You may wonder why all my rose pics look like its just been raining? Well it's because they have usually just finished being watered. I find the light in the early morning great for capturing the actual colour of these gorgeous blooms without the harsh contrasting bright sunlight. So I'm out there phone in hand looking for some great pics for
facebook and
instagram and all that social media stuff just to share.
Last week I focused on yellow and so I thought to continue a theme and share some pinks ranging from delicate soft to in your face bright. First up is
Aotearoa... got to say that this beauty is a classic hybrid tea with stunning bud formation. If you look at the pics the
initial bud is quite a deepish, pink that fills out to a softer
large bud and finally opens to light pink as a
full bloom.... and did I mention that it is also deliciously fragrant!
This time I went diligently from A to Z and the next closest was a Floribunda called
Dear One. Such a pretty soft pink cluster flower rose that will make an awesome display in the garden.
Eye Candy is one I have raved about before as its always with flower, and I just love that in a rose... not to mention Oh so healthy foliage... you could put this rose up there as being, maybe, even better than the reputation of Iceberg, which we all know.
Kate Sheppard is another floribunda we describe as clear warm pink named after the leader and main figurehead of the suffragette movement in NZ - the first country in the world to grant women the vote.
Julie Marguerite. A newbie for us this year, bred by Rob Somerfield to boot and named after Julie Hardaker celebrating 6 years in Mayoralty. This beauty is another cluster flowered rose with rich pink buds opening to a creamy pink and fading out to almost white.
Looking for a multi toned hot pink? Look no further than
Looking Good named for the work done by the Look good feel better foundation. What could be a better choice for the garden.
Modern Miss is an oldie but a goodie in my books, a very nice Hybrid tea in pink with an amber centre.
A new one for me
Large leaf milk tree or
Streblus Banksii named for the milky sap that the tree exudes when damaged or cut. A smaller growing NZ native tree that belongs to the mulberry family or Moraceae. Light green leaves that are quite attractive yellow, greenish flowers, followed by bright red fruits. This one is tolerant of coastal planting and sounds a hardy choice, top plant for something a tad different and doesn't appear to get over big for a NZ native.
Just arrived in
Abutilon of the lucky lantern series these are cute dwarf versions of the old fashioned Chinese lanterns which we have just arrived in but just in the colours of yellow and yellow orange so far
Alstoemeria are tough and hardy, these pretties will do well from sun to dappled light. Great for adding a depth of colour to gardens. They flower until first frost. Good for cutting.
Gaura So White and Sparkling White, looking like whirling white butterflies, another pretty for lots of white in the garden. Narrow, green leaves and arching stems of dainty white flowers.
Iris Crystal Bright, Cherry Lyn and Caesars Brother are Siberian Iris. These form a lovely thick clump of slender foliage then they put up masses of strong stems topped with white, pink or rich purple flowers. These prefer a little moisture in the soil so great for areas that don't get dry over summer.
Lilies
viburnum summer snowflake these went like hot cakes especially when my one on the roadside were in flower.. I had trimmed them into cones and they looked spectacular in a christmas tree shape and full of white snowflake like flowers
It's not that I'm lazy... but weeding really doesn't do it for me!
Good garden culture practice can actually minimise weeding and all those processes can make keeping a garden a joy.
Sun, rain and warmth all make for rapid growth in the garden and it never ceases to amaze me how fast the weeds grow. Those weed leaves just appear overnight, out of no where, and in a blink of the eye they can suddenly be a problem. Coarse mulch is a good as it's not so great for germination, as soil or garden mix is. A push hoe on a hot sunny day is another good, quick, fix but do it in the heat of the day so that the weeds fry in the sun. Use the push hoe just below the soil level so that you cut all of the roots below the surface and keep it good and sharp so it is easier to use.
Plant to cover is my theory... once all of the ground is covered then that excludes the light which also helps prevent weeds from germinating as they usually need light. The plantings that we have done around the pond have almost reached the stage where all of the ground is covered and so the weeding is now getting less and less.
Maintain that weed control until the ground is covered or mulched... so don't let any perennial weeds get a foot hold.
Get organised and just do it!
The year is just romping past so fast, nearly half way through November and thinking that there are not so many weeks before Christmas. Just putting it out there that if you require something to be couriered, then it's time to get it sorted and on its way before things get crazy. I know the Christmas rush will happen and then there will be delivery delays, and as we will know, plants in boxes without light and water, for too many days, don't hold their quality.
Enjoy your gardens and have a great weekend
Cheers Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team
