Saturday 12th November, 2022
Hi
Its Lavender time
What plant loves the sun, has a healthy relationship with the bees, makes an essential oil and is fab for dried floral work? We would have to be talking up lavender. Lavandula is the Latin for the genus and angustifolia is one of the species of the English kind, which are probably a personal favourite. Just so that we are all on the same page, the ones that I call the common name of English are those that have flowers borne on tall stems that on the whole are pickable. The other main kind that we have are commonly called Spanish lavender, the species is stoechus, and I usually describe these as the Lavender with petals at the top of the flower reminiscent of Rabbit ears.
A local wholesale nursery, Anntons, which has a reputation for growing some pretty fine quality plants, have specialized in growing some NZ selections. These lavenders have been bred in Nelson and, on chatting with Steven, he says that there are some selections from both English and the Spanish cultivars that are must haves for the sunny garden.
Steven tells me that
Thumbelina leigh is one of their best sellers and also one of the biggest selling lavenders throughout the world. For me its claim to fame is that it has all the attributes of classic English Lavender except in miniature, being a petite 30cm high, complete with typical fragrant flowers of a stunning dark purple blue. This mini forms a tight grey bush with attractive foliage suiting all full sun positions in the garden or even pots... could look amazing as a mass planting or even an in a formal border edging the rose garden.
Then there are another couple of the English kind, being
Grace leigh. A highly fragrant Lavender with arching silver-grey foliage and stems of dainty flowers that have a silver hue toned with soft violet. Very pretty when in full flower during summer. Also
Azure Leigh with deeper violet flowers.
The cool thing about the Leigh series of the Spanish, or stoechus varieties, is the neat contrasting colours that they have. Take
Myrleigh, attractive and aromatic grey green foliage topped off with large flower heads in a nice deep purple shade. The bracts that complete the flower are quite large too and in a soft mauve shade. Easy to grow in a sunny well drained position.
Pat leigh, this striking Lavender has an interesting colour combination of deep purple and soft lemon. The grey-green foliage is aromatic and in spring-summer the purple flower heads appear topped off with large 'wings' of pale lemon yellow.
Lemon leigh. A unique Spanish variety of Lavender found growing in NZ. The light green-grey foliage has an aromatic Lemon scent, this is topped off with large yellow-green flower heads that appear in spring.
Remember that with all lavender they are total sun lovers and all day sun is the best. Free draining soils are the way to go as wet feet don't cut the mustard. Spanish lavenders benefit from being cut after their main flush of flowers and will quickly re flower in approx 6 weeks. Don't cut these too late as we go into Autumn as you want them to regenerate before winter so that they handle the wet season. I don't suggest cutting any Lavenders back in to brown wood rather keep to the fresh young growth which will re sprout quickly. English lavenders, trim straight after their first flush and you may get a second as they go into the Autumn. Then tidy the last flowers back. Look after English lavenders well and they will reward you for years!
I must add there are some other great English lavenders and I have planted these in my orchard area.
Arabian Nights is a mid size lavender with bright violet blue flowers on long "pickable" stems and an intense perfume make this Lavender one to add to your collection.
Pacific Blue is another mid size and will delight the senses with stems of intense blue-mauve flowers.
Foveaux storm is a smaller variety with grey leaves are that off set by dark purple flower heads.
Cecilia says
Hi, I just found the newsletter Lloyd is writing. So I take advantage, (quickly before he returns) to tell you about some uses that we can give to roses. Here you will find curious beauty facts for women and delicious facts for men.
Did you know that we can not only use roses in the garden?
They can also be incorporated into our daily beauty routine.
David Austin's gifts collection includes fragrance products,
which combine elements of the most fragrant roses. In his catalogue, has a
great variety of luxurious products developed with the fragrances of his roses.
In Barcelona Spain, we can find solid perfumes made with
roses. Rose floral water can be used for dry, sensitive, and lifeless skin.
Very useful for making eye compresses. Made in Spain too.
The Herb Farm range of skin care products. Handmade in New
Zealand. These products are created using active herbal extracts from
ingredients like OilRosa Damascena Absolute Oil. Their products are Rose
Smoothing Cleansing Cream Rejuvenating Face Toner Smoothing Exfoliating Powder
Rose Nourishing Face Cream.
Products such as cheeses, chocolate, energy bars, tea, jam and
vinegar. All made from edible roses grown in Ecuador. 100% of the exports of
rose by-products, 70% of the shipments goes to the American market and 30% to
European markets.
And
coincidentally, I found my favourite product, in Chile.
Petal Pink Ice cream. As described in the menu "Rose, a
creamy ice cream with a delicious distillate of rose petals that gives it a
surprising flavour and aroma" and that's what you find when you taste it.
In each spoonful, you can smell as if you were squeezing roses leaves with your
hands. Chocolate undoubtedly also honours their title.
This is
definitely a must-try if I visit Santiago. On my way home, I will go through
Argentina to buy one of these liquors.
Rose Liqueur. Made in
Argentina, with red rose petals. It is an ancient Italian recipe from 1600, created
for the ladies and princesses of that time. Delicate, and delicious with a red
rose aroma and unique taste.
I can see Lloyd coming... I say goodbye and next week I will give you some recipes with roses and the uses that we can give them in the garden.
Cheers, Ceci.
Fresh Citrus plants have arrived!
We have just received in a delivery of
citrus, order now before they run out!
Here's a deal... 25% off Pip and Stone!!
Pip and stone fruit all 25 % off and this includes all Apple, Plums, Peaches Apricots, Cherries, Nectarines, Quinces and Pears with just a few exceptions of the double and triple grafted and espalier apples. all the trees are looking fabulous and its still great planting time.. everything is just romping away.
We need to space the trees and so to gain space we need to lose a few fruit trees so we can keep spacing the nursery. So come on out with your trailer and start that new orchard today.
If you are planting these new seasons trees then cut the bag off gently so that you mostly keep all the new feeder roots intact. Staking the newly planted fruit tree is also a good idea as then it doesn't wobble around in the wind and those new roots can get established into the surrounding soil. I have circles around my trees with a mulch layer so as to conserve moisture loss in the summer and also is great for improving the soil structure.
What I spied being put away today
Petunias, and in full flower. these will give colour all summer long.
Amore Fiesta Valentine petunia. You will fall in love with these boldly coloured flowers that all display 5 distinctive hearts around each large bloom in cream and dark Burgundy.
Amore Pink Hearts, again as above with the five hearts but in cream and bright pink.
Petunia Indian summer, A fabulous new Petunia in a completely unique colour. Orange and Yellow shades is not typical for Petunia and Indian Summer creates a stunning splash of colour.
Gaura Steffi Grace. A gorgeous compact, free flowering perennial that is hardy and easy to grow. With it large deep pink flowers on tall stems from Spring right through and into Autumn.
Achillea Summer Drift A beautiful perennial with double white flowers that's habit is semi-trailing. Looks great in the garden as a grounder cover or in a pot or hanging basket cascading over the sides. Flowers for a long season
The last of the
Hosta varieties just in labelled and have been put away.
Pacific Rose Bowl Festival and Daltons Waikato Rose Society Spring Show
It's our, well Cecilia and my weekend on and it also happens to be the
Pacific Rose Bowl Festival. We received an invite to be with the judging for New Zealand rose of the year. Well we can't both be away and I thought as Cecilia chooses the roses for the nursery that it would be a great opportunity to see what's out there on offer. While she is there it's also the
Waikato Rose Society Spring show and so it's a must to check out as well.
Daltons Waikato Rose Society Spring Show
Sat and Sun the 12 and 13th of November Saturday, 12pm to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4.30 There is a small door charge of just $5.00 or $2.50 for gold card holders.
I know that everything is still growing at a rate of knots but don't be tempted to get in there and trim your hedges just yet. Wait for the spring flush to get nearer the end of its growth phase. You will be able to tell as the new growth will start to change to its summer shades of green. Then get into the trimming and shaping. If you start trimming to early, then you will only have to do the task again and usually once is enough for me. I find that doing the trimming closer to Christmas is usually a good time and it will get the garden up to scratch for all those Xmas festivities.
Tony was in the Nursery and just happened to spy some roses that we didn't have, not to mention some that we already had. I suggested that as we already had one example that we perhaps didn't need the second. Of course its his favourite rose! Oh well, we will just make a new garden which he is duly doing.
So while I am working I guess we will be the proud owners of a new rose bed by Monday.
Have a great weekend
Cheers Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team
