Make sure all your washing is in!!!! LOL

Hi

 
What a fabulous day Friday was, just perfect for the Fine Homes Tour. I m sure that it was a great day out and there were some awesome gardens and homes up for viewing.
Our resident garden designer Anthony had a client brief and then was responsible for the design and implementation of one of the gardens.

I have the greatest respect for those that offer their homes up for the viewing for many to come and see as one really is allowing all to see a part of their private lives. I'd be in a panic that my home wasn't clean enough or as you probably imagine that there is a tad many collectables, bric a brac and or stuffed animals.


Ill never forget years ago when we started showing our garden and I think that we had three hundred odd people here enjoying an evening pre Xmas shop in the garden and a client came up to me and politely pointed out that someones thong ( and I don't mean jandal) was hanging on the clothesline amongst Dads other last minute washing. This was before the cottage was built and Dad was living with us, admittedly was doing us a huge favour and was painting the house. These days we have to check that the gate latch is in a certain position before we just go bowling on in to say hi.

Viburnums

There has been a lot of comment re the white flowering cones out on our roadside, I must say that they do look amazing. They are the Viburnum plicatum snowflake and they had started to get a little wide and high so H organised them to be coned. In flower they have become a road stopper  and everyone wants to know what they are. Opulus sterlile is probably the one that most know being the snowball tree.  There are many in all styles of flowers ranging from burkwoodii being another ball shape and fragrant to many flat flowered forms and even those that specialise in berries.  Most lose their leaves in the winter but there are a few evergreen forms that are quite popular.

Hydrangeas

              

The most popular form of hydrangea is macrophylla and this is probably the main species that we all know. There are a couple of flower forms like mop heads and lace caps and a range of pinks, blues and whites. Now whilst on flower colour its important to know that if you have pink and red forms and you want them to stay that colour that you may need to lime the soil.  On the other hand, it's aluminium sulphate or blueing tonic for the blue forms and Im pretty sure that white will just stay white, though moisture in the air will age the white blooms with pinkish spots and tones. Hydrangeas like dappled light and semi shade. They also don' like to dry out too much in the summer so keep them mulched and moist throughout the summer season. Grown in the right sort of spot their blooms won't be burnt by the hot summer sun. I just love them as their flowers seem to happen forever from small parsley like beginnings to fully coloured and then they age taking on other amazing colours. Picked once they have aged they will last as a dried flower inside and for all those floral arrangers who like to spray splashes of colour, just perfect.

There are a few other species that I have to touch on as they are probably my favourites, like Hydrangea Quercifolia. Wait for it, my little lecture on plants names, LOL. Quercus is the genus name for oaks and folia you will have guessed is foliage and so we have the oak leaved Hydrangea. Amazing cone shaped cream flowers and just awesome autumn foliage colours.

Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora grows large and is amazing with more white like coned shaped flowers. Hydrangea aborescens Annabelle is just beautiful with real parsley like flowers that swell up to huge cream blooms that age to chartreuse green, which are just so good dried for the rest of the year.

Something that I learnt via google this morn is that the macrophylla types flower on old wood and must not be cut back too late, ie like too close to spring as then they won't create flower buds to flower. The other types all flower on new seasons wood and it almost doesn't matter how you prune them, we cut our Annabelles down to ground level and they flower perfectly every year.

Xmas Shopping

              

 Two weeks ago we mentioned that Harry's brother Peter had written a book called "Trees Of New Zealand" . The book is getting great reviews in newspapers and magazine and Peter has had numerous radio and television interviews. New Zealand Geographic commented that the book "is a collection as satisfying to linger over as any portrait gallery" and the New Zealand Gardener wrote "Dip in and you'll be hooked. The photos are fab too".

While the two brothers might be quite different, there is one thing they have in common, they like a good deal! So Peter has arranged a special deal for Wairere Nursery customers with an online New Zealand retailer Mighty Ape.  If you order through Mighty Ape not only is the price of the book $54.99 (RRP69.99), but also all the copies will be personally signed. The Trees of New Zealand is the perfect gift for anyone interested in trees, natural history and a good story.

Just follow this link to place an order - https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/Book/Trees-of-New-Zealand-Stories-of-beauty-and-character/18276051/

Its amazing how many came into the garden centre after Peters TV coverage and commented on the two brothers sounding and looking alike

Roses

The roses are flowering and they are all looking gorgeous and worth even just a look. Last year the fragrance from all the roses scented the air all round in the nursery. Its the time to be on the look out for Aphids and Black spot with these periodic showers that we are getting. If you see any starting then a quick spray will halt its progress especially if you do a quick couple of sprays a couple of days apart.

Its a lovely temp for gardening or if you have the time our garden is worth a wander but whatever  you choose to do

Have a great weeknd

Cheers,

Lloyd and Harry

Make it a Wairere weekend where gardenings not a drag!!!!!