Saturday 18th February, 2023
Hi
Phew that was a week and a half, think that the Waikato seems to be reasonably lucky in terms of cyclone impact. Perhaps it's how we are surrounded by all those hills, but your hearts do have to go out to all those that lost their homes, livelihood, and dreams. Makes one realize how fragile things can be and how we just can't control nature if she is throwing that wild card at us.
It was the wet weekend prior that I was at home, Tony was painting and when you work outside all the time when its raining, you just don't feel like being wet on your weekend off and so the vege garden has to wait for the next fine days off. Speaking of vege garden, hasn't been the greatest this year, too wet and not enough sun for those eggplants and tomatoes, capsicums etc. I am now planning on planting for the Autumn and Winter vege varieties, and that's early and organized for me. I can hear a mate of mind saying, "plant your brussel's and leeks in February for June/July Harvest".
Not one to sit around doing nothing on a wet day and housework is not really that appealing, decided that I was going to make some plum sauce. I think that I am in a sauce/chutney/relish stage of life as I don't need bottled fruits for dessert. I also reckon that if I make my own then I don't need to buy any, they taste way better, and you can repurpose as a spice range or mix in sauces. make marinades and use in slow cookers.
I have written about Rowan Bishops book, With Relish before and it's a must have. This particular wet day I had spied the recipe for roasted plum (or cherry) Chutney. Now Rowan suggests red fleshed plums but I only had a choice of Prune Stanley or Luisa plums on my trees so elected to use the prunes (it is my plan to get a dehydrator one day) and I think it turned out just fine. Cooking time was half an hour shorter which I put down to Prune plums being fleshier than perhaps other plums. I'll put the recipe here but it's worth getting your own copy.
Roasted Plum Chutney by Rowan Bishop
1 kg Ripe plums, 1 medium onion peeled and fine diced, 2 Tbsp Peeled and finely chopped Ginger, 5cm Cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 1/2 tsp Chilli powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground allspice 1 and 1/4 cups sugar, 1 cup balsamic Vinegar.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Stone and chop plums into fine dice and put into a medium roast pan or lasagna dish. Add all the other ingredients and roast in the oven for approx 2 hours stirring regularly. I found that my version with the prunes did thicken and then I bottled into jam jars with lids that sealed. How easy is that
I actually also made a plum sauce from her great book, again using plums from my trees being Szechuan Plum sauce and its delish.
Camellias for the shade border all still 25% off
Camellias in my book rate as pretty easy to grow. Technically a semi shade plant but they seem to almost thrive anywhere from full sun to quite shaded positions. I am sure that in too much shade they may stretch a little but on the whole they are very forgiving. They probably are also quite tolerant of various soils as well, but ideally like moist rich soils that drain but again I have seen them perform in a whole cross sections of positions.
Brushfield Yellow. The antique white outer petals gracefully surround the ruffled inner petals of light, creamy primrose yellow. Neat and tidy growth habit and very eye catching
Jurys yellow. The deliciously creamy flowers of this Camellia look good enough to eat with your pudding! Vigorous and profuse flowering
Red red rose. What a beautiful Camellia this is with gorgeous rich red, formal, double blooms that will really brighten up the garden in winter.
Flame AKA Moshio - But no matter what you call this outstanding Camellia you will love the flame red semi-double blooms that have remarkable colour clarity. Attractive central zone of golden stamens.
Hiryu. Semi-double blooms of bright cerise with a slightly paler center appear in abundance throughout autumn. A shrub in full bloom simply glows with colour.
Royal velvet Red. just doesn't get any better than this! Royal Velvet Camellia produces an abundance of dark velvet red semi-double flowers
Daintiness. An award winning, Jury hybrid with semi-double blooms of mid pink with showy golden stamens. Flowers from winter through to spring.
Tree watch for planting now as its seem like Autumn. There are lots of choices here and if you are looking this weekend then I'm sure Blair and Shane will be on hand to help.
The
Calleryana pears or Callery pear are Native to Vietnam and China. Attractive feature trees with very pretty small white flowers en masses in the spring followed by lime green foliage. Finally amazing Autumn shades of red. These can make for a rounded head tree or could be pruned into vase shaped specimen trees.
Pyrus Aristocrat An unusual and unique ornamental member of the Pear family. Gorgeous glossy green leaves with wavy edges that are on fire in autumn with tones of hot red. The decorative inedible fruits follow the white spring blossom. Forms a handsome pyramidal tree. Easy to grow. Deciduous.
Pyrus Bradford This Ornamental Pear is popular as a street or feature tree in the USA and is worthy of our attention. A lovely display of white blossom in spring followed by glossy green leaves that colour exceptionally well in autumn. Ornamental small brown fruit. Easy to grow, deciduous.
Pyrus Kea Ornamental Pear. Raised in Queenstown, therefore very frost hardy. This feature tree has lovely foliage of glossy green which changes to rich shades of burgundy and green over autumn and holds well before leaf fall in winter. Pretty white blossom in spring followed by inedible fruits.
Swamp Cypress for wet feet, lol relevant for this season
Swamp cypress is the common name and
Taxodium distichum is the Latin for you. This handsome tree belongs with the conifers and its family is the Cupressus and unusual for most conifers in the fact that it likes being in the wet and having wet feet. Great for planting on swamp land and imagine them planted as a grove or mass planting. Perhaps a good use of a space otherwise not suitable for other plantings.
Swamp cypress are also a tad different from their cousins in the Cupressus family in that they have attractive Autumn foliage of orange rusty brown shade before they fall in the winter. Spring foliage is gorgeous is you imagine lime green, fern like leaves appear after the winter. Tree shape is tall and pyramidal and perhaps typically conifer like.
Lastly the other really unusual thing about these trees are their knees or growths that are called knees. These growths are like knees that protrude out of the water or swamp above the roots.. I used to think that they help with oxygen for the trees growing in water but on google it seems the jury is out on that one. Lets just say its something that seems to be unique to Taxodiums.
Quercus Robar fastigiata or an upright or columnar form of the English Oak tree. We have a few of these that would be perfect for down the driveway and they are huge right now (3.5m plus) and so the effect would be instant and you would need a large trailer to move them. Normally $250, need these to go so just half price being $125..
Prunus Awanui. A flowering Cherry that would be just perfect for a tree lined driveway. Plant as a cluster of trees, whatever your purpose these are great plants and its good planting weather.
Awanui is very pretty with masses of single pink flowers that look spectacular in the Waikato. I always liken the trees here in full bloom looking like pink candy floss.
February 25% deals and its still great planting weather esp as its warm and wet.. Come on out as this is still exclusive to our database... Will advertise on the radio in March
Camellias, Rhodos and Azaleas of the deciduous kind all 25% discounted, Great plants but we just need to pave the way for the coming season. Plants for the semi shade garden and these all like to be fed with acid or Camellia and Rhodo fertiliser.
Pip and stone fruit trees includes
Apples, Pears, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches, Nectarines and Plums.. I have a plan to rearrange things in the garden centre and need the space to do so (always a project) all 25% off.. There are even some Peaches and Nectarines and Almonds for just $20 each but not available for mail order, collection only.
Hostas 25 % off all stock.. We have grown most of these and they are now quite chunky crowns being in their second year. Good value for mass planting in those dappled light areas and contrast with liriopes and the like.
Avocados...25% off... a good time now to get these in and set up before the cooler months. Great plants and 4 cultivars to choose from
Lavenders. all remaining plants 25% discounted, Now this one is for a sunny disposition and all day at that.
Hopefully a fine weekend for everyone around the country to dry out. We hope the weather settles down for the next few weeks to feel like we actually have had any form of summer!
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team
