Our weekly email news letter. Sign up here to get them delivered straight to your email in box. See below for previous issues...
Please note that product availability and prices may have changed from when this newsletter was sent. Please check this site or phone us for current availability and pricing.
Thursday 13th April, 2017
Hi
Well blow me down...
.
Autumn has certainly had a wet kickoff with cyclone Debbie and now cyclone Cook. The flooding we had from cyclone Debbie has now subsided, although not yet back to it's usual level, and the damage caused can now start to be assessed although this may have to wait for cyclone Cook to do it's thing first. Water is a powerful force but a lazy one and it will always find the easiest route on it's journey so we may find that the water course has changed for our stream or the pond outflow may now be in a different place depending on how much soil erosion has been caused from the water flow. I would imagine that some of you are perhaps needing to consider how to deal with your flood damage in your gardens or paddocks too.
Many of the plants that bordered our ponds have been under water for a number of days and have probably been covered with contaminates that are bought in the flood waters so although it may sound strange a good hosing will help to reduce possible damage from these contaminates, although I am pleased to say the rain is doing a pretty good job of rinsing them for us. If saltwater flooded your garden then salt will be a considerable contaminant. Rinsing your plants will also help dilute the effect that excessive salt can have. If you have pots or containers that have had saltwater through them then it is a good idea to completely replace the potting mix to remove the salt build up. Flush plants in the garden with considerable water to dilute the salt as salts can hinder the growth of your plants. Remember to rinse both the top and bottom sides of the leaves.
Although you may be tempted to feed your plants at this time to help replace what may have been washed away and to give them a boost DON'T. Fertilisers are composed of salts and can increase damage to your plants. Wait until they are showing good growth again before feeding your salt flooded plants. If your flooding was from fresh water then you can feed your plants to give them a boost but don't over do it, just the usual application around the drip line. Remove debris that lay at the base of your plants. Prune back any damaged plants to growing shoots but remember that these plants will already be under some stress from the flooding so keep pruning to a minimum at this time.
If you have a build up of silt you can remove it and create a storm compost pile by layering the silt with leaf litter, sticks and other debris that may have been bought in by the flooding. This will be a wonderful source of fertile mulch for your garden later down the track.
Looking for a bright spot in all this? Flooding often acts to enrich your garden by bringing in fertile soil and organic matter that will enhance your garden's fertility. Plants are pretty robust and, when given the opportunity, can usually bounce back. This could be just the chance needed to take your garden in an exciting new direction.
Garlic -
Printanor and
Elephant Garlic bulbs are now available. Historically this is planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest but that was back in the day when the moon was your calendar. Garlic can be planted in spring but autumn planting is recommended as your bulbs will be bigger and more flavour filled when you harvest them the next summer. Garlic needs about 6 months to develop size and flavour. Plant these out earlier than the shortest day if you want to grow these wonderful plants for gifts at Christmas, this will allow you time to dry them in readiness for giving as gifts.
Shallots are also in store now as these usually get planted at the same time as garlic. These are lovely big bulbs this year and are available in packs of 6.
New seasons Rhodos are in and they are just stunning plants. Lush and chunky, all our old usual's are there and even some newbies that we haven't had before. Rhododendron like those dappled light positions just like Camellias and they like peat or compost like soils that stay moist with their delicate fine roots, however they are not really a wet feet type of plant. They do come in all shapes and colours and like azaleas, camellias and magnolias they love acid soil. Last week I looked at smaller camellias that grow only 1.5m or so and so it would be a good idea to look at
Rhododendrons that would come to about this height too. Some note worthy 1.5 sized varieties are
Black Magic with it's stunning black red blooms,
Belle Heller for a gorgeous white variety or
Calythrix for a white scented bloom, and if you like the pinky purple look then
Bluerettia is a beauty. If you are looking for a fragrant rhodo then you cant go past
Bullatum which is pink tinged and strongly fragrant.
Cheer,
Damozel, and
Double Eagle look gorgeous together with the cream, pink and blue making a lovely combination of colour. What ever colour you are looking for you may find it on our website. Just click
this link to view the amazing range.
Family Deals
Just a reminder that Good Friday is one of the few days when we are closed. We are open the rest of the long weekend including Easter Sunday and Monday for our usual hours of 8.30 am to 5 pm. Our website is online and useable 24/7 so you are able to shop online on Good Friday and any other time that suits you.
Online shopping dispatch will have a shorter window around Easter due to the two short working weeks so just two dispatch days after Easter Mon.
Kahikatea Homestead Suitable for short term accommodation.. great for a family or friends travelling in a group. Ideal as a base in the Waikato for day trips. Get in touch if you require a price for week or longer stays.
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team hope you have a safe and happy Easter with lots of time for family and friends and hopefully still able to enjoy the beauty and serenity all your hard work in the garden has achieved. If you are travelling please do take care, give yourselves time for a safe and enjoyable trip especially with the weather the way it is. Take care, be safe and have a wonderful Easter break!
Make it a Wairere weekend where even Gnomes know that gardening's not a drag
Archived by year 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
2017 Newsletters...
1st one for 2017 (26th January, 2017)
Grapefruit (2nd February, 2017)
Party time (10th February, 2017)
17 Feb (17th February, 2017)
Asteraceae (24th February, 2017)
Autumn Its Official 03032017 (3rd March, 2017)
The Camellia story (10th March, 2017)
Roses Half Price (16th March, 2017)
Clipped Camellias (23rd March, 2017)
Red and gold (31st March, 2017)
Wairere Newsletter 7th April (7th April, 2017)
..... A wet season indeed
Form and texture (21st April, 2017)
To Bee or not... (28th April, 2017)
Mothers Day (10th May, 2017)
Its Rose time again (19th May, 2017)
Winter colour (24th May, 2017)
Roses blooms (1st June, 2017)
Healthy roses (8th June, 2017)
Birthday brekkie (14th June, 2017)
winter solstice (22nd June, 2017)
Rose Names (29th June, 2017)
Dry July (7th July, 2017)
Dry July nearly half way (13th July, 2017)
school holidays (20th July, 2017)
Tree time (27th July, 2017)
unoffical spring (3rd August, 2017)
Signs of spring (11th August, 2017)
Tui cherries are blooming (18th August, 2017)
Sunshine at last (24th August, 2017)
slugs and snails (1st September, 2017)
Never fail choc cake (7th September, 2017)
Never fail choc cake (8th September, 2017)
sandpaper vine (15th September, 2017)
In the beginning (21st September, 2017)
The Villa (29th September, 2017)
Montanas (6th October, 2017)
Crepe Myrtles (13th October, 2017)
Te Aroha Airport (18th October, 2017)
Kumara plants are in (20th October, 2017)
French Tarragon 2 (27th October, 2017)
Trees (3rd November, 2017)
what happening (15th November, 2017)
Xeronema (17th November, 2017)
Summer Watering (25th November, 2017)
Officially summer 2 (1st December, 2017)
Wairere Newsletter (8th December, 2017)
Xmas Summer Holidays (22nd December, 2017)
Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email:
