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Saturday 22nd October, 2022

Hi

Labour day, Labour weekend
Sometimes we need reminding of the reason behind the holiday because in most cases it's so much more than just a day off. For those that have forgotten like I had, Labour Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day. Apparently, NZ was one of the first in the world to claim this right, when in 1840 Samuel Parnell (a carpenter) won the 8 hour day in Wellington. The first Labour Day was celebrated on the 28th of October in 1890 when thousands of trade union members, supporters and government employees attended parades in the main centres and even many businesses closed for part of the day.
In the early days, parades drew huge crowds in the main cities with floats and colourful banners picnics and sports events. I guess a tad like a Mardi Gras but without all the fancy costumes of leather and lace, lol. The parades also had a political purpose (as they do) as at this point while some enjoyed the 8-hour working day it still wasn't a legal requirement. The Liberals introduced the Labour Day act of 1899 making a public holiday on the second Wednesday in October, first celebrated in 1900. The public holiday was then mondayised in 1910 and held on the fourth Monday in October as it is today!
Labour day and weekend has other significances for me and the first is that it's my mother's birthday and is always near Labour day and not to be forgotten. The other is that its traditionally the time that the ground is warm enough and the danger of frost is past to plant our summer veges. You will know the ones that I mean like Capsicums, chillis, eggplants, tomatoes and the like. I know that we had all been lulled into a false sense of its warm enough, and many will have already planted these and hopefully they survived that frost the other week. Otherwise, you may have to replant. Not that I am by any means a vege garden expert, but the soil has to be warm enough to germinate other vege crops like green beans, corn and so on but I do love to feed ourselves from the garden.
On that note it's still beautiful planting weather as the ground is still so lovely and moist (how could it not be after all that rain). The suns out and it's nice to be outside and seems to me just perfect for planting. Not just the vege garden but all gardens, with roses, perennials, lavender, and a like. The garden centre is brim full to choose from. 
Just because they are so pretty 
Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink cloud Common name Beauty bush and when you see this one in full flower then you understand.. Its a stunner. I have this one in my garden and every year I love seeing in flower.. like a pink cloud of marsh mellow
Deutzia Compact pink. I walked past these in the garden centre yesterday and they were looking were pretty in pink.. masses of small pink blossoms  smother this shrub
Viburnum summer snowflake. The ones on our road frontage are starting to look amazing but dont think that is their natural form as we have trimmed them into cones. I do think that they look pretty cool like this but untrimmed will still put on the same stunning display but rather more on a more rounded and layered like shrub
Ceanothus Blue Sapphire or Californian Lilac. These beautiful spreading evergreen shrub are just starting to come to life with clusters of striking dark blue flowers. The shiny foliage turns a deep ebony shade during winter, changing to dark chocolate-green during spring and summer. This is a very useful shrub for cascading over walls and banks.
Flower carpet roses are now in, thought I would mention this because I have been often asked for these. Of late, carpet roses are produced differently from the huge range that we have in the winter and these shrubs are always ready in the spring and through the season. These very popular shrub roses are hardy and easy to grow and nearly always in flower. You could even use some of these as small climbers. I reckon that the red one would make for an awesome climber though they all the colours would work. Imagine planting a hedge of the white ones. That would be neat too!
Ang has been extending our range...  lets go troppo
Gingers are not a group of plants that I know that well as I have always thought of it being too cold here for them and not had too much experience growing them. On that point, in my travels around and being the plant nerd that I am have collected a few that have survived the past winter in our garden and even after that last humdinger of a frost. Sometimes it all about position and microclimate with what you can get away with. I think Gingers are so worth giving a go at because they have that beautiful lush foliage and attractive flowers that suit a sub tropical look. I have never tried them indoors but imagine in a pot they could look quite neet in a conservatory or porch portico type space.
Alpinia Calcarata Hybrid  A medium height ornamental ginger with racemes of white and maroon highly fragrant flowers. Thrives in shade or dappled sunlight. Frost tender so prefers warm temperatures and can be grown indoors.
Alpinia Nutans A smaller ginger with thick, lush, dark green foliage. The foliage is fragrant when rubbed. The compact growth habit makes it ideal for borders, under-storey filler, in pots and containers . Can be grown as an indoor plant. Evergreen.
Alpinia Pink Perfection  A stunning plant, it has rich, deep green foliage, which holds its color during the colder months. It is topped by clear pink blooms very early in the spring, which continue through the summer and into autumn. Can be grown indoors. Thrives in a warm temperature.
Cordyline Showoff Cordyline “Showoff” features narrow, strap like, glossy green leaves with purple colourings. These are held off upright stems and provides for a very lush looking plant. It typically grows to 2 m tall and 60 cm wide, preferring a partial shade position with plenty of moisture and good drainage.
Ctenanthe Grey Star A lovely foliage plant with elliptical leaves growing in an upright clump on thin, tall stems. The leaves are a majestic silver color, with silvery-green veining and gorgeous, red wine undersides. Prefers an evenly moist, aerated soil mix and a humid environment. Can be grown indoors.
Phlebodium Blue Star  With long, wavy, blue-green leaf fronds this is a stuuning specimen to have in a hanging basket or pot/ container in a sheltered position. Avoid draughts and loves to be mist sprayed on the foliage rather than watered. Can be used indoors and is an air-purifying plant.
Vireya Rhododendrons are Rhodos that suit the tropical look too.. These also suit a warmer position than normal Rhodos  but are more generally smaller growing with brighter coloured flower and still like that dappled light positioning.. Check them all out here but here are a few classics. sorry some are missing pics that we haven't been able to source as yet.
Rhododendron Vireya Haloed Gold  A tropical shrub with luxuriant dark green foliage. Large full trusses of golden yellow flowers edged in tangerine which appear twice a year, in autumn/winter and spring/summer. Plant in a sunny well drained spot with protection from the frost. Evergreen
Rhododendron Vireya Java Rose  Gorgeous trusses of double flowers are dark orange in colour and edged in red. Nice glossy dark green foliage. Plant in morning sun or dappled light in well drained acid soil. Protect from frost and feed regularly for best results. Suitable for container growing. Evergreen.
Rhododendron Vireya Golden Charm. A tropical shrub with luxuriant dark green foliage. Large full trusses of yellow-orange flowers.  Flowers twice a year, in autumn/winter and spring/summer. Has a good constitution and forms a well rounded shrub. Plant in morning sun or dappled light in well drained acid soil. Protect from frost and feed regularly for best results. Evergreen.
Kumara slips are in. We held off getting these until it seems warm enough to get these into the ground  and so for all those that pre ordered these then call out to collect them.. They have a short shelf life so the sooner you get them and get planted the better. Remember that they are at best rooted slips and so you will need to keep them moist until their roots grow into the soil. Just like any new seedlings really.  Plant on mounds at approx 50 cm spacings the ting to do is firm the ground and then make your mounds so that when the root hit the firm spot they start to make kumaras.
Labour day Monday is a stat holiday and so its a long weekend for many but the garden centre is still open all normal hours of 8.30 to 5pm. The garden is looking pretty for a walk around and the nursery is as full of perennials shrubs trees that it can be. Its the planting time for cold sensitive vegetables but its also a great time to plant almost anything and get it established as much as possible before the summer.
Take care out there on the roads if you are going away for the long weekend. If you are like me then its the time to really get the garden up to scratch for the year and then enjoy a boutique gin at the end of the day.
Whatever you plans, enjoy and have a fabulous long weekend!
Cheers Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team

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Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: