Saturday 28th September, 2024
Hi
The edible garden should be an attractive space
I went to pick my
Asparagus the other evening and as I walked past the raised vege beds that I have at home I spotted the said Rabbit, from last week's email, that was living in paradise. When I approached the bed he/she scurried and hid in a hole that obviously was for keeping out of the way. This rabbit has been dining quite well as the chicory was well manicured as were the celery plants that are all under the netting that keeps the birds off the silver-beet.. To that end I cleared out the garden and threw out all the brassicas that had gone to seed only to find a duck sitting on a clutch of eggs and she wasn't moving anywhere.. she toddled off finally with a few newly hatched ducklings and I have my raised beds back for spring planting when I'm next in the garden. The joys of having a country garden! And it just goes to show how long it's been since I tended them properly.
The
asparagus plants have been a winner this year as they are producing well and I can pick a feed for the two of us either every night, or every second. I did put in quite a few as I did want to pick lots. We still have some of the
Pacific Challenger left if you are still hankering to give a designated bed a go. I can tell you that spears from the garden to the table are just delicious. Last time that I was out there I discovered that the
globe artichoke had some large flower heads. I must admit that I planted these because of their very attractive silver foliage and the knowledge that one day I may eat the hearts and those little bract-like bits. Last night was my first try cooking these and dipping the ends of the bracts into some garlic butter and then finally eating the heart of the flower which was for me the highlight ... of course accompanied by a great Chardonnay.
I think that
Artichokes are great as you can use them either in an ornamental situation like a perennial border or as part of the vege garden. They just need some space as they can get around a metre square and flower taller. I have planted mine along a fence line as part of an attractive edible garden with the
Ballerina rose espaliered on fence with globe
Artichokes,
Blueberries,
Currants, and other selections of small fruits and
Berries. If you are not into eating them, they look amazing in flower too!
Leucospermums or pincushion proteas are sun worshippers
I always find it interesting that most plants seem to be technically, and I use that word very loosely, either sun or shade orientated and many are adapted to leaning a tad more one way or the other. Then there are those plants that just don't do well in anything other than their preferred positions. Perhaps I should give some examples...
Roses would be considered full sun plants, but as long as the light quality is excellent, then some cultivars can perform in lesser light. That said, they perhaps perform at an acceptable level, but not as well as they possibly could. Also some rose cultivars are more tolerant of perhaps semi-shade than others.
Iceberg is an example of a cultivar that tolerates some shade and in fact likes some protection from the harsh afternoon sun. Since
Iceberg has white flowers, it doesn't need full sun to bring out the colour of its blooms.
An example of a total shade plant would be Clivias. These really don't like the sun and will cope really well in quite heavy shade, and dry soil too to boot. If a Clivia is in too much sun it will show this by yellowing on its leaves which can no longer retain their normal dark rich green colour. I should just mention that we have some amazing Clivia plants in stock right now too! Then take Camellias. It's accepted that these are semi-shade or dappled-light plants, but we have all seen them growing in full sun and northern aspects.
In my eyes there are plants that are technically full sun and that I would say are perhaps not that adaptable to anything else.
Lavender would spring to mind as an example, as would the Proteaceae family and all its various genera, species and cultivars.
These plants suit those really hot spots with a north facing vibe, a situation that can sometime make it hard to find suitable plant choices. Leucospermums belong to the Protea family and their vibe is for full sun and good drainage and these are the perfect plant for that hard-to-grow, excessively sunny position in the garden. They will form a decent shrub in the garden that is pretty low maintenance, other than an annual prune to keep them bushy, but you only need to pick the flowers and then prune the shrub back to keep its shape.
The Pin-cushion-like flowers will delight all the floral artist out there for picking and using in their spectacular arrangements as they last for ages. There are quite a few to choose from, but here are a couple of teasers.
Leucospermum Harry Chittock A love of sunshine and a high tolerance of dry soils make Leucospermum ‘Harry Chittick’ the perfect, low maintenance shrub. It’s one of those ‘plant and forget’ shrubs, needing nothing more than cutting off of the old flower heads after they finish their flowering in early summer.
Leucospermum Scarlet Ribbons Orange stamens rise above a cushion of very showy, glossy, red ribbons from which this flower gains it's name. Likes a sheltered spot away from cold winds. Flowers are long lasting and make good cut flowers.
Leucospermum Tango Bright red blooms tipped with orange. Produces long stems that are excellent for picking, flowering from spring into the summer. A dense bush that can be kept compact through picking and pruning. Hardy and once established can withstand most frosts. Trim after flowering to encourage next season's flowers and to maintain shape.
It would seem we don't have pics for some of the great range that we have in stock, so have a read of their descriptions and come in to check them out.
Something different for those that are always looking
Cunonia Capensis or Butterknife tree A multi stemmed large shrub or small tree with beautiful lustrous deep green pinnate leaves and wine red branches. Large fragrant white panicles of flowers resembling candles are borne through summer. Ideal for the smaller garden. Evergreen.
Cordyline Stricta Slender Palm Lily This close cousin of our native 'Cabbage Tree' hails from Australia where it grows in sub-tropical, moist shady conditions. The long dark green leaves tend to droop downwards making this a nice plant for a tall pot. Panicles of purplish flowers appear in late spring, followed by berries.
Viburnum Sargentii Onondaga Something a little different to add interest to your garden. New foliage emerges a velvety maroon and matures to a deep green with a hint of maroon. Pink buds are followed by delicate, white lace-cap type flowers in mid spring followed by red berries. Quite a striking shrub and well worth planting. Deciduous.
Aquilegias or Granny Bonnets
Ang has asked me to let you know that we now have
Aquilegias in stock. These delightful, compact little perennials have cute, dainty flowers that can be white or two-toned in a range of colours. They bloom in early spring and look lovely planted en masse.
Spring is well and truly in full swing as you look around at all the colour that is happening.. I always marvel at this time of year because you can almost see everything growing. In the nursery we almost can't move fast enough to keep up.
Those that love to grow and show their rose will have them on display in just a few more weeks and so it's worth noting these dates if you want to go and check out the best examples of the rose blooms. First up will be:
Diamond Jubilee Te Awamutu Rose Society 60th Annual Spring Rose Show Friday 1st Nov 1pm to 4pm & Saturday 2nd November 9am to 3 pm.
Venue Ta Rugby sports and recreation club, 420 Albert Park Drive.
Daltons Waikato Rose Society Spring Show held in the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion, Saturday 9th November 12.30 to 5pm & Sunday 10th November 10am to 4.30pm.
It's all happening and worth noting that the Taranaki Garden Festival will soon be under way, starting November 1st and ending November 10th. If interested you can google this event but if you are like me, then we wing it when we are down there... so much to see and do and that's why we are heading back for a another visit.
Don't forget to push those clocks forward when you go to bed on Saturday night as we move into the seasons with longer evenings, but sadly the mornings will be dark again.
Have a great weekend.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
