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.
Friday 28th September, 2018
Healthy eating begins in the garden!
Hi
Grow your own favourite foods!
WOW the years just tick past, I have just clocked up another one, thankfully it was a number in between those big milestone ones that end in zero or even the number five. I celebrated the day just quietly at home and had all my favourite comfort foods cooked for dinner and of course a few too many wines... I think that I have my mother to thank for that failing..or appreciation LOL
The birthday dinner was pretty simple and I just adore fresh fish, especially crumbed and pan fried, add to that, roasted Kumara, my home made coleslaw and as many spears of Asparagus, lightly blanched, that I could manage to eat.
Mum spoils me like that bringing out asparagus more often than not, big bags of asparagus to cook for our dinner. I figure that you really don't need fancy pots, rather a wide pot with a shallow amount of water at a rolling boil, throw in your spears, but watch them as you don't want to overcook them, and they will keep cooking once you have drained them. I think that I just watch them change slightly in colour then drain and always they are just el dente, finally add some butter, salt and pepper to taste.. Just too good and so delicious. I would eat the spears every night, so make the most of the season for this year as it will finish all too soon.
You could however put down a bed of this delectable vegetable and grow your own... once you have an asparagus bed established then it will be with you for the next 20 odd years.
Plant as many as you can that you have space for, to be able to pick a decent crop. Dig your site over to aerate the soil and incorporate a heap of organic matter, like good compost. Asparagus loves its food so keep the organic matter happening. Re-mulch each winter and keep the bed really fertile.
Dig a trench to about 30 cm deep and then add some soil back to this so that you can splay the roots over the fill and plant the crown below the soil surface approx 10 cm deep and at 30 to 50 cm apart and rows should be 50 cm apart.
Don't pick any spears in the first year and only pick a small number in the second year and let them go to seed and then in the third season you should be in full production.
Its too easy grow your own Kumara... grow a bumper crop and store for the winter.
Kumara are a pretty easy crop to grow, as well, and its time to get these into the ground.
Planting kumara is a simple matter of pushing the slip two thirds into the soil creating a U shape at the end as you do that. Now it would seem that I confused some by creating the U shape however its very simple. Lay the slip horizontal on the soil and then put your fingers about 1/3 to 1/2 up the slip and push into the soil with your fingers and this will end up as a U shape with the leaves at top. Don't forget to water in afterwards and keep moist for some days until the slip is away.
Space the slips approx 50 cm apart and just let them do their thing without chopping the ends as they grow. They are quite vigorous, I will say, but anything from that Convolvulus family is rampant. Its better that the soil under the mounds is quite firm so that the plants don't form tubers too deeply.
It may be a good idea to keep the weeds at bay until the tops cover the ground. You must harvest before the frosts come and before the tops die down. Lift the Kumara carefully making sure that you don't damage the skins... cure them by drying the skins in the sun for a few days. Maybe bring them inside in the evenings and then store them carefully in a dark cupboard. Writing this just reminded me of my Watercress, kumara and potato soup. Might have to put it back on the menu.
Kumara slips are produced from slips or growths from the Kumara tuber that have been rooted in water and so when you plant these out its imperative that you keep them moist until they get under way in the soil. If they dry out then they may die. If you have a hankering to grow a crop of Kumara then be in quick as these slips don't keep and need to be planted as soon as possible.
Tis the season for the pretties
These are invaluable for adding colour to the garden for spring and summer and these are starting to occupy all of our tables in the garden centre.
Nemesias never fail to please with their pretty colours and mini snapdragon like flowers. Verbascum add height with their tall spires of pretty colours.
Catmint or nepeta Blue wonder is pretty much a classic that suits all gardens with its blue ish flowers, cut back after flowering and it will come again. (That's assuming your cat lets it!)
Campanula latifolia has tall stems of violet purple bell shaped flowers, Cape daisy White Ice will flower all summer.
Lobelia of the fancy kinds will give an amazing show and I have to throw in here Artemisia Powis Castle which is a great foil with its finely dissected grey foliage and have even manged to get some more Trachelium Lake Michigan Violet.
I spied some Primula Candelabra of mixed colours the other day being the bog primula, meaning that it will grow in quite damp and moist positions. Its not often that you see these so I grabbed some to be able to offer them here. The colours should range from yellows, oranges and reds but are only being sold as mixed colour.
Arctotis daisies are showing lovely rich colour and they flower for such long periods during the warm months.
New Grasses to us
Some new Grasses that we haven't had before being Carex oshimensis or Japanese sedge and we have these in 4 new shades as well. Typically a small clump forming grass of approx 40 cm high and with a wider leaf that arches back. Suit being massed planting in the garden or even suitable for pots, will like a sun through to dappled light position and are drought tolerant.
Evergold An attractive and award winning little Carex with variegated arching foliage in shades of cream and soft yellow.
Everest A very attractive little 'Sedge' with arching leaves of green edged with silver.
Everillo The striking foliage starts out chartreuse and then shades to golden yellow through the summer.
Everlime Easy on the eyes, easy to grow and low maintenance, this plant forms a neat, easily controlled mound of green foliage with lime margins.
Eversheen distinctive lime yellow striped foliage. A wonderful little selection with a fresh appearance. It is easy to grow, low maintenance and forms a neat easily controlled mound.
While on the subject of grasses I might as well mention that we have new stocks in of Lomandra or those Aussie tussocks - Nyalla, Tanika and the smaller growing Echidna and Ang even manged to get s few of the White Sands which is a goodie.
Some specials that may be of interest
We need to move some of these now that they have flowered to make way for new plant varieties. Winter roses like dappled light position or semi shade and look awesome when mass planted. Be in quick as the numbers are limited, be first in to get these.
Choose from these gorgeous winter rose listed below with 50% discount
Jacob, A selected form with delicious single blooms in pure white with yellow stamens.
Ivory Prince, dark green glossy foliage that forms a mound topped off with stems of large creamy-white blooms, blushed with pink and lime green opening from pink buds.
Camelot, Compact, single cream flowers lovely large yellow centres with deep glossy green foliage.
White magic Pure white single flowers
Ice breaker A selected form of 'Winter Rose' with clean white blooms that nestle just above the dark green foliage on a small compact plant
Helleborus
Furcraea bedinghausii is a plant that you will all know when you see it in flower with its huge spear like flower which interestingly enough belongs to the asparagus family!
This is one of the wonders of the plant world. Handsome grey succulent leaves a metre or more long form a large rosette on top of a metre tall trunk and, when inclined after several years, it sends up a flower stem 4 to 5 metres tall which holds weeping branches carrying hundreds of greenish white bell flowers. These awesome large plants would normally be $24.99 but yours for just $19.99 each
The roses in the garden centre are just romping away and buds have started to form so flowering won't be far away. I imagine that our roses will be a tad more advanced than those in the garden but you could help yours along with a feed of rose fertiliser. if you haven't already. If you are using an instant fert then apply before rain so that it can wash straight into the soil and be avail for the roses. Don't forget that rosees are gross feeders and so love heaps of organic matter as well like sheep pellets, bioboost or rooster booster.
Lawns will love a feed at this time of year as well. Again apply when its definitely going to rain as otherwise you may burn your lawn. If you need to spray for broad leaves then now is the time so that the grass can grow back where the broad leaves were. Turfix is a good option for these. Don't forget about onehunga weed as you need to spray for this before the prickles develop using Prickle Weedkiller spray.
Next week is the beginning of the long evenings Yahoo so I'll be out in our garden.. does take a bit of adjusting initially but hey its worth it so don't forget to turn those clocks forward on Sunday night and set the alarm to get up for work Monday morning so that you are not late. All staff please take note. :)
We are off to party with a friend that just had a big birthday and this one does end with a big fat Zero but I'm not saying what zero as there will be those that know!!! LOL
Have a fabulous weekend.
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
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 |
2018 Newsletters...
Feb already (3rd February, 2018)
Gardening friends (9th February, 2018)
fabulous feb (16th February, 2018)
Grapes and Art deco in Napier (2nd March, 2018)
About Ferns (10th March, 2018)
out with willow and in with Camellias (27th March, 2018)
Paddock Trees (25th March, 2018)
Trees for Big Spaces (27th March, 2018)
Sasanquas take 2 (30th March, 2018)
Brrr Autumn is here (14th April, 2018)
Garlic and Winter Roses (21st April, 2018)
Friday Again (5th May, 2018)
Espaliered (12th May, 2018)
always a project (18th May, 2018)
Power Outages and Proteas (31st May, 2018)
Rose time again (8th June, 2018)
Aussie Natives (19th June, 2018)
Roses Abounding! (23rd June, 2018)
Ornamentals (7th July, 2018)
High, Low or Cascading (13th July, 2018)
Daphne time (20th July, 2018)
Spring in four days (27th July, 2018)
Let the blossoms begin (3rd August, 2018)
Tamarillos (10th August, 2018)
Magnolias3 (17th August, 2018)
Bloom time not gloom time (28th August, 2018)
Is it September Already? (31st August, 2018)
Nuts abounding (7th September, 2018)
Its all in the name... seriously (14th September, 2018)
Blossom bloom again (21st September, 2018)
..... Fabulous Friday 28
Fluffies and Pretties (5th October, 2018)
October rain with 22mm (12th October, 2018)
Blue October (19th October, 2018)
Its all about roses this week (26th October, 2018)
what about this (2nd November, 2018)
Rose show 2018 this weekend (9th November, 2018)
The running of the balls sequel 1 (16th November, 2018)
Orange Kumara 1 (23rd November, 2018)
scones (30th November, 2018)
Hydrangeas (8th December, 2018)
French Tarragon Hmmm (14th December, 2018)
Happy Holidays (21st December, 2018)
Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: