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Friday 18th October, 2019
Hi
There is no substitute for coming out... to look at the rose flowers... and that time is now!
It never ceases to amaze me, or do I just forget from year to year, at how beautiful it is at this time of year in the nursery.. LOL maybe I just don't have the time to look!!!
Last evening was one of those moments, I was spraying the roses and thinking that they were looking really good and all those flowers that look just stunning. The roses are not fully out yet, but it's close, and there is a heap of colour happening. I was tempted to go and grab my camera right then... but there was a task in hand to complete.
The pictorial labels that come with the roses just don't do the flowers justice. Obviously you can take a pic that is a good representation but there is so much more. Different light levels will enhance or fade colour. Spring and Autumn are probably the seasons that your roses will have really good depth of colour as the summer flush can be lighter or more faded. Then there is the stage of the bloom, do you take a good pic when it's a bud or when the flowers is more fully out, in my book certainly before its what I call blown. I'll add here that the colour of the bud is more intense than the more mature flowers.
If I'm taking a good representational pic of a Hybrid Tea rose then I like to catch this as a well developed bud rather than something more open. To me Hybrid teas should be like a florist flower and be that classic rose bud form... and just perfect for an awesome picture.
If I'm looking to capture an Austin rose, well the bud stage is ok but I think they are at their best when looking like those old fashioned blooms being, what I would call, drawn and quartered or at least more rosette in style.
Waimarie Dublin Bay Sir Edmund Hillary Golden Gift Twist n Twirl
Then there are the Floribundas, well these are usually cluster flowered and are best in my book being photographed anything from bud to just starting to open and perhaps more than one bloom in the frame.
When I am out there in the roses, my objective is to get a great pic of each rose with good colour that is a true likeness to the expectation of the cultivar. It's a bit tricky with some shades of reds and purples that don't reproduce a good likeness with today's generation of digital capture. Perhaps it's time that I upgraded my device as apparently the later models are getting better at displaying these difficult shades.
It's also worth noting that often white blooms in early spring can have quite a pinkish blush, for example Iceberg, as at this time of year the sun may not show as often as we would like. Moisture can also affect colour causing pink spots on light coloured roses.
Knowing all of this explains how difficult it can be to identify a rose from a single bloom, which is a request we often get in the nursery, though we do get some correct as some roses are unmistakable. The other big clue in identifying roses are often the leaves and stems in conjunction with the different stages of the flower. The other day I was brought a single bloom to identify that was just about to fall apart but something niggled. The client later came back with the potted plant and I knew what it was from the leaves and growth habit rather than the not so helpful flower.
So its time to look at the actual flowers rather than pictorial tags, even if you are recording names for the following winter but note that now is a great time for planting as the roses are healthy and growing happily
Pacific Glory was there with perfect flowers happening and really is such a cool shade of pink... then I happened on an old fave Gruss an Aachen... Well if you like old style roses this is a must as it is just beautiful.
While I was in the standard roses I happened across Loving Care, perhaps not such a well known rose but well its such a beauty, gorgeous shade of purplish cerise but does it pack a punch with its fragrance and such healthy foliage.
In flower now
Pittosporums useful tree for hedging or specimans
There are two main species of Pitto, Eugenoides is the one with the bigger longer leaf and of a more lime green colour, commonly called Lemonwood due to the unusual scent that the leaf has when crushed otherwise know as Tarata.
The other main new Zealand species is Tenuifolium meaning slender leaf and commonly known as Black Matipo or Kohuhu... Now these are a great, reasonably quick growing tree that is evergreen reaching some 7 to 10 metres.
There are many cultivars of these two main species of Pittos and they are often used for screening and hedging. If you are after a quick hedge or screening plant then our very own native Pittopsorum is a great choice. If you are wanting a formal hedge then you would plant these at one per metre, well that would go for any formal taller hedge in Pittosporum variety. If you don't keep them trimmed say twice a year like after the spring flush and again after the Autumn flush then these will continue to develop into the small tree that they are so the moral here is to trim you pittos regularly. We do have a good selection here and this includes Eugenoides or Lemonwood with the bigger limey green leaf.
Lemonwood A very popular tree which is fast growing and frequently used for hedging, shelter and as a specimen tree, it also makes an attractive feature plant. The leaves, have a lemon scent when crushed. Cream yellow flowers. Hardy to just about everything including attacks by possums. Evergreen.
Mountain Green is a tenufolium form of a nice fresh green and with that smaller leaf and actually a smaller growing tree traching some 3 to 5 metres NZ Native. A particularly nice form of Pittosporum with fresh green glossy foliage that always looks good. Perfect plant for screens and hedging as it responds well to clipping. Happiest in sun or part shade and likes well drained fertile soil however is tolerant of less than ideal conditions. Hardy and evergreen.
Pittosporum Oliver Twist ... a tenulfoium form Native. Small dainty silver-green foliage set upon thin black stems creates an attractive shimmering picture as the light falls upon the foliage. Easy to grow in sun or part shade, will do best in deep fertile soil. Doesn't mind a haircut. Evergreen.
Pittosporum Waihao a tenulfoium form Native. A selected form of our popular Pittosporum with a dense and compact habit. The foliage is a lovely dark green. Easy to grow in sun or part shade, reasonably tolerant of most conditions except really harsh frost. Clips well. Evergreen.
Pittosporum tenufolium The species whiuch is usually grown from seed so there will be some variation...Native. An easy to grow and well behaved native tree with attractive, undulating, pale green foliage. The small dark purple flowers emit a heady fragrance in the spring evening air. Great for screening, hedges and for background foliage. Trims well. Evergreen.
Pittosporum Wrinkle Blue A very attractive form of our NZ Pittosporum that forms a neat, evergreen tree ideal for screening or hedging. Glossy, wavy leaves of mid grey-green on stems that have a bluish hue. Easy and quick growing, trims well. Evergreen.
Ang has over ordered her numbers of Wrinkle Blue and we have a few of these to move so ideal to grab some numbers for a hedge if you have the need normally $18.99 each 10 or more $17.99 and 30 or more $16.99 each
This weeks arrivals.
The nursery is brimmed full off fluffies, roses, trees and everything that you could want just like a chocy box selection of treats and you don't know what to pick. Check them out on the website, we have general headings for most things or you can throw any names you know into the search box and let the website find them for you. We are a retail outlet that will send to anywhere in NZ so don't be afraid to put your orders in, we don't have minimum numbers you need to buy, you can buy 1 of anything if you want. Freight on courier starts at $17 (some smaller items can be freighted for $8, this is noted on the item concerned) and will be calculated just prior to being asked for payment so you can see if it is economic for your order. Trucking gets a bit dearer but then big trees take a bit of trucking!
Hostas arrive today, we have now a huge selection of these in a range of $8.99 plants, down to $8 each if buying 10 or more. You don't have to buy the same variety to get the discount, you can choose any from the $8.99 range.
Albo Picto Halcyon Wide Brim So Sweet Minuteman
Kumara are due in just prior to Labour weekend, we have held off getting these in earlier as they don't always keep well prior to this time as they are affected by the cold when they are just slips. We are getting in the 3 different varieties in the red, golden and orange colours. They come as bundles of bare rooted slips which should be planted as soon as you get them, don't let them dry out when first planted and remember you can pre order your requirements, this is recommended as we are only getting in the numbers ordered plus some for the weekend shoppers to get in store.
Waikato rose show will be on from the 16th to 17th November this year. Always included in the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival which begins 14 November. Called The Grande National Rose Show where you can even vote for your fav roses, see more info about this on our events page.
It is my weekend in the nursery and so I can't attend this year but its a great little event and for a good cause, even if you walk the course, and its set in the stunning area of Birkenehead where you can look at all the beautiful old homes and the harbour as you progress.
The Running of the Balls which is all about men's causes. For information on the latest event please go on our facebook events page.
So much for the rain today.. it has been lovely and warm and an ideal gardening day. We are making the most of the wet ground and getting some mass plantings done although I'm sure that there will be more rain soon.
If you have the time then do come and check the rose flowers out for yourself, it's certainly worthwhile and in another week it will be all on!
Have the best weekend
Cheers
Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere Team
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2019 Newsletters...
Heatwave or just summer (2nd February, 2019)
Harvest time, fruits and veges (8th February, 2019)
Valentines 2019 (15th February, 2019)
Peonies (22nd February, 2019)
Autumn is official (1st March, 2019)
Get harvesting pears (8th March, 2019)
Natures planting time (15th March, 2019)
Peonies Just Arrived (22nd March, 2019)
Azaleas (29th March, 2019)
Aza Ley aa (5th April, 2019)
Broad Beans Peas and Garlic (12th April, 2019)
Easter Brief (18th April, 2019)
Roses abound (26th April, 2019)
Autumn flourish (3rd May, 2019)
Growing spectrum 1 (10th May, 2019)
Proteaceae (17th May, 2019)
Icing sugar bush (24th May, 2019)
Queens birthday (31st May, 2019)
Cathie's turn (7th June, 2019)
Blooming good (14th June, 2019)
Somerfield (21st June, 2019)
Tutti fruity 2 (28th June, 2019)
Power Outage (16th July, 2019)
AWOL (19th July, 2019)
Winter flowering (26th July, 2019)
Quick date pud (2nd August, 2019)
Team update (9th August, 2019)
Bees are humming (15th August, 2019)
History never repeats (23rd August, 2019)
Podocarpus nivalis (30th August, 2019)
Trade day (6th September, 2019)
Pretties and Fluffies (13th September, 2019)
Oranges and Lemons (20th September, 2019)
Lots to ramble about (27th September, 2019)
Fancy clematis (5th October, 2019)
Wet Friday (11th October, 2019)
..... Pitto Wrinkle Blue
Rhubarb (25th October, 2019)
Baby Bunnies (1st November, 2019)
Fruitier than usual (8th November, 2019)
Chilli (15th November, 2019)
Picea or Pinus ? (22nd November, 2019)
pressies (29th November, 2019)
Pink or Blue (6th December, 2019)
The real Black Friday (12th December, 2019)
merry Xmas (20th December, 2019)
Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: