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Friday 8th November, 2019
Hi
Whew... hasn't it been like a mini heatwave of late? It seems, when it comes out of the blue as it did, that it feels hotter than it actually is. To be fair though, I do love summer and the heat... especially when I'm sitting around a pool sipping cocktails LOL... but back to reality, I'm thinking that it was a good early reminder that the hot weather is coming but I'm guessing that some more cool weather and hopefully some more rain will be on its way. That will keep the farmers, and me, happy as I know the amazing growth that we have here in the Waikato is down to having a consistent rainfall.
I can assure you though that we have really had to water all the plants in earnest because, as you know, our plants are all in containers and once they run out of water well that is it... there is no buffer... so I hope that you have all taken note on how your pot plants are coping. The first parts of a plant to suffer, if the plant is in flower, are the flowers and if the leaves wilt then that results in yellow leaves on the inside of the plant, in particular this is true of roses. Our quality is very dependant on good consistent watering as well as many other factors.
Luckily Alex and I have been testing the irrigation over the past few weeks, manually operating the system when the days were overcast and the odd shower was hovering around. It has been a while since the irrigation has been working so we check that all the sprinklers go around and that they are not blocked with any rubbish. Spiders often make webs around the sprinkler heads which can stop them from rotating or sometime a pipe may be knocked and broken (they get old and brittle) and we have a leak that has to be found and fixed. You would think this an easy task but when the trees are taller than the sprinklers and they are surrounded by said trees, this can take some moving of plants just to get to the sprinkler head.
That little heatwave took us from manual operation to a full on automated cycle at night covering some 6 to 8 hours of irrigation. Then there are all the areas that the sprinklers don't reach that we have to hand water and so we are at that time of year where we make a point of getting plants underneath the irrigation, displays are reduced to just a few around the shop and we literally shrink the nursery to minimise the amount of hand watering required.
Thank goodness for the extra 2 tanks we put in last year, I suspect we are going to need everything they hold and more, possibly the occasional top up with clean town supply water!!!
Foodie, Fruity!
If you are a bit of a 'Foodie' who likes to have everything that is fruity in their garden then you have to check these out.
Smallanthus sonchifolius is a name that I have never known, and sure as heck don't want to have to pronounce... Yacon yes , easy to grow and the fruit or part you eat looks like a cross between Kumara and Dahlia bulbs. This, not so well known, plant belongs to the daisy family, native to Peru, and is a close relative to Jerusalem artichoke... another common name is Peruvian ground apple. If I recollect correctly the tuber is very sweet, crunchy and tastes somewhat like rock melon.. some google reading also suggests that its useful as a natural sweetening that doesn't add calories.. a little like Stevia which has sweet leaves that are used dried and powdered.
Juice them then add the juice to sour juices like grapefruit as a natural sweetener or eat them raw, add them to fruit salad or coleslaw, or you can roast or stew them. They can even be cut and baked or fried like chips or used to make chutney. The syrup can be used in baking, especially where a recipe calls for treacle or golden syrup.
Cherimoya Casimiroa Pepino Tamarillo Ginger Myoga
Zingiber Myoga aka Japanese Ginger is different from the usual ginger (Zingiber officinale) that we all know in that it is the emergent flower that is used, not the rhizome, for cooking. The flowers emerge at ground level and these are harvested (like asparagus) before they open and can be harvested from February right through into April. The more you harvest the more they produce. They can be used in many ways in cooking and are used extensively in Asian cooking. Check out Russel Franshams article on this plant for some great ideas and information.
European Elderberry or Sambuccus Nigra as you will find it on our website is a large ornamental shrub that has large deep green leaflets and fragrant white flower heads in summer followed by red-black berries that, when ripe, can be used for juicing or even make some Elderberry Wine.
Here's another name for you... Vasconcellea pubescens or Mountain Paw Paw, also a native from South America, this is a quick growing tree that produces delicious, bright yellow fruit that you harvest in winter when the fruit has softened. You will need more than 1 plant to ensure you get fruit.
Tamarillos are in. Tree tomatoes, as I have have heard them called, are sub tropical, short lived plants that love a good mulch layer around their drip line (but not against their trunk) to ensure they don't dry out in the summer, and will produce either red or gold fruit depending on which variety you have. They are semi evergreen and prefer a sunny position sheltered from wind and frost and with good air flow. You can choose from Bold Gold, Mulligan or Teds Red (no medals for picking which one is the yellow one).
Cherimoya are an attractive tree with a cascading habit that produce an "interesting" looking fruit that is often referred to as Custard Apple. It resembles an artichoke on the outside but when you cut it open you find a soft flesh that is juicy and sweet with a subtropical flavour.
Casimiroa from central America will grow into a small semi weeping tree (or large shrub) and is evergreen in it's native tropical regions but most likely semi deciduous here. There are four varieties available currently all offering a sweet fruit that has a pear like texture and variations of flavour resembling a combination of peach, banana and pear. Self fertile and harvest is from around May - June. Pick from the tree to avoid bruising these delicious fruit.
NZ Cranberry or Myrtus Ugni is a small shrub with small attractive bronze green leaves that after the pretty white flowers the bush will fill with red berries that are fragrant and edible. Being very clipable, this makes a lovely evergreen topiary.
Blueberry bushes are easy to grow as long as they are in acid soil. High in nutritional value these are a great berry to have in your garden. Rabbit Eye varieties do well in the warmer climes and while it is confusing to us at the bottom of the earth the Northern Highbush varieties actually do best in the cooler areas so great for the South Island customers while the Southern Highbush will do well in the central areas. For pollination you will want 2 varieties of the same type of blueberry mentioned. Some varieties are evergreen and some are deciduous, check them out on the website for variety info by clicking the bold link word.
Blueberries Elderberry Cranberry Mulberry Rhubarb
Passionfruit always yummy, these are a vine so will need support. Currently in stock are Black variety but will be getting other varieties shortly. They like lots of sun, a well drained position and although they are self fertile you will always get a better crop with cross pollination. Don't forget to enjoy their flowers too, they are so intricate and unusual.
Morus Nigra or Black Mulberry is a lovely shaped ornamental tree in it's own right but the fruit of the mulberry will only really be tasted by those of you quick enough to beat the birds to them as they are loved by both birds and man. Easy to grow in a sunny spot, deciduous.
Pepino is another interesting edible that is sweet and flavoursome. Goes great added to desserts or added as a side dish to meals for some added, healthy, sweetness. Grown on a small vigorous bush that will produce until the first frosts. Self fertile and can be grown in a pot.
Rhubarb does best with regular feeds of well rotted compost as it is a hungry beast. We have some lovely red stemmed varieties available. These are bred to hold their colour when cooked to enrich your plate as well as your palate.
Now is the time, you our clients, should come for a gander
It's that time of year when your garden will peak and look totally gorgeous and ours is no different. The team have been in ours trimming the hedges that need it and mulching it all so that it looks stunning... we have also nearly completed planting and mulching the last areas of the pond garden. We have made a few changes, added more roses and upgraded some of the gardens closer to the office. Its always important to me that it looks the best that it can, especially at this time of the year.
I have planted Eye Candy as standards in the front of the office which is a Glenavon rose bred by Rob Somerfield, and I absolutely love them. I remember seeing them in the past, at the trial bed in the Hamilton gardens, and I have to say that for their first year in the ground (it takes approx 3 years for a rose to reach it's full potential) they are pretty stunning... I kept the pink theme up and added Shrangri La and Quintessential ...it's time for something different than white!
On the rose front, now is absolutely the time to check the roses out at the nursery as it is just a blaze of colour... so if you like to match the shades with the rest of the garden or the colours on your house then there is no better time than right now!
The old saying "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" seems quite apt this week although I would have to add nurserymen to that one. Something else English that loves being out in the mid day sun is English Lavenders, well all lavenders for that matter. They have finally arrived and what a superb collection Ange has arranged. So if roses aren't your thing then a colourful planting of Lavenders wouldn't go far wrong. They look amazing planted in lines or as a wash through a bed or try planting a lavender wave like Ange's display last week. Lots to choose from and fairly good numbers in most of the range.
What defines English lavender (Angustifolia) from it's French (Dentata) and Spanish (Stoechas) relatives? French lavender will usually have leaves with scolloped edges and can grow up to about a meter, larger than the English varieties which usually only get to around 60cm and have straight edged leaves. Spanish lavender also have straight edged leaves but their flowers give the game away with their "Rabbit Ears"
French and Spanish varieties are more about the landscape while if you are wanting the oils then English Lavender is the producer of some of the finest lavender fragrances. English lavender is also the hardiest not being troubled by the cold as it's French and Spanish cousins are.
English lavender
Other english lavenders to look for are:-
Arabian Night Bright violet blue flowers on long "pickable" stems and an intense perfume
Grosso produces an abundance of long stemmed, dark lavender flower heads, great for drying
Munstead A dwarf, compact form with gray foliage and flowers that carry the true sweet lavender fragrance we all love.
Thumbelina Leigh smallest on the market, this little sweetie will charm you with its aromatic, fine grey-green foliage and dainty stems of deep purple flower heads which smell delicious.
Blue Mountain Alba soft grey foliage and fine spikes of white flowers with just a hint of mauve
Grace Leigh A highly fragrant Lavender with arching silver grey foliage and stems of dainty flowers that have a silver hue toned with soft violet.
Just another timely reminder
Coatesville Garden Ramble Sunday 10 Nov
Rotorua Garden festival 15th to 17th Nov
Taupo Garden Trail 16-17th Nov
Pacific Rose Bowl Festival 14th -17th Nov
Waikato rose show 16th to 17th November
These are just a few of the events available this month, you can see some info about these on our events page or click the links to go to their web pages.
There is meant to be break in this extended warm patch this weekend and so some rain would be good... after 5pm would be perfect... haha but we will have whatever comes our way... My weekend to be in the garden myself and so have plans to get my veges in and a little pile of plants that I am guilty of purchasing and not planting. I see that farmers have maize coming up and so guess it will be perfectly warm enough for me to get some beans in. There are some eggplants Zucchini and peppers to go in as well.
Enjoy your gardening and
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 (18th October, 2019)
Rhubarb (25th October, 2019)
Baby Bunnies (1st November, 2019)
..... Fruitier than usual
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: