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Friday 22nd November, 2019
Hi
Is the Christmas Hype starting earlier?
Eight more days of spring and then it's officially summer. The Christmas advertising seems to have started in earnest (does it actually get earlier each year?) which means thinking about Christmas, holidays etc and left me wondering where has this year gone... It seems to have disappeared in this huge blur and I know I don't drink that much!
So while I'm on about Christmas, it's a good time to talk about the conifers that have just arrived that would be suitable to hang all your Xmas tinsel and baubles on and later will also make for pretty cool pot plants on the patio.
Now here's the thing about conifers and this family of plants, it's a fact that they are quite suited to being grown in pots. This family of plants has evolved to cope with considerable environmental extremes if you look at where some of them are naturalised.
They like high light, being full sun positions, and can cope with those hot patios and courtyards. They are tolerant of being dry, though I have to qualify here, that there is dry and and then dried... lol not dried out to the point of no return! Many conifers are suitable for trimming and topiary work like our fabulous Totaras but others I think will look better a la naturale and grown for their very cool conical form.
Picea Baby Blue would be one of my favs. The colour of the needles is the most amazing blue shade and this is one that I like to be grown simply for its natural form which looks amazing in a pot.
Baby Blue Stitchensis Korbel Mugo Pinea
Xmas Tree. A beautiful dwarf form of the Colorado Blue Spruce. Baby Blue is perfect for bringing the classic pyramidal form and appealing blue-grey colour to smaller landscapes. Mix it with a variety of dwarf to mid-sized evergreens for a stunning year round display. Provides dramatic colour and form to autumn and winter landscapes. Evergreen
Sitka or Alaska Spruce. A slow growing elegant Conifer that always has a well groomed appearance. Sharp pointed needles of grey-green foliage decorate ascending branches that have graceful pendulous tips. Makes a wonderful potted Xmas tree. Can be grown in sun or part shade, prefers deep cool soil. Hardy. Evergreen. 10 year height.
We have all seen the Christmas tree farms around of recent years and they trim their Pines to get that conical Christmas tree shape otherwise left to grow naturally would have quite a different form. Pines are also well suited for growing in pots and potentially maintain the shape by trimming after growth for the following festive season.
Elegant pine from down Mexico way. Long slender drooping needles of freshest green drape the gently curving branches. Forms a graceful pyramidal tree. Makes a lovely potted Xmas tree. Happiest in a well drained sunny position. Evergreen.
Unusual little conifer which is extremely slowwwwww growing. Looks great in a rockery especially if featured against a large boulder. Also quite charming in a container. Typical fresh green pine like foliage. Happiest in a sunny well drained position. Excellent as a table top Xmas tree. Evergreen.
I am rather fond of conifers in pots and admit to having a little bit of a collection of them. If you look after them they will last for years especially if you grow them on and pot them up once they have exhausted their time in a previous pot.
Just something a bit different and because they have the correct shape right now, Sequoia Korbel is a selected form of redwood and so could be something for a pot or just enjoyed as a this years Christmas tree but then planted out as a feature tree.
This is a narrow conical form of the majestic forest giant. If grown as a specimen it will need a permanent site to develop to it's impressive size. Great as a shelter belt tree. Prefers full sun to semi shade, deep moist soil. Hardy. Evergreen
We have trained the Totara Matapouri Blue into cloud trees which desperately needed repotting but I had put the task in the too hard basket as they are now quite large. Recently I bought some new Bianca Lite pots with the Totara in mind. I thought to get the team on the potting job and with 5 of us it went amazingly smoothly. Our blue Podocarps now look amazing in their new homes. I also have a Japanese umbrella pine and a couple of Blue Picea in Oriental flavoured pots and I have my eye on one of those Picea Baby Blue and also a Pinus Mugo.
I often have clients say to me that gardening, collecting roses, trees, it's like an addiction and I own up to the fact that its no different for me!
If you like it Hot then lets talk Chilli
I spied these the other day on a reps van and couldn't resist grabbing a few as they looked well grown plants and we get a few clients that are after decent chillies.
Chilli Hot Carrot
They may look like baby carrots but be warned - this one lives up to its name and can be very hot. Producing bright orange peppers 10cm long, ideally suited for growing in pots and are early cropping.
Chilli Hot Joker
A delicious medium hot chilli produces loads of long chillis. Ideal for pots and patios. They have a beautiful sweet spicy flavour. Crisp fleshy and can be eaten raw, made into salsa, sauce or dried form
Chilli Hot Salsa
A chilli that can produce heavy yields of thick walled medium -hot peppers 9 cm long. They turn red as they mature. Adds a zesty kick to homemade salsa or dried for curries etc.
Chilli Jalapeno adds a hot zesty flavour to your dish. peppers are 7.5 cm long. Mild
Peppers (Capsicum annuum) are divided into two major groups -- sweet peppers and hot peppers. Sweet peppers have thick, juicy walls and a sweet flavor, while hot peppers have thinner walls and a spicy, pungent flavor. This flavor is caused by the alkaloid capsaicin, which is produced in the fruit's membranes. Botanically, there is no difference between Jalapenos and Chili peppers.
Hot Carrot Hot Joker Hot Salsa Redskin Snack Orange
Lilium Snow Queen or as we all know them... Christmas Lilies. These are so reliable for flowering at this time of year. I have a lovely patch of them in the garden and they are already forming their buds so they should be out for Christmas. The fragrance is just heavenly and they look amazing in floral displays.
Roses are looking spectacular, breathtaking in fact, they are in full flowering mode and the array of colour, the myriad of scents and the diversity of flower shape, size and form will likely leave you wondering where to start... so I suggest the website. If you have an idea of what you are looking for then you can search the website for the colour or type of rose you are wanting. We have them arranged in the different height of standard and by bush or climber and all in alphabetical order but if you are looking for a Rugosa or a Hybrid Tea, for example, then you would be best to know the name of the ones you are looking for before you get here. If however you just want to look through them, to find that perfect rose, and you are coming to the nursery, then do allow yourself some time to look as they are vast.
Let's be organised
I know how fast this time of year disappears so I'm getting in early to say... mail orders and dispatch.
Couriers get frantically busy at this time of year so if you are thinking to get plants delivered then do it early as it can take longer due to the overload. The week starting 9th of December will be our last full week of dispatch!!! Tue 17th of December will be our last day dispatching for North Island deliveries for the year and Mon 16th December will be the last day for dispatches to the South Island so have your order in and paid for before that weekend as we will cut off early so all goods to get to their destination.
There will be no dispatch during the short weeks of Christmas and new year and will resume the first full week in January being Monday 6th.
Truck deliveries always start later due to the trucking companies taking advantage of the slower period and having a break and are generally back on deck the last week of Jan or beginning of Feb.
Our vouchers expire after 12 months so if you received one last Xmas and you haven't used it yet then now is the time to spend it to avoid it becoming invalid. You can use your vouchers online or in store so lets use them before time runs out on them. (If the worse comes to the worst then at least get them re-issued)
But we are open 24/7 from 8.30 am to 5 pm except for Christmas Day.
Its going to be a stunning weekend and especially nice after all that good rain that we have had... makes everything grow, especially with these warm temps. I am looking not to all the trimming around the gardens here that need to happen over the next few weeks.
Get your clogs on and come see the roses, or check out the posts on facebook if you cant come in. I have no doubt that there is something here you'll like.
Have a great 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 (8th November, 2019)
Chilli (15th November, 2019)
..... Picea or Pinus ?
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: