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Friday 18th September, 2020

Hi

I have always said that Autumn is my favourite season but I can't help but be wowed by the anticipation of spring as the blossoms and new leaves emerge.  Most of the magnolias have strutted their stuff for this year but if I recollect correctly the one with yellow genes should be about to do their thing. Koban Dori is considered one of the best clear, yellow magnolias, and I would vouch for that, the one at the nursery is just coming into bloom.  Magnolia acuminate, subspecies subcordata is its Latin name and this beauty hails from Japan.
Then there are the gorgeous new leaves that are appearing on the maples right now and it happens so fast. There is something incredibly special about the new leaves on maples... they are so delicate and in some pretty stunning shades to boot. Often maples start out the spring in one colour, then the leaves will age to a different colour then finish the autumn season in some fiery shades. 
Shindeshojo is pretty spectacular with it's first leaves being almost shrimp pink!
Mikawa Yatsuba, its leaf form is pretty special and a very attractive shades of green with some red happening around the leaf stems.
Katsura is almost golden yellow... who wouldn't be charmed by these leaves.
Koto No Ito has amazing fine needle like leaves that emerge mid green from red stems but display rich, hot, orange, autumn colours.
The flowering cherries are on a roll too with Awanui about to pop around the Waikato countryside looking like, for all intents, clouds of pink marshmellow... followed closely by accolade with its more double flowers.. Shimidsu Sakua will be next on the flowering calendar.
The stars of the clematis
Hybrid Clematis not such a sexy name for what I would call the show case flowers of this genus of plants... who would have thought they belong to the buttercup family, with their magnificent showy flowers that few can resist. Some have blooms the size of saucers, singles, doubles, amazing colours, they have it all going for them... a bit like glorious drag queens at a Mardi gras LOL. 
On a more serious note though... most clematis like a cool root run and to generally be left undisturbed.  Plant on the shady side and grow through to the sun or place a rock over the roots. Rich, moist soil is good and the addition of a friendly fungus like Trichoderma is insurance against clematis wilt. This is easily applied with a combination of water and Bio fungicide powder or granules. 
They are one of a few plants that will benefit from being planted slightly deeper then they are currently planted in their pots. This is because they will send more shoots up from the stems that are below dirt and possibly even create more roots from those stems. 
Another point worth noting is that clematis fall into 3 different pruning groups. The group they fall into is determined by what type of growth the plant will flower on. You can see the group, numbered 1,2 or 3, in the description of each plant on our website. Follow the bold link to see more information of how to prune your clematis, determined by the group it falls into.  
Often the foliage of these hybrids is overtaken by the glory of the flowers, they look pretty cool when planted in conjunction with a rose or amongst other foliage. A traditional way is to support these beauty queens in an obelisk or a tripod... I have even had them flowering in my hornbeam hedge with their flowers peaking through the foliage.
If it's a rose that you fancy to contrast the colour with then some of the climbers would be a good choice. The taller Austin roses would be pretty grand as well and a classic combo would be Graham Thomas with its full yellow flowers and say Gypsy Queen with its dark purple single flowers.

I'm sure there is something suitable for everyone in the amazing collection that Ange has just put into stock. You know where to look... wairere.co.nz
Spuds tatties its all good home grown Carbos 
Potatoes, spuds, tatties... whatever your pet name for these... it's time to get them in now, esp if you want home grown 'spuddies' for Christmas. Dig that trench, mix in some good compost, add some potato food and place your fav seed potatoes about 50cm apart, and cover. Once they start to shoot through keep rowing them up, adding more soil, until they get to the top of your trench and then let them go.
This is hot and just arrived 



I find this plant really pretty but one I am not so familiar... Andromeda polifolia compacta, commonly known as dwarf bog rosemary. Now it does have foliage that could be reminiscent of rosemary but that is where the similarity finishes. It belongs to the Erica family, native to the northern parts of the northern hemisphere and is found only in bogs in cold, peat accumulating areas, so Wikipedia says, and I ask myself what does it like to grow in? I imagine most positions but having a preference for rich moist soils.

Do's and Dont's
Don't be tempted to move plants right now as you have missed the boat... especially if the said plant has started its spring flush, its growth hormones will be rampant right now and if you cut through its roots then it's unable to keep that water supply up to its newly flushing leaves. Roses are one of the worse to shift in spring. Often it will better, with more chance of success, when the spring flush has finished and you cut back the rose to bring it on again... I would say this goes for any plant in the spring.
Do slug bait around the garden now to save those holes in newly emerging Hostas and to save those unsightly rasp like marks on Liriopes.
Do feed your garden and do this ready for the next decent rain that will occur. All fruit and citrus with, wait for it, fruit and citrus fertiliser. Camellias, Rhodos, Azaleas and Magnolias with Camellia fertiliser, which is the one for all acid lovers and most other plants that are pushing out spring growth may benefit from an application of general fertiliser. Remember that if you have just recently planted a plant it's wise to use a slow release.
Do reapply mulches now, especially coarse mulch, which will save you weeding later, or at least make it much easier, and will conserve moisture over the summer in case we have another dry one!
Do make sure that you water your pots. I know that it has, sort of, rained a bit but maybe not enough for spring growth on an established pot plant. I know, I speak from experience by the way, as a poor Buxus cone in a pot was wilted so much so that all the tips were bent over.
Your pots need to be fed this time of year too but use a pot fertiliser and not the fertiliser that is destined for the garden.
 Kumara purple gold and orange 
Kumara will be available closer to labour weekend, these slips are delicate and it is always important to get them in the ground as soon as they are ready, so to that end we are planning to have them a week or so just before the long weekend.
If you have ordered these already then get the ground prepared so that they can go straight in when you get the word. If you haven't ordered these then get online and do so and get into the next batch to arrive, probably sometime after labour weekend... The plants have a short shelf life so they won't be here long.. beside you need to plant them as they need quite a long growing season.
Plan your weekends away as we explore NZ again
I was over in New Plymouth a few weeks back and the Naki is such a delightful place to visit and said that I must be back for a long weekend soon... I'm not sure that I can manage one of the garden festivals this year but maybe you can so check them out through the events page. There are 2 running simultaneously from 30th October through to 8th November which will give an amazing opportunity for anyone visiting the area to see a large number of amazing gardens. You will find more details on our events page for both the 33rd Taranaki Garden Festival and the Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival.
Woodlands antique fair is not that far away now, not this weekend but the following, so if you are keen on old stuff then this will be a bit of you.
If you are heading to the Pukekohe area you can support an amazing service in the community by getting your tickets, $65/person, to the Franklin Hospice Garden Ramble. Dates are 14-15 Nov. They have a great selection of gardens, including Jack Hobbs's, a church that will be adorned by floral arrangements and a market garden will be available as well. More info.
I know that we all like a nice fine weekend but we really could do with some more rain to keep that spring flush happening. It's amazing at how fast things dry out and we are almost onto a regular watering cycle in the nursery almost every second day now. Don't forget to check your container plants for water and fert, slow release of course.
Have a fabulous weekend 
Cheers Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.

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2020 Newsletters...

Fabulous Febuary (21st February, 2020)

Watering Woes (28th February, 2020)

Orchard or Orchard (6th March, 2020)

Autumn sale time (13th March, 2020)

New Season's Camellias (20th March, 2020)

Vege Plants (27th March, 2020)

Something to try (4th April, 2020)

Lockdown dinner for my bubble (12th April, 2020)

Feijoas in abundance 1 (18th April, 2020)

Alert level 3 (25th April, 2020)

Drive through (9th May, 2020)

New Rules (15th May, 2020)

Impending roses (29th May, 2020)

Impending roses (29th May, 2020)

winter programme (6th June, 2020)

almost done (20th June, 2020)

Pruning Tech (3rd July, 2020)

In the Clouds (10th July, 2020)

Crystal ball and mags (24th July, 2020)

Chicken curry (14th August, 2020)

Big is Best (21st August, 2020)

Mouse tail plants coming (28th August, 2020)

Fluff n pretties (4th September, 2020)

..... Hybrid Clematis take 2

Those dry Places (25th September, 2020)

Water gardens (2nd October, 2020)

Balloon over Wairere (10th October, 2020)

Chilly Thursday 15/10 (16th October, 2020)

Spring has sprung (23rd October, 2020)

Kumara time (31st October, 2020)

Awesome Rain (12th November, 2020)

A pink selection of roses (16th November, 2020)

Hibiscus (22nd November, 2020)

Unexpected fruit (28th November, 2020)

Its time (5th December, 2020)

Hostas Again (12th December, 2020)

Its a wrap (19th December, 2020)



Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: