Saturday 10th October, 2020
Hi
A beautiful spring morning, perfect for ballooning
It was team meeting morning and, quite unusually, we were ready early. I put the garage door up, grabbed my bike and raced out but as I left the garage, right there in front of me, looking as if it was going to park itself in the garage, was a
hot air balloon. Close enough to have a conversation. They look massive close up and it was just there almost as if it was coming up the driveway.
After a quick good morning and is this your place, the pilot was keen to ask "Is that your paddock and can we land there?" and it was a speedy "Yes of course!" in reply. The cows and chooks were all totally intrigued, all watching avidly, not to mention Tony and myself... so with a burst of fire from the burner, and a delicate lift to get over the house, the balloon parked itself/landed right next door to the hedge with plenty of room to deflate the balloon.
Of course Tony and I were 'green with envy' (pun absolutely intended) as we thought what a magical morning it would have been to balloon over the nursery and garden... I bet it looked fabulous from the air. It's yet another good reason to keep our gardens always looking fab... for our clients that visit, and those that balloon over.. lol!!!
The balloon was just dropping down when the rest of the team were arriving for our meeting and so lots of pics were taken, Nevan managed a particularly
picturesque shot with his phone that I thought was pretty cool and there are plenty from Tony to share as well.
The first rose flowers
The other morning I spied the first flowers of the season just coming out in the rose bushes, in another couple of weeks it will be the full monty, but I thought that I would share my first pics of the season on facebook, click the links below.
Just in and looking fabulous
You can't beat Petunias, or the suped up Supertunias, for a spot of colour in the garden, hanging baskets or containers. Petunias of all kinds love the heat and warmth of summer and will reward you with, almost, non stop flowering. If you are planning on some pots of accent colours then check these out.
Brunfelsia
Whitecaps belong to the solanum family and related cousin to the Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant that we all love. White fragrant flowers and glossy leaves make this an awesome plant to have in the garden... Think I spotted these, in combination, in an urban town garden in New Plymouth (if my memory serves me right) that had a tropical theme. White fragrant flowers combined with other subtrop looking plants. I have to add here that these are a tad frost sensitive so, for those that get the colder nights, a warmer place next to the house, or at least out of the frost.
Gardenias, and we all know these for their lush glossy green leaves and again the fragrant white flowers. These make for a fab evergreen shrub in the garden.. you could even place these close as a medium size hedge.
Rhaphiolepis
fergusonii one of the smaller of this genus .. Commonly known as Indian Hawthorn,
Rhaphiolepis fergusonii is a compact evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and small white fragrant flowers from late winter to spring. Easy to grow in a sunny spot in the garden.
Bougies... These also love a hot dry sunny spot and quite tolerant of poor soils and do well in coastal areas. Lovely rich reds and pinks available now.
Spring events
Just thought I'd put in another reminder about the events that are coming up soon.
Waikato Rose Society rose show will be held at the Hamilton Garden Pavilion 21-22 NOV
Franklin Hospice Garden ramble 14-15 NOV this is a great cause that can use all the support it can get.
33rd Taranaki Garden Festival and Taranaki Fringe Garden Festivals run concurrently from 30 OCT to 8 NOV
Waikato Hrticultural Society has talks held monthly. Talks to be held soon are about Herbs and Lavenders
For information about these events just click the link to our
events pageWow these weekends roll around so quickly and on the agenda, coming up fast now, is a bit of a luncheon for my mother. There is a big number (I may not stay in her good books for this lol) attached to the weekend celebrations and so it's an opportunity to make the garden look extra special. I best get the garden mulched next week, as per the plan. Mulching the gardens is a great plan, especially if we have a another dry summer.
Must be a return to school so enjoy the last weekend of the holidays with the kids and get them interested in the gardens too.
Have a fabulous weekend
Cheers Lloyd, Anthony and the Wairere team
