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Sunday 22nd November, 2020

Hi
Time to look at conifers in a new light 
Seems to me that sometimes when I suggest a conifer type plant that many just screw their noses and say hmmm I don't like conifers. There was an era, a few years back where, so called "dwarf", conifers and red scoria were the new 'in' for low maintenance gardens not requiring any work, which was probably to blame..  followed by lime chip and then Kaiaua stone... and these probably wont' be the last.  
I guess that they lost favour when ten years later the conifers were all too big, having out grown their spot in the garden, and all the stones sprouting weeds,  due to the natural course of life and the detritus, rich compost like soil that builds up between the plastic/weed cloth and stones. LOL, the search for zero work gardens must still be quite the path though as we still see many similar types around but just in 2020 stylings.
If you ask me though weed cloth and stones usually get you about 2 years of weed free and then you just have another problem. My solution is to plant to cover and mulch thickly with a coarse mulch which takes a while to break down and will still suppress the weed. Spot spray carefully and don't disturb the soil surface and weeds should be at a minimum.  Planting to cover minimises the space for weeds to actually grow and excludes light, which weed seed usually need to germinate. at the end of the day it's always easier to weed an actual garden than one of stone.
Anyways .. I know that we all prefer different looks but I don't get why our hardy, sun loving, conifers often get a bad rap when they can be used in design in quite architectural ways.
Take Thuja Smaragd for example.. a perfect upright plant where space is at a minimum or you need vertical lines for visual effect... not only this, but tolerates poor soil, full sun and the cold climates, although not keen on wet feet. Add to that a great choice for pots.., always looks handsome and is tough as. 
Now you know that I am quite the nerd when it comes to plants But I am going to own up to just adoring the Japanese Umbrella Pine.  I think it's because the needles are so large, lush and thick and it has a lovely conical shape. I have had one in a pot for many years (it's crooked and that bugs me) and the dilemma is what to do with it now, maybe a spot in the garden.
Well for a conifer you are going to need to know this handsome slow growing tree by its common name as I always have to cut and paste its Latin name  Sciadopitys Verticillata (you try spelling it yet alone saying it!) They are pretty slow and the plants that we have available (I always have to get them if they are available) are small but put them into a pot and enjoy this beauties structure for many years.
Libocedrus plumosa or Kawaka is another pretty special one, and it's one of only two I think that belong to the Cupressus family, that are actually native to NZ while most conifers are exotic. Plumosa has quite soft, feathery like foliage and is also quite slow growing in the garden but I imagine that it will still become quite an impressive tree.
Picea Glauca Conica is just the coolest, miniature, cone shaped, conifer you ever did see... very slow growing, tiny bluish needles and a perfect subject for a pot plant. The dwarf Alberta Spruce is a perfectly formed, miniature, forest tree with a strong conical outline. The fine needle like foliage is bright green deepening to grey-green.  Fabulous in a container or as a feature in a rock garden. Makes a lovely potted Xmas tree. Tolerant and hardy, easy to grow and evergreen. Ticks all the boxes.
I planted a pair either side of the villa bay window (as feature plants) and some 20 years later they must still only be around 1.2 metres high... use these as a table top pot plant but keep the size of the pot relevant to the size of the plant so pot it up as it ages... who knows, given time, you could pass the treasured pot plant to your grand kids. 
Have you got your Xmas tree sorted yet
This seems like a natural lead into some other conifer types which have been grown and trimmed for those that want a living Christmas tree and should be available this coming week... hopefully Monday but I won't hold my breath. If you are after a living Xmas tree then call out later this week or order online. You can always check online to see if they are in stock.  
Choose from Cedrus deodara... Indian Cedar.  This Conifer will grow into a handsome majestic tree if allowed the space to mature.  Upright and pyramidal in shape it has evenly spaced branches draped with blue-grey needles of foliage. The branches are slightly pendulous at the tips. Plant in the sun. 
Picea abies or Norway spruce is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and boasts the largest cones of any spruce, between 9–17 cm long. 
Picea Smithiana is an attractive large conifer known as West Himalayan spruce. This has the longest needles of any spruce tree, 3-5cm long which hang down from the branches on a mature tree giving a draped effect. 
Pseudotsuga Menziesii, Douglas Fir is the tree most often used for cut Xmas trees and is great as a potted one too. One of the tallest trees on earth in the wild but usually only gets to about 12-24m in cultivation.  This superb specimen tree has a soft textured appearance and the cones are its jewels. 
These are all evergreen trees that have been grown outside and so won't want to spend too long indoors.
Tie dye, Perfect storm, Midnight Marvel, Cherry Cheesecake, My Valentine
OMG I have titled this email Hibiscus and then written almost all about conifers. LOL it's just that I get on a roll with writing about what's on my mind and it got away with me but I really wanted to share with you about the Hibiscus that Ang has bought in this week.
These are those stunning, deciduous hibiscus that disappear back into the ground each winter only to reappear every spring better than before. The flowers will absolutely delight and are just huge, literally the size of saucers... I haven't seen a mature plant but believe they will reach some two metres high and form quite the shrub in the garden so make sure that you have some space.

Tie Dye... Impressive 20cm blooms that are bright pink on the outer edges fading into a band of white surrounding a cherry red centre.
Perfect Storm... has very large 20cm, white flowers with magenta tipped, ruffled petals and a magenta veining radiating out from the cherry red eye.
My Valentine... of course is going to be red and what a gorgeous flower it is, quite stunning.
Midnight Marvel has dramatic wine-purple foliage and huge 20 cm round, deep scarlet red blossoms, which burst open from shiny, near-black buds.
Cherry Cheesecake... white flowers with magenta tipped, ruffled petals and a magenta veining radiating out from the cherry red eye. It will be the star of your garden when in bloom! 
More colour for the garden yep it's still happening 
Phygelius Deep Rose is an attractive, hardy, perennial, almost shrub like, with delightful tubular red flowers. Prefers a sunny disposition. Trim regularly to keep tidy.
Salvia New Dimension Rose. Rose produces deep and intense rose-pink blooms that appear in dense, narrow, terminal spikes rising well above the foliage clump over a long summer bloom period. Highly attractive to bees and other insect pollinators.
Penstemon Electric Blue has the most intensely blue flowers with a touch of purple to contrast beautifully with the silvery green foliage of this hardy perennial. Renowned for their resilience, long flowering period and weather resistance. Having a bushy, upright habit, this semi-evergreen perennial makes a superb addition to the garden. Prefers a sunny well drained position. 
Liatris Kobold Gay Feather. Tufts of grassy foliage and flower spikes of violet that resemble a small 'feather duster'. They are unusual in that they open from the top downwards. Flowers rise above the foliage from mid Summer. Excellent cut flower. Prefers full sun, well drained soils, on a sheltered site. Semi Evergreen Perennial.
Not so easy to get
I put a hold on 100 Poor Knights lilies (Xeronema callistemon) as they can be hard to get... I want three for a pot and these are arriving in next week. 
Nerium Oleander Madonna  good old Oleander, one doesn't see that often these days, great for hot sunny positions in the garden...  responds to being trimmed too, I recall seeing these as hedges in hot dry sunny countries overseas. Madonna is pretty in white. 
It's time to dust off your Christmas tree or better still get a new live one to have in a pot to treasure as we near the official end of spring and in 9 days roll in summer. Time to plan those school holidays, if you haven't already, and nearly time to start cutting back all of that spring growth so that the garden is ready for Christmas and summer... Secretly I still want some more rain but as you all know we will get what we are given.
Enjoy what is left of your weekend and trust that you have a great week to come. 
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 (18th September, 2020)

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

Unexpected fruit (28th November, 2020)

Its time (5th December, 2020)

Hostas Again (12th December, 2020)

Its a wrap (19th December, 2020)



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