What's Growing on at Wairere Nursery

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Sunday 7th August, 2022

Welcome Spring!!

I cannot start this newsletter without first thanking you for all the support I have received; the emails with tips and congratulations, the recognition of customers in the shop and the affection of colleagues have made this week great.

Many thanks!!

Spring By Christina Rossetti

Frost-locked all the winter,

Seed, roots, and stones of fruits

What shall make their sap ascend

That they may put forth shoots?

Tips of tender green,

Leaf, or blade, or sheath;

Telling of the hidden life

That breaks forth underneath,

Life nursed in its grave by Death.

Blows the thaw-wind pleasantly,

Drips the soaking rain,

By fits looks down the waking sun:

Young grass springs on the plain;

Young leaves clothe early hedgerow trees;

Seed and roots, and stones of fruit,

Swollen with sap put forth their shoots;

Curled-headed ferns sprout in the lane;

Birds sing and pair again.

Without realizing we already are in August, how fast the time has gone!! I know it's not officially Spring yet, but looking at the beautiful blooming Magnolias through my window, or listening to the birds singing in the morning. Feeling the smell of Daphnes and Boronias when I get to work, delighted with the variety of beautiful colours of Helleborus. No doubt spring is already here filling our senses with pleasure and happiness.

While I was contemplating this marvelous picture, I remembered that at breakfast, I forgot to take my hay fever pill..... Oh no, I'll have a hay fever all day! - Spring isn't that perfect after all

Daphnes are small or medium-size shrubs, clusters of fragrant pink, yellow or white flowers, most are evergreen or semi-evergreen. For those wanting to plant Daphne in their garden, make sure the location has good morning sun and filtered light in the afternoons. Avoid spots with heavy shade or exposure to hot afternoon sun. Daphne prefers fertile well-drained soil that is slightly acid.

Boronia is a member of the citrus family, full of essential oils in the abundant flowers and foliage. The fragrant star-shaped flowers appear in spring and bloom until early summer, attracting pollinators. They can be planted in a pot or directly in your garden. These shrubs prefer dappled morning sun and protection from summer afternoon rays and wind. Plant in soil with good drainage.

Helleborus are tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions and perform best when sited in partial shade in rich, moist, but well-draining soil. Helleborus are quite easy to grow, and since they are perennials, will continue to bloom for several years.

Helleborus Double White

Helleborus Conny

Helleborus Ice N Roses Red

Helleborus Orientalis Mixed

Anyway, I have to tell you about my guilty pleasure.

Last year, Lloyd asked me to buy the roses for the 2022 season. Giving me this mission was like giving me a credit card with no money limit and asking me to choose what I want without having to pay.

Of course, when you buy with someone else's money it's super easy! So, as a good representative of the female gender, I bought a bit more than we planned; Lloyd asked me for 17,000 roses, and I ordered about 23,000. It's 6,000 roses extra, oops

Next, I share with you some of my favourite roses. I hope some of you will be satisfying your guilty pleasure by getting "some" online.

Hybrid tea roses produce large, well-formed flowers from tall-centered buds on long, straight stems. They produce one flower per stem, making them excellent for use as cut flowers. The flowers usually appear in three waves between summer and late fall. They are sparsely foliated with average winter hardiness.

Land Of The Long White Cloud

Floribunda - Latin for "many flowering", these roses bear many flowers held in large clusters, blooming continuously from summer through to late autumn. They aren't normally as scented as Hybrid Tea roses but are generally hardier and more robust, with a higher disease resistance and therefore easier to grow.

Avalanche

Christchurch Remembers

David Austin is probably the most important and influential rose breeder of modern times. In 2018 I was lucky enough to visit Austin Roses Gardens, in Birmingham, England. These dazzling flowers are hybrids bred by David Austin, using ancient and modern garden shrubs to create new plants with the best characteristics of both. Generally very fragrant with massive blooms like old garden roses, but they also feature repeat blooms in a wide range of colors like modern ones. I'm definitely a fan of them!!