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Saturday 19th November, 2022

Hi
I called into my mothers the other day to drop off some eggs, oranges and collect some newspapers (yes, she collects newspaper from all and sundry to help with some packing material at dispatch). She proudly showed me her little raised garden (a trough on legs built by my brother) which was chock full of veges. A Bok Choy ready for the picking, a thruple of carrot seedlings, a couple of small celery, one of those NZ spinach sitting at the end already picked over and a small area of seedlings just germinating. There were a few other pots of either herbs or other veges from which she gathers some vege supplementing what she purchases for dinner. It's amazing what one can grow simply and easily to eat.
Perhaps I have a leaf out of her book as have raised beds too but on a larger scale and to grow a small amount of fresh vege is really not that difficult. I sowed several rows or rather areas of Mizuna, Rocket and Mesclun lettuce mix and every morning pick fresh leaves for our sandwiches but there was so much I could have easily made several salads and the stuff keeps growing. One wet day I hauled out some individual seedlings and now have close to a dozen lettuces on the way. Too much for just us two to eat! Silver beet is another great standby in my garden and that NZ spinach is impressive, as in, there is nearly always something to pick but the best point is that nothing seems to eat it, no bugs, no rabbits, and no spots on the leaves.
It's a way of life growing your own veg and fruit and even flowers to bring inside. There is nothing quite like harvesting from what you have grown yourself whether it be apples, peaches, plums, and so on. We still have a great range of pip and stone fruit, and these are still on special at 25% off. This week Avos also included at 25% off. Note to self to plant a couple of avos myself as they are a fav of mine. Citrus are another relatively easy range of fruit trees to plant and harvest. Not only that many of them make for handsome smaller evergreen trees, with fragrant flowers and the fruit looks pretty cool on them to. Harvesting Tangelos right now and will look forward to the orange Harwood late being ripe in another month or so.
Let's not forget the flower garden and what you can pick and bring inside. Tony loves picking roses for inside the house but he will pick other plant flowers like Philadelphus or mock orange to bring in too, just for its simple white flowers and stunning fragrance. Mock orange doesn't last too long in a vase, but its simple fragrant flower is well worth the effort. 
New Zealand Rose of the year goes to: Strawberry Blonde
Last Sunday I mentioned that Cecilia was off to take part in judging at the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival and of course to check out all and the what is up and coming in the rose world. It seems that our very local rose breeder Rob Somerfield took away all the categories as listed below
New Zealand rose of the year: Strawberry blonde . (Somerfield)  
Best NZ Raised: Ink Spot (Somerfield)    
Best Hybrid tea:  Tabasco ( Somerfield)  
Best Floribunda: Ink Spot (Somerfield)  
Children's Choice: Ink Spot (Somerfield)
Now Rob has a philosophy of breeding healthy free flowering roses for the garden so that they take as little care as possible. Of course, they still have to be deadheaded and pruned in the winter but on the whole, easy to manage and nothing flowers as often as a rose bush. Seven weeks from a prune in the growing season is all the time it takes for a new flush. Don't forget though, as in all gardening compost, fertiliser and all the goodies will give a plant natural vigour and of course be the best that it can. Just like us with a balance diet and plenty of sleep.
To that end, Cecilia and I checked out what roses we had of Robs in the nursery and they really stood out overall when you compared them with all the others. Good strong upright habit, fabulous glossy green foliage and of course if not in flower were coming up to flower. Check some of these out
Everlasting Hope  This rose was named for Postnatal Depression Canterbury to publicise the amazing work that they do. Large soft medium pink blooms that are strongly perfumed and presented on a tall, spreading bush, clothed in dark glossy foliage. Flower stems are of a good length making them great for picking.
Feeling Better I love this one with its creamy flowers that are edged in pink and as the bloom ages becomes more pink. Quite distinctive and it does stand out in the nursery as being a tad different.
Looking good is a floribunda and delivers full sprays of multi toned pink blooms radiating light to dark from the centre of the flower. Glossy green leaves the perfect compliment. Bred by Rob Somerfield this rose has all the disease resistance you would expect.
Ladies Night  2020 New release floribunda has an abundance of luscious red rose buds that open to reveal pink centres will delight from summer to autumn. Great for cutting. Bred by Rob Somerfield, this medium sized rose displays high disease resistance.

Skyla rose  I have been quite taken with Skyla rose in the nursery with its old fashioned quartered style  in glowing mid pink blooms that have a fab fragrance and of course plenty of them.
Shangri La floribunda. This new release rose offers soft, old worldly, pink floribunda blooms that look delightful against the dark glossy green leaves. Compact by nature this rose should find a home in any garden. Bred by Rob Somerfield 2017
St Marys rose Floribunda. If you know the rose Serendipity and most will know the Flower Carpets  then you can assume that this cross is pretty hardy robust and free flowering. Gorgeous medium sized bushy rose with delicious creamy yellow flowers that are produced abundantly and accompanied by a delicate fragrance. Bred in NZ By Rob Somerfield 2014
Strawberry Blonde  Imagine a bed of these and know that it took out NZ rose of the year and we must have known something as we have quite a few of these. Delivering an abundance of fragrant, soft apricot blooms above mid green leaves. Continuous flowering, lovely for the garden or enjoy your 'strawberry blond' in a container. 
Tabasco. yes we even have a few in stock of this winning rose being 2022 best Hybrid tea. Tabasco has medium to large orange salmon blooms found both singularly and in substantial clusters. In full flower it is a magnificent sight.  The bush is a medium height and has a nice upright growth habit with good disease tolerance.
Here's a deal... 25% off  Pip and Stone!!
Pip and stone fruit all 25% off and this includes all Apples, Plums, Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, Nectarines, Quinces and Pears with just a few exceptions of the double and triple grafted trees and espalier apples. All the trees are looking fabulous and its still a great planting time. Everything is just romping away.
We need to space the trees and so to gain space we need to lose a few fruit trees so we can keep spacing the nursery. So come on out with your trailer and start that new orchard today. 
Rhodos, Camellias, Azaleas, and even Avocados  we have decided to do a deal here too and all of these also 25% off 
Now if you want to check what is still in stock there is a small tick box  at the top of the page that says Show in stock items first. Tick that it will sort all the available ones out from what is potentially coming next year.
There are some pretty cool Rhodos here on offer and some numbers too. If you have a semi shade area to fill in or some gaps under some trees then maybe consider a mass or group planting. Here's a few to tempt you but follow the link to see them all.
Princess Alice is a goodie with trusses of pale pink buds that open to white fragrant flowers.  Kaponga, a classic red  traditional style. Winsome makes for a smaller or mid size Rhodo with  rosy cerise  shade  blooms. Maddenii virginalis. The relaxed form of this Rhodo really appeals to me with its beautiful white flowers. 
Camellias too. Still quite a good range and these make for great fillers in the garden. Included are the remaining standards and espaliers click the link out and see for yourself.
I probably say this every year but with many of the plants that we stock we have to make an educated guess as to how many. In the case of specimen trees, well as we know these are only available in July when they go dormant and so we have to order what we think for the whole year, and we are making those orders now. If you have a project like a tree lined driveway or so many paddock trees then make a tentative request now so that we can pre order enough. It,s the same with many of our core lines from Camellias to Rhodos and of course roses.
The garden centre is absolutely chock full of gorgeous plants and too many to write or even list. Its best that you call out and see for yourself but a Syringa (lilac)  called josiflexa Bellicent is worth a mention. gorgeous loose lilac like flowers in the prettiest shade of pink and fragrant could have a spot in your garden.
I know that some are getting there Christmas down and dusted off and its  probably what we should be doing too, maybe one evening next week, but that time of year is coming up fast. What ever is on your agenda. 
Have a great weekend 
Cheers Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.

Archived by year 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |

2022 Newsletters...

Autumn already 22 (5th March, 2022)

New Season Camellias (12th March, 2022)

Little Flowered Camellias (19th March, 2022)

Feijoas (26th March, 2022)

Michelia Magnolias (2nd April, 2022)

Infections (9th April, 2022)

Rhododendrons (15th April, 2022)

Cone bush and Crete pottery (23rd April, 2022)

Wax Scale (29th April, 2022)

Living Fashion (7th May, 2022)

Plants for Hedging (14th May, 2022)

Pumpkin Soup (29th May, 2022)

Banksia names (4th June, 2022)

Reveg project (18th June, 2022)

Hybrid Tea or Floribunda (2nd July, 2022)

Blue roses (16th July, 2022)

Red Roses (30th July, 2022)

Thank you, Muchas Gracias (7th August, 2022)

Busy Time (27th August, 2022)

Spring time... or not? (3rd September, 2022)

Flower addiction (10th September, 2022)

Prunus persica are our peaches (17th September, 2022)

Prunus Armeniaca are our Apricots (24th September, 2022)

Prunus domestica are our Plums (1st October, 2022)

An apple a day ..... (8th October, 2022)

Codlin moth traps (15th October, 2022)

Labour Day Monday (22nd October, 2022)

Pots galore in store (29th October, 2022)

Old Rose, Tea, Myrrh, Fruit or Musk? (5th November, 2022)

Full Moon (12th November, 2022)

..... Winning roses

Christmas trees (26th November, 2022)

Trim, Cut and Lift (3rd December, 2022)

22 done and dusted (10th December, 2022)



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