Our weekly email news letter. Sign up here to get them delivered straight to your email in box. See below for previous issues...
Please note that product availability and prices may have changed from when this newsletter was sent. Please check this site or phone us for current availability and pricing.
Saturday 22nd February, 2025
Hi
Gardening Success
There is definitely a change in the air and a feeling like autumn is just around the corner here at the nursery. And just for a change, I am going to be writing the introduction to this week's newsletter. I'm Tracy, the newest member of the Wairere crew. I don't feel like I am new though because I have been visiting Wairere for many years. I started off calling here as a sales rep for a wholesale nursery and have watched as the nursery changed and grew over the last 30+ years. Yes I am THAT old!
Now I live in Cambridge, just shifted last year, and I'm itching for Autumn to arrive so I can finally get to planting my new garden. As my husband and I walk around town with our not very well behaved dogs, we often remark on the different gardens and lawns we see. It's pretty clear who waters their lawn and who doesn't but if you took a look at our lawn at home you would swear we watered regularly. It's all lies!
It is all in how you mow over summer, as my husband would say (ex lawn mowing contractor). Mow it high and watch it thrive is his motto. If you only remove about 1/3 of the height of the grass then you are not going to cause it stress, and will allow it to keep its ability to use the sun to make energy. The roots will be happy and your lawn will stay greener longer. A regular long watering is better than a daily sprinkle too as this will encourage the roots to dive deep down into the soil where any residual moisture remains.
This is true for most other plants too. Long is better than short in this case. I'm sure there is a takeaway here for all those who are planning their new season's planting; to work with the plants and the conditions you have, to choose the best situation and care, so the plant thrives and doesn't struggle.
Over the summer you will have noticed places in your garden where a lot of things are difficult to grow. At this time of year you notice most the areas that are hot and dry out very quickly. For many of us this can make us a slave to the hose. Time to bring in the cavalry. Drum roll...
Hot dry loving plants
Just arrived we have a large selection of Grevilleas and Callistemons (Bottle Brushes). Both these sun-loving shrubs are available in tall and dwarf forms and can be found thriving in dry, poor soil including beach gardens where the soil is sandy. That's gotta tick some boxes for those sick of turning on the irrigation. By choosing a plant which loves these conditions you are likely to see success in the form of healthy thriving plants with lots of flowers. The other great plus for these beauties is that they bring in native birds like Tuis to feed on the flowers. Grevilleas in particular flower for many months of the year and have cute, often brightly coloured blooms in red, yellow, orange, pink and white.
Grevillea Dwarf Forms (from ground cover up to about 1 m)
Tangerine Dream: With a robust upright spreading habit, this shrub will be smothered in large clusters of stunning, deep orange flowers on the end of the branches from late Autumn to Spring. 1m x 1m
Nancy Otzen: A compact evergreen shrub bearing clusters of deep pink flowers highlighted by mid green foliage. Quick growing. 1.2m x 1.5m
Red Dragon: A rounded low spreading shrub with variegated leaves and red flowers that show themselves off against the green foliage. 1m x 1m
Hot dry banks can be another 'problem' area. Some plants though are perfectly designed to cope with these and will make an asset of what once was an eyesore. We don't want to make too much of it, but a lot of these are imports from our friends across the ditch who of course are used to these conditions at home. Here is where Grevilleas truly come into their own in my opinion - there are heaps of options to cover the 'meanest' bank. For example:
Winter Delight: This Aussie will bring welcome colour to the garden during the dull winter months. The soft grey foliage is complemented by flowers in tones of red, pink and cream from winter to spring. Useful to provide quick cover on hot dry banks. A really spreading star 30cm high x 120cm wide.
Also perfect is Mt Tamboritha: A famous and tough little Aussie that thrives on neglect. Small grey-green rounded foliage. Distinctive creamy white and red shaggy flowers are produced en mass during winter and spring. Happiest in a sunny well drained position. No need to fertilize, will cope with strong wind and poor soil. Height of 50cm x 1m wide.
Finally I'll mention Fanfare: Beautiful prostrate grevillea with deeply lobed leaves with reddish new growth and burgundy toothbrush flowers in spring-summer. This one spreads to up to 2.5 metres and stays low - only 40cm.
Grevillea Taller Forms (Height greater than 1m)
For those who want all the features of these arid condition lovers in taller forms there's plenty to choose from here to delight the native wildlife.
Boongala Spineball: Wide bushy shrub with arching stem, deeply serrated fern-like leave and long, one sided racemes of red flowers that resemble toothbrushes. 1.5m x 2 m
Honey Gem: A tall shrub or small tree that's vigorous with long golden orange/brown toothbrush-like flowers that bloom for a long time. Autumn - Spring. 5m x 3.5m
Cream Passion: Grevillea 'Cream Passion' is a medium sized, bushy shrub with a spreading habit. It has attractive deeply dissected blue green foliage. In late winter to early summer large cream and pink flowers will be seen covering the bush. 2m x 1.5m
Peaches n Cream: Peaches and Cream is a small/medium sized shrub with a dense spreading habit. Its attractive deeply dissected foliage is bright green with bronze highlights in winter. Long loose flower clusters of greenish yellow age to various shades of yellow, pink and orange throughout the year. 1.2m x 1.5m
Bottle brush
In a class of their own are the fabulous Bottle Brushes (Callistemons). These hardy beauties are a must-have for those who are interested in the 'birds and the bees'. With heaps of nectar and bright red or pink coloured flowers they make an attractive addition to any garden.
Dwarf Varieties
Little John: Probably the most well-known (and loved variety) Masses of dark red flowers in summer that attract birds. Loves the sun and good drainage and will be quite drought tolerant once established. Tidy grey-green stiff foliage. Could be used as a hedge. 1.5m x 1m
Rocky Rambler: A great variety for a bank due to its spreading low growing form. During the summer it smothers itself with bright red 'bottle brush' flowers that are tinged with gold. 40cm x 1m
White Anzac: An unusual form of Bottlebrush in that it has beautiful white 'brushes' in spring-summer rather than the usual red tones. Dark green foliage offsets the flowers well. 1m x 3m
There are plenty of taller forms too - we used these to hide an ugly water tank at our previous property which worked a treat. Taller varieties include: Candy Floss, John Mashlan, Citrinus and Kings Park Special.
Boardwalk progress
Our fantastic master handyman Buster is working on extending our boardwalk so you can enjoy our magnificent kahikatea and nikau grove. Watch this space and we will let you know when it is finished.
John Ford Roses
As summer starts to fade we will remember all the great things about it (beach weather, sunshine, time to relax and unwind...) and for many gardeners it's the glorious display of their roses. Time to think about your next project and consider the new releases for 2025. These include New release roses from Manawatu Rose Breeder John Ford. John's roses have won acclaim overseas in America and Europe and now we get a chance to see the best he has produced. They are generally unique and unusual colours and have the ability to stand up to heavy rainfall without damage. The grower who is producing these roses spotted Simply Gorgeous in a friend's garden and was keen to get their hands on it. That's an indication that it was a standout for someone who knows their roses well. Fast forward a year and now they are available for us here in Aotearoa. All these roses have a good fragrance.
Simply Gorgeous: Hybrid Tea. Very large fragrant lavender/lilac flowers ideal for picking. Healthy dark green shiny foliage. A very striking rose. 1.2m tall
A Million Dreams: Hybrid Tea. Strongly perfumed upright rose with unique dark dusky pink rosettes. Almost thornless attractive red stems. 1m
Special Birthday: Hybrid Tea of usually smoky terracotta and deep plum colour. Glossy foliage offset the stunning flowers. Perfect as a gift.
Hydrangea Paniculatas
One of the plants which we have been admiring on our walks are the Hydrangea paniculatas. This is on the shopping list of 'plants for our new garden'. These gorgeous shrubs have a long flowering season and now that the weather is starting to turn, come into the next phase of their splendour. For varieties like Hydrangea Candlelight, this means the huge creamy flowers on red stems set in pointy arrays above the leaves, are starting to show shades of pale and deeper pink through to red. As the colder nights increase the colours will intensify to give you a memorable autumn display. Other varieties in this group are Hydrangea Limelight (limey cream which changes to white), Bombshell (small and compact form with white flowers), Candlelight (flowers start out white but become pale pink with age) and Levana (a larger variety with white flowers).
Things to do at this time of year
As well as choosing the right plant for the right spot, you will need to look after it well. This includes fertilising, mulching and pruning, all of which will make a massive difference to how good it looks. For hydrangeas, timing and technique for pruning are particularly important. While there is a temptation to prune your hydrangea back when the flowers finish, the best time to give a good haircut is in late winter/early spring. Cut back hard to a pair of buds and remove crossover and weak branches. Paniculatas flower on new wood, so everything that has flowered this season needs to be pruned back hard.
Fertilise in periods of strong growth to give the most benefit for your plants, which for most is in spring and autumn. If you use a fertiliser which is high in potassium, you will give your plants the best preparation for developing healthy flowers (and for fruiting plants like citrus, well developed fruit). Mulching your plants will also help to preserve that precious moisture and, bonus, you will suppress the weeds.
Just Arrived
For those after something a bit different we have just received some cool new plants including:
Mandevilla White Fantasy and Ruby Fantasy are newly arrived and will go fast. The tropical looking flowers in bright clear colours will be great in a frost-free situation in full sun. A smaller growing climber unless you are in the far (winterless) north.
Finger Limes (Lime Australasica): If you haven't tried these yet you are missing out on a treat. They are known as the caviar of citrus with deliciously aromatic, smooth pebbled skin, with a crisp lemon lime flavour combination. These beauties need a sheltered frost-free site to crop really well. They can easily be grown in a container.
Acacia Curvaceous: Related to the popular Acacia Limelight this interesting foliage shrub comes to us from the land of Oz and is a useful landscaping or container plant. The lime green 'curvaceous' foliage forms a compact weeping mound. Will do best in well drained, light soil in sun or part shade.
So that's a wrap for the week, we look forward to seeing your planting plans come to life and lots of successful garden stories. The Wairere team are available to help you select the best plant for the spot or visit our show garden and website for inspiration.
PS: if you find time to give us some feedback on our website and how you use it (the link is on our Facebook page) it would be much appreciated. Plus there's a $50 voucher up for grabs in the prize draw. This will be drawn on February 28th.
Have a great weekend.
All the best from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
Archived by year 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
Last 25 Newsletters...
..... Hot and dry loving plants
New Release Roses GA (15th February, 2025)
Coneflowers (8th February, 2025)
Back into it (1st February, 2025)
Summer Solstice (7th December, 2024)
Xmas trees (30th November, 2024)
Ferns and succulents (23rd November, 2024)
Is it too early? (16th November, 2024)
Plenty to do and see (9th November, 2024)
Salvias (2nd November, 2024)
What is your preference (26th October, 2024)
Roses and more roses (19th October, 2024)
The pace is on (12th October, 2024)
Spring stuff (5th October, 2024)
Sun Lovers (28th September, 2024)
Train your climbers (21st September, 2024)
Fabulous spring (14th September, 2024)
Awanui is about to pop (7th September, 2024)
Tea Trees (31st August, 2024)
Has Spring Sprung? (24th August, 2024)
Trees that Cascade (17th August, 2024)
Asparagus (3rd August, 2024)
It's all about family (27th July, 2024)
A Wet Friday Today (20th July, 2024)
Trees and More Trees (13th July, 2024)
Hebes and Polyanthus (6th July, 2024)
Planting (22nd June, 2024)
It's all about roses this week (15th June, 2024)
Blustery day (8th June, 2024)
Trees again (25th May, 2024)
A frosty week (18th May, 2024)
Proteas and more (11th May, 2024)
Chokos (4th May, 2024)
Viburnums (27th April, 2024)
Rake up those leaves (20th April, 2024)
Things Citrusy (13th April, 2024)
Get harvesting and preserve (6th April, 2024)
Crabapples looking good (29th March, 2024)
Garlic (23rd March, 2024)
Autumn Sale Preview (16th March, 2024)
Orchard planning (9th March, 2024)
Gardens are for play (3rd March, 2024)
Autumnal feel in the air now (24th February, 2024)
Newsletter correction (16th February, 2024)
Welcome back (17th February, 2024)
Thank you (16th December, 2023)
Pot care (9th December, 2023)
Mulch is a must (2nd December, 2023)
Tidy Up Time (25th November, 2023)
Planting now (18th November, 2023)
HL Nurseries Limited t/a Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: