Saturday 28th March, 2026
Hi
By the time you read this I will be away on holiday making the most of beautiful March weather (fingers crossed). I am visiting the South Island and hope to see some of the sights of scenic Golden Bay and the West Coast. Time for catching up with family too, which will be great.
Easter is a good time for many to get away for the last real break before the cold weather sets in. Traditionally, it's the weekend before and the weekend after that are busiest at the garden centres as many towns in the Waikato (Hamilton, Cambridge, Morrinsville) get emptied out by everyone off for a last burst to the beach at Easter. That said, the weather can be a bit iffy at times, so maybe you will have a chance to tidy up the section this weekend instead. We are hoping to tempt you to come here by starting our Easter Sale now in the lead up. Somehow we have twisted Lloyd's arm to allow us to special-off some plants that are usually off limits i.e.
Rhododendrons,
Camellias and
Hydrangeas (excluding Quercifolia varieties), before the new ones arrive in April or July. I would recommend making the most of his weak moment and checking out what other bargains you can snaffle in the sale.
Rhododendrons 20% Off!
The word
Rhododendron comes from Greek Rhodo (rose), dendron (tree). These ancient plants are said to have been around for millions of years and are native to Asia, North America and Europe. Nepal has claimed it as their national flower and despite often being toxic, Rhodos in Nepal are sometimes pickled, made into juice, and added to fish curry. They breed them tough in Nepal!
The toughness extends to the plants as well because some rhododendrons have adapted to the harsh conditions in the Himalayas by having a device which makes their leaves curl up or droop in the extreme cold, to minimise their exposure to the cold temperatures. This survival mechanism kicks in when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius and helps to reduce dehydration by reducing moisture loss from wind and cold. This ability to change the shape of their leaves also limits excessive sunlight exposure, and helps the plant protect its tissues through repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. Well I am sure you can sympathise as some of your extremities curl up in the cold too!
From dwarf to monsters, rhododendrons have a large and varied range: some are fragrant, some have big flowers, some have dainty flowers, some flower early, some later in spring and we have even had a few weirdos flowering this autumn (even though they are not really supposed to!).
Dwarf varieties: There are many little cuties which grow up to around 1m and flower profusely in spring. These include:
Frosted Ice,
Lemon Mist,
Winsome,
Noyo Brave and
Ostbows Low Yellow. For a burst of colour near the front of the border in a shady spot, they are excellent value. Mulch and water well in the summer months and feed annually with acid fertiliser.
If you have had the pleasure of walking through a grove of fragrant rhododendrons, you will understand the attraction of these varieties. The fragrance can be intense and these perfumed varieties are great planted
en masse.
Harry Tagg,
Johnstoneanum,
Mi Amor and
Princess Alice are some of the varieties which come to mind. They are mostly white, cream or with a touch of pink - pretty and fragrant to add to the pleasure of having them in the garden.
For those with plenty of space the Rhododendrons can live up to their Greek translation of rose TREE growing 2-3 metres tall, and sometimes. Taller growing varieties are great positioned under large deciduous trees where they can still reach their mature height and add a feature to the understory. With fibrous shallow root system they will not have any issue establishing in this environment, as long as there is adequate moisture particularly in the summer months. Incorporate organic matter, especially peat if available, and cover with a layer of mulch to preserve soil water.
Horse Chestnuts - Aesculus
The association of these plants with horses is a loose one, as it seems they were named either for the shape of the scar left when a leaf falls off, or for the medicinal use of the nuts to treat respiratory issues in horses. They are not edible for humans and can be toxic if consumed (not to be confused with
Sweet Chestnut - Castanea Sativa - which is definitely edible). The nut of the
Horse chestnut is known in some places as a "Conker" and the Wildlife Trusts in England host the World Conker Championships every October in Northampton shire, England. This is serious stuff, with a set of rules for competitors to follow. If you are interested you can read about them
here. Basically, you get a random Conker (hard nut from the kernel of the fruit) which is drawn out of a hat for this competition, stick it in on a shoelace and try to bash the other person's Conker so it smashes before yours does. There is a prescribed distance to stand away from your opponent and each person gets three attempts before it swaps over. Rule seven states: If both nuts smash at the same time, then "new conkers shall be drawn". On your marks ...get set... go!
One of
Horse Chestnuts' distinctive features are their sticky buds. In winter, the tree features large, sticky, resin-covered buds that protect them from frost and insects. They are among the first trees to come into leaf in the spring and often have attractive flowers.
Closely related, but distinctly different in leaf size and shape, are the
Beeches (Fagus). These make very striking trees and the
Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) is a sought after form which is sure to sell out when they arrive in June. Currently we have in stock the
Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica) which is often used as hedges overseas but not so commonly here. The reason it is good for hedging is that it has an unusual feature called marcescence. This phenomena means that the plants hang onto their dead leaves over winter and shed them when the new buds start to swell in spring. It has the effect of making the hedge less see-through in Winter than most deciduous hedges, which most people regard as a bonus. This adaptation has come about to protect the new buds from frost, and also as a deer deterrent. Hopefully we don't have many of those roaming the wilds of Rototuna, but in case you do a Beech or
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is your "go to" plant.
Roses:
I have mentioned
Kordes Rosen previously as an prestigious rose breeder in Europe. They have responded to the trend of people having smaller sections and gardens by developing a series of patio climbers called the
Siluetta range. These compact plants can be grown in a pot up an obelisk or small trellis.
Matthews Nursery has released several of this series previously and this year will add
Perfumy Siluetta to its brothers and sisters. Powerfully perfumed petals pack a punch with intense pink-violet clusters, re-blooming on easy to shape, bushy branches. This supremely healthy plant deserves a spot in any garden, being both bee friendly and easy to grow.
Some of these varieties are available as
1.8 m high weeping roses which make a gorgeous feature plant. Stake well as the growing head of rose can be very heavy: especially after rain.
Selected Fruit trees on sale
Included in our sale are well established
deciduous fruit trees which we want to clear before the new stock arrives in July. We still have plenty of apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines and more. You are getting a larger tree with well established root ball and one year closer to producing a bumper crop. What's not to love? Varieties seen recently in our sale area include those pictured below:
Natives: the more the merrier (and the cheaper...)
We still have our multibuy special available for a variety of native plants. These are $9.99 each, but if you buy 10 or more (and this can be any 10...they don't all have to be the same) then the price comes down to $8 each. If you are mass panting, then get 30 (or more) of these natives for an even better price of $7 each.
Newly arrived
Our garlic, both
Printanor and
Elephant varieties, are now available. Quite a lot of these were snapped up by customers who had them on their waitlist, but there should be enough to go around. Elephant garlic is easy to grow and rarely found available for purchase in the supermarket. It has larger cloves and a milder, sweeter flavour than printanor. While both varieties belong to the genus Allium, Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum) is actually more closely related to a leek (Allium ampeloprasum) than to printanor, which is a true garlic (Allium sativum var. printanor).
We are open over Easter Weekend on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 8.30am to 5pm (Closed Good Friday only). Our website is active 24/7 for you to browse and order online. There may be some delays with courier orders over this period, so please check if timing of rapid delivery is important.
Have a great weekend and remember: gardening is a great activity to burn off any calories you may accumulate from eating chocolate and hot cross buns! Regards Tracy.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
