Saturday 11th November, 2023
Hi
It's a Ginormous garden project
I have seen water around on our place here in places that I have never seen it before but finally it has all mostly disappeared thanks to some sunshine and perhaps not quite so much rain. Though just for the record, as much as it's so nice to see the sun, we will still need some regular rain just to keep things growing. The kahikatea restoration project is in conjunction with the regional council and finally we have been able to get in there and make a start. I think that we have nearly 10 ha involved and so it's a significant area and presently we are concentrating on around, I guess, 5 to 7 ha which has now been fenced off.
After the last time we had a lot of rain, the entire valley (for the want of a better word) flooded and the water current lay flat all the
kahikateas that we had planted. They became submerged for weeks until we could get in there and stake them all up again. A couple of weeks ago you would have seen Buster and myself staking them all upright with water still at the top of our red bands. I was happy to find that they were all still alive. It was after all this wet that I decided that we would retire even more of the area as it's basically been under water on and off for a entire year and so the space is now fenced off in half. One side for grazing and the other will be planted in kahikateas and other wetland species and will eventually join up with the nursery display garden
Fence done and weed control is next on the agenda. Privet to be cut and pasted, Honeysuckle, Jerusalem berry and arum lilies to be sprayed albeit carefully. You can't just use any brush killer under Kaihikatea as they are very sensitive to chemicals with their feeder roots being close to the soil's surface. Now that we can walk around in there we will get onto some planting asap while the ground is still moist... actually it's very wet still.
Waterlilies and margin plants
Waterlilies have all appeared again after their winter hibernation and so if you have a hankering now is the time to get them. I really like them in pots that are water proof with obviously no hole in the bottom and probably need to be glazed or painted with a sealant if the pot is going to be porous.. The waterlilies come in a basket that allows the water all around but you could easily create your own container to suit the purpose. I guess that these are really just pot plants that sit in a large vessel of water and as such also need to be fed each year just like any other pot plant. These will flower all summer long with their gorgeous star tulip like flowers.
Waterlilies need to sit at a certain depth so that their leaves can float on the surface but in most ponds this is probably not an issue. Potentially could be in a very deep pot but it's easy enough to sit your lily on a brick or upside down pot to get the depth right.
Of course you can grow waterlilies in a natural pond by planting them in the actual ground so to speak. They will grow out into the pond and stop once it gets too deep... From my experience, as our ponds have silted up over the years the waterlily has had enough vigour to cover the entire pond and I think I like it best when you see some water still.
Waterlilies and margin plants also provide shade to the water which in a pond situation allows protection and shade for any aquatic life. Shade from waterlilies can also slow down the greening of the water from the nitrogen and you will see that as time goes on you create your own environment in which the water stays a brown or settled clearness.
This weeks arrivals
Alstroemerias are pretty easy to grow from sun to dapple light positions and there is a great range of colours and sizes to choose from. These Peruvian lilies make for great cut flowers as they have a long vase life.
They look fab in pot. Check them all out on line.
Gerberas are up there with my fav flowers with their classic daisy like form and button centre. Great for colour in the garden and courtyards from now on. Plant in the garden or have in pots, a sun plant and keep moist but not too wet.
Penstemons are a classic perennial and suited for around mid range in the border plantings as they usually grow to around 50 to 70 cm high. Tubular flowers on tall stems. Remove the spent flowers for another show and to keep this perennials vigour going. Again, full sun and good drainage.
Gaura or whirling butterflies are again great perennials for the sunny border garden. Whirling butterflies as they look for the best part like a congregation of butterflies flying around. Again a trim after flowering will rejuvenate the bush and begin the flower process all over again.
Plumeria. Had to mention this one as I spotted it while wandering around the garden centre. If you don't recognize the name Plumeria you will more than likely know this one as Frangipani. I know that it's a tad cool here for these as our climate isn't quite like Sydney yet but Tony was excited to have flowered these here at home. Just keep them under cover and out of the cold in the winter. They will loose their leaves in the winter.
The fragrance and blooms are worth coming out just to see
When you walk past the shop towards the roses you can almost smell the fragrance in the air before you see them... when you do see them the sight is spectacular and yes we still need more space for them..
We get a huge amount of pleasure from the roses that we have in the garden here at home as there are always artfully created vases of rose flowers in the house and some of them have fragrance the fill the room
We still have our fabulous deal going of Pick 5 roses and pay for 4 getting the 5th rose, the one of lowest value, for free.
This deal applies to all the roses inclusive of the standards which are looking amazing as well.
But wait, there are more events... keep that Diary open!!
This weekend at the Hamilton gardens
Waikato Rose society's
Daltons Spring rose show at the Hamilton Gardens
...if you love roses then this must be a must do event on both Saturday and Sunday. I would imagine that the rose gardens there must be a sight to behold
Gordonton Country Garden Ramble
Saturday 25th November 10 am to 3pm
Enjoy a day out checking out some of the country gardens and businesses in the Gordonton region...There are numerous cafes in Gordonton for you to enjoy morning, afternoon tea or lunch. There are also Devonshire teas for sale at garden No. 9. Check out their Christmas decorated church which is only open today to view for ticket holders. Open by appointment for groups on other days for a gold coin donation per person.
Tickets available on the day from St Mary's church 974 Gordonton Rd. Cash or bank transfer only. Or you can order a ticket and pay online.
Art Exhibition in the display garden at Wairere Nursery By Anthony... at Wairere nursery gardens. Friday 1st, Sat 2nd and Sun 3rd of March 2024, 10am to 4pm
Many of you will remember Anthony (Tony) our very talented garden designer for Wairere nursery has now turned his abilities to art and painting. His previous office is now a studio for painting. Tony is a person who has a natural eye for design and was a very successful garden designer teaching himself to draw like an architect. These days he is fulfilling a life long passion to paint and hold his own exhibition. I know that many that enjoyed Tony's garden design will be interested to see his next chapter in the space of Wairere gardens. He paints very detailed building, land and seascapes.
I don't dare mention this but I think that the Christmas roll out seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year. I hear that carols are being played.. the Christmas advertising on TV seems to have already started and I hear of others getting their trees out of the closest, dusting them off and decorating them even though we are not half way through November. It is time however to think of getting your garden all ship shape for the festive season and in a couple more weeks the spring growth flush will be easing and the garden will need a big tidy up. I keep looking at all my hedges thinking that's on the list in the not too distant future
This weekend it's all about getting in my summer vege garden and planting the summer marigolds that we have every year for a splash of colour around the place.
Whatever your plans, have a great weekend.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team
