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Friday 16th November, 2018
Hi
The running of the balls Sequel...
It was an early morning start, to get to Birkenhead by briefing time of 7.15 am but we made it easily, probably because I have never seen the Auckland motorway so quiet... guess that it was early on a Sunday morn.. too early for most...
You could tell who was in for the run/walk because they were all dressed in shades of blue.. I got handed a blue wig to finish my outfit off but had to pass on that, LOL, far too much wax in my hair. We took Zack our Alsatian (who wore a token blue tie) and Galaxy the Italian greyhound, funnily enough, on the walk, it was Zack that did the most puffing while the greyhound didn't have her tongue out once.
A quick briefing from Christie and then everyone was off. The serious runners off to get their best time or at least beat their last years time and the walkers settled in for a fun stroll.
It was my first time and the planned route was very beautiful and scenic as you headed down the road past some gorgeous villas and other homes of previous generations, then through some little bush remnants, around the lake next to the Chelsea sugar factory and then the slog back up that hill.. Of course, you would do it again just for the beautiful walk.
Back to Bungalo Cafe for the promised bacon and egg buttie and coffee which was delicious and a great way to start the day. Pencil me in for next year.
Next on the agenda for the day was to sit in on a Bonsai workshop. A horticultural skill that I have always admired as the techniques just fascinate me. Lucky us then, to meet Christie's neighbour, Martin, who is a master of this ancient art.
Bonsai garden ... Outside the square but very cool
Martin had the most stunning garden, perhaps not what we would usually perceive, but rather a space filled with an amazing array of Bonsai pieces in different stages. Martins house backed into a hill and so the back garden was up a couple of flights of stairs and the Bonsai were set on benches at eye level with his workshop on the basement level. There was an Acer palmatum in a beautiful dish set up as a feature in an outdoor living area.
Martin is passionate about Bonsai and it became clear that that might be an understatement as he showed us his pieces and explained some of the concepts of Bonsai.
There is a lot to making a tree look ancient on a miniature scale and the ability to keep feeder roots alive in those very shallow pots is amazing. As I listened to Martin saying that this tree in a pot, that I already thought was small, was going into a pot half the depth just to make the aged trunk look even bigger scale, just amazed me.
Many collect plants in the wild as they may start with some size and be misshapen or you could start something new as well. Suitable plants, well I guess you could use many but some like Coprosma Kirkii or Prostrata grow quickly and would be a great choice to learn with as they are quite forgiving.. Juniperus Procumbens Nana ... We had watched at the workshop as student wired a Juniper Procumbens Nana as a cascading piece... the dwarf pine Pinus Mugo could be another goodie to give a go.
Martin specialised or should I say enjoyed working and miniaturising pines of all sorts from Mugo to Radiata but did have pieces of Hawthorn on the go. Some beautiful examples of Ligustrum, Acers, Elms and even had a stunning Taxodium or Swamp Cypress that looked so old.
What did I learn, lots, but really you are only the care taker of an old bonsai as the tree will outlive us. Martin cited an example in Japan being 1200 years old and that is more than 12 generations of carers. On the way home I started looking at the old pines in the country side and yes they really did look like Martins miniaturised copies. Thank you Martin for sharing, this just could be my new hobby !!!
Scott Base Gertrude Jekyl Friesia Aotearoa Little Angel
Standard roses .... so much choice to be had... and looking fab.
By all accounts the Waikato Rose Society Rose Show was a huge success and I was lucky enough to be sent some pics of some of the high lights from the show so thought that we could share these on facebook. It would seem generally that roses this year are just outstanding and to that end we have been picking bunches of blooms from our standard Gertrude Jekyll to bring inside for our table.
On the subject of roses looking amazing in flower, I was re blocking and dead heading the 80cm standard roses and I'm loving the amazing range of choice there. Having the chance to pick what was budded as standards for this season has given us a superb range of roses in standard form that you don't usually find. We will be unlikely to be able to choose the budding options again so if you see a rose in standard form that you want don't wait as it might not be available again as a standard. I think that I might have got a bit carried away when I made my list of names to include in this newsletter but I hope you get inspired like I did... there are so many cool roses here.
Little Angel and Scott Base are fabulous whites, both probably more compact that the classic Iceberg but certainly excellent choice and just as free flowering.
Sparkler is another awesome rose and one I recommend, technically like a shrub/ patio rose has just masses of semi double white blooms showing stamens.. you could liken it to a flower carpet white say with a semi prostrate bushy habit... so so so so healthy and just amazing in flower.
If you are into a stunning fragrance on a nice classic bloom in a creamy white and faint peachy centre then you must check out Love Me Do and it is such a healthy rose to boot. When I was dead heading well I was sniffing the flowers to.... as you do. There is a wide range of fragrances in the roses from the blow your socks off in your face strong fragrances to the I cant smell burnt toast so don't ask me sort of mild soft fragrances and smell is so personal to each individual.
Another real goodie with a excellent scent is Mum in a Million which is listed as a Hybrid tea but I would suggest that the bloom has some old fashioned style about it.. A good classic pink shade in fully double flowers and good and healthy as well. Gruss an Aachen is another lovely, strongly fragrant rose and Aotearoa has a lovely fragrance on rich salmon pink blooms.
In Loving Memory and not to be confused with Loving Memory HT (which is a fav of mine) is a classic floribunda in quite a bright red and looked very striking amongst all the roses yesterday. I must say that I do like Loving Memory very much. The flowers are huge and they are just fab for picking.
Wild Cherry, well don't think the face pic does this one any justice but in the flesh it just glows out there in the standards. This one is a new one to me but amongst the standards well .. its stands out for colour and quantity of flowers.
While down toward the end of the alphabet I acquainted myself with Scent by an Angel which is very pretty and quite a deep pink shade. A bit newer to me, it looked to be quite a good doing rose, it's listed as high health and certainly had lots of flowers.
Hayley Westenra is a healthy rose with quite ruffled frilly blooms which could be described as a tad unusual but I like them. These are in shades of apricot, cream and peach and very desirable if you like something a bit outside the square in your roses... I quite like her singing as well.
I have to include Friesia here at this point, beautifully fragrant and in a bright yellow.. this beauty has been around for quite a while and I imagine that the fragrance alone will keep this on going.
Wild Cherry Hayley Westenra Scent by an Angel Mum in a Million In Loving Memory
And the Award Goes To........
Congratulations go to Rob Somerfield for winning the New Zealand Rose Award, presented for outstanding service to the rose and I believe he also picked up Rose of the Year award at the recent show for Little Miss Perfect, very well named apparently and I'm sure there are probably more awards we are yet to hear about so a big congratulations to you Rob!
Just in this week
Hibiscus syriacus, these are the deciduous Hibsicus that do so well down here and will have masses of flowers over the summer.. It looks as if Ang has got in the full selection of these which range from white to the classic mauve shades. These will grow into a reasonable sized shrub in the garden and can get to a couple of metres high and wide but so good at giving summer colour when the hype of spring is done and dusted. We have a multibuy on these so you can get a selection of the range for good value.
Daisies also great for colour in the garden over the summer months and so easy to grow. Again Ang has brought in a superb selection of these... excellent in pots on the balcony or decks and patios areas or equally at home in the garden as fillers for the summer.
Geraniums are not new in this week but they are sure showing gorgeous bright shades in the garden centre right now... Ideal for pots and tubs and will brighten any patio or deck space. There are also Ivy gernaiums that will trail in hanging baskets.
Philadelphus common name of Mock Orange. Ange wanted me to mention that these are smelling so good at the moment. Pretty too in a very white kind of way... Again a decent sized shrub for the garden reaching some 2m x 1.5 wide. Choose from Birchlands, Boule d Argent, Frosty Morn or Virginalus all with white blossoms and a delicious heady fragrance.
Bit of a deal on some flowering cherries 50% off selected ones.
Prunus Thundercloud LW You can add a nice contrast to the garden with this ornamental flowering plum which has deep smoky purple foliage. In spring pretty single soft pink blossom appears sometimes followed by small, red fruits.
Yedonensis 1.5 std A graceful tree with attractively arching branches that are smothered in blush white single blooms in early spring. The overall effect is one of subtle beauty. The flowers have a delicate fragrance often likened to almonds. Good autumn colour prior to leaf fall.
Ukon 1.5 Std Something a little different for the connoisseur. 'Ukon' has unusual semi double cream flowers tinged green. The new spring foliage is tinted bronze eventually turning green. In autumn the leaves are tinged purple. A robust tree with an open spreading habit.
Mountain Haze 1.5 std An outstanding flowering Cherry that has masses of pearly white blossom smothering this dome shaped, very appealing tree. Massed clusters of densely petalled, extremely double flowers in soft pink shades is the main feature of this unusual cherry. The hanging clusters of bloom are dotted throughout the tree in charming fashion. Early flowering with good autumn colour.
Peggy wilson 1.8 std This vase shaped tree with spreading branches is a smaller variety and is well suited to the smaller garden. Flowers very well in warmer climates. Becomes smothered with large palest blush pink blossom around mid-September. Orange and yellow autumn leaves.
Ok, I'm off to mow the lawns and such a stunner of a day to do it, then I have a few veg to plant and some marigolds to plant to pretty the garden for Xmas.
Come out to the nursery after you have done your lawns and check out the roses and the gardena... apparently a client mentioned to one of the team that it was as good as going to the rose show ... lol 'Even better because you can buy what you like and take them home' was his quick retort!
Whatever your plans
have the most fabulous weekend.
cheers
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag
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Wairere Nursery
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