Alan Jolliffe "The Art and Science of Gardening"

Garden Tourism Conference March 2011

2012-01-24T00:04:00.002+13:00

Youtube Video to prove I was there last march representing New Zealand

Garden hygiene

2011-08-09T21:25:00.002+12:00

Many times I have written these words, Garden Hygiene, as part of gardening activities, but what does it mean?

It is really quite simple; it's a bit like housework in the garden.

Where there is some form of infestation by insects, fungi or bacteria remove infested material, leaves, spent flowers and prunings and dispose of them through the rubbish or if allowed by burning. Only put in the compost if you have a very hot compost heap with temperatures up to 70C.

Ensure weeds, which harbour breeding colonies of insects, are removed and replaced with ornamental or edible plants.

Clean all garden tools straight after handling infested material to stop infection spreading around the garden.

Do not shift infected soil around the garden or transplant infected plants from one part of the garden to another. If plants are suffering from infestations of pests and diseases maybe the plant should be shifted to a new position better suited to the plant and less suited to the pest or disease but care is suggested and the plant treated to rid the problem.

Give plants a little air by pruning them back and thinning out dense plants. It is in these dense conditions pest and diseases flourish as they find a nice cozy little home to live and multiply in. One example often given is that camellias should be pruned and thinned so that a blackbird can fly through it.

Stop overcrowding of vegetable plants and ornamentals. Experiment with the best distance to plant vegetable plants apart to give the best crop as possible.

Keep this up regularly throughout the year.

Good garden hygiene is the basis of a healthy garden which in turn leads to lower maintenance and more enjoyment of the garden.

CHCH Rebuild

2011-08-01T22:09:00.000+12:00

Christchurch has had a battering over the last 10 months with three major earthquakes since 4 September 2010 and about 8000 smaller ones. The city centre is still closed and so far 360 buildings demolished. Some reports suggest up to 1000 will be demolished. Nearly 5000 homes are on soil they may not be able to be rebuild on.

Yet all around town there is a great deal of optimism as people go about making living, starting new businesses, relocating businesses and doing things differently. Unfortunately some people have suffered a great deal more than others. The Earthquake Commission and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and the Christchurch City Council have all had their criticism.

What will our new city look like? We don’t know but let us hope that planners, landowners, developers and everyone else listens to the people and the experts.

No city can survive and grow rapidly without people talking and networking and finally working together.

Competition is not really between two similar businesses located in the city but rather how those two can develop offerings to the public which are different yet complimentary so they can both grow in the market place.

One great example I have just heard of is a group of small businesses in one location that have got together to plan new buildings, shops, car parking and public spaces which will make this area an attractive destination. All working together to get people to come to this place feel like they are welcome and proud to call it their place.

The benefits of this are repeat visits, referral to others, increased length of time spent there and more economic activity.

In developing the city, not just the buildings and public spaces we have the chance to change the way we do business and an opportunity to use technology, great working conditions, innovation, creativity, knowledge, technical expertise, Kiwi know how and everything else to make us highly competitive on the global stage.

People will visit us from all over the world to see how it is done, stay with us a tourists, buy our products, pay for our expertise and tell everyone else what a great bunch of people to do business with.

We can make a fortune if we play this right.

Garden Centres as Destinations

2011-08-01T22:07:00.002+12:00

Recently I visited two garden centres in Christchurch to purchase some plants for the garden and one for a gift.

It was disappointing to see that there were few people there. It got me thinking. Both of these could have been a lot better if instead of being a nursery they should be destinations.

Imagine if there were fantastic displays of plants for sale or even displays of plants not for sale. A few ideas include

Home garden that changes regularly

Seasonal displays of colour similar to public gardens

Native plant garden in conservation week

Rare plants

The patio garden

The Vegetable garden

Seasonal displays for Mothers day, Christmas etc.

Art in the garden

Australian plants

Chinese plants

There are many ideas for display.

At this time of year roses seem to be the thing but they are all pruned and deciduous so are quite boring and unattractive. Fruit trees are another and I am sure a better display with information packs and sample fruit might do a better job.

It would be wonderful if a garden centre turned itself into a destination rather than trying to compete with big box retailing.

The Green Thing (you've gotta read it)

2011-08-01T21:37:00.000+12:00

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation didn't care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were
recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an lift in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady was right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their
moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then.

Please forward this on to another selfish older person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartass younger person.

Ophir's Postal History

2011-07-31T19:53:00.001+12:00

I have updated this article in July 2011

See the side link

Or use this one

http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~jolliffe/Ophir%20Postal%20History%20sept%202011.pdf

Enjoy

Snow business

2011-07-27T21:35:00.000+12:00

Gardens covered in snow are everyone’s fairytale dream. We see movies about Christmas with snow falling gently on the garden and trees. It’s romantic. It’s fun. It’s cosy inside.

Out in the garden though snow can cause a few problems.

Let’s firstly dissolve one myth. Snow is cold and the cold snow will harm plants. This is not true. Snow by itself is at freezing point or just a little below that and it does not get any colder. In the mountains snow acts as a sort of thermal layer between the really cold stuff frost, ice and icy wind. The alpine plants love it under snow. They are protected from the real cold and survive very nicely. In spring when the snow melts they get watered as well.

Cold is a bad thing for some plants but the really harmful cold is frost and ice and icy wind. Tender plants from warmer climates do not have outer layers for protection from the cold and ice. The damage to these plants is caused by water inside the individual plant cells freezing. When water freezes it expands. When water inside a plant cell freezes and expands the cell tissue is destroyed. Have a look at tender plants after a frost and notice that the leaves will turn black very quickly that day and the leaves, or stems or both will die.

Protection of plants from frost damage is usually provided by covering the plant/s with a layer that will stop the frost from getting to the leaves. There are products on the market that can provide this sort of protection but in early years sacks and other material was used very successfully.

So what damage does snow cause?

The biggest and most notable amount of damage caused to plants by snow is breakage. It is the weight of snow sitting on a branch or branchlets that cause them to break. Branches are only used to carrying leaves not the weight of snow.

Throughout Canterbury this winter many, many trees have been damaged by branches laden with snow and then breaking under the strain.

To prevent the loss of branches the best thing to do is to remove the snow. This can be done by shaking smaller trees and shrubs to get the snow to fall off.

Another method for larger plants would be to hose them down with cold water from the hose. The water may freeze but that will not cause a great deal of harm to the plant. For many years the apricot growers in Central Otago used a water spray to cover their orchards when frost was forming. This was because when water freezes it actually gives off latent heat and the temperature does not drop much below freezing point. However a frost can take temperatures well down below freezing point and destroy cell structures.

Broken branches are a major snow damage problem. There is little that can be done when the branch is broken. Preventative action like removing snow is important.

Broken branches are a problem. Once a branch is broken there is little that can be done to repair it. Therefore careful pruning is required to remove the branch. Sometime complete removal is necessary other time only the broken piece needs to be removed. When removing cut back to a branch join to avoid stubs.

If branches a r split along the branch removal of the weight of snow is critical. Split branches may repair themselves with a little permanent help. Take some of the branch weight off by trimming the branchlets back. Attach a wire from the split branch to a solid branch and tighten it up until the split is closed. Leave the wire in place in the tree for the rest of its life as the branch will be a lot weaker.

Falling and settling snow is a lovely thing but can cause damage to plants. To prevent major damage to important trees and shrubs remove the snow by shaking the plant or using cold water from the hose.

Hamamelis mollis Chinese Witch Hazel

2011-07-25T14:07:00.001+12:00

Found by European plant hunter Charles Maries he introduced this plant to England in 1879 and in 1918 the great plant collector E H Wilson introduced some more plants to grow from a different area of China. It is a native of the West Hubei and Kiangsi provinces and grows naturally in scrub and woodland from 1500m to 2500m.

Hamamelis (Greek for pear shaped fruit) is the principal genus of the family Hamamelidaceae which has 20 genera some of which are very hardy and some of which are subtropical. Hamamelis has six different species of which the best is Hamamelis mollis.

This handsome shrub can grow up to 3 metres high but is often less than that in gardens. It is highly valued as a winter flowering plant in colder climates even though it will grow quite well in warmer climates.

The golden yellow sweetly fragrant, flowers, which grow in small clusters, are made up of 4 separate narrow strap like petals arising from a maroon coloured base (receptacle) that can withstand frosts up to -20C. When grown from seed there is some variation in colour of the flowers. There are selected cultivars with different yellow coloured flowers or larger petals. It makes a great cut flower in winter.

As a shrub this is a very easy care plant, with its zig zag branchlets, it makes a great sight. The leaves are soft, hairy and are like a hazel nut leaf hence the name. They are evenly spaced along the branch and look very formal. In autumn they will turn a nice yellow. The branchlets have been used for water divining.

The only work that may need to be done occasionally is the removal of an odd branchlet to improve its shape.

How to Shift Plants around the Garden

2011-07-18T22:49:00.000+12:00

The cooler winter months are excellent to shift plants around your garden or give them away to your friends for their garden. This is a great job and lots of fun especially if you change your mind.

As part of your garden planning you will identify plants that should be placed elsewhere for best effect. Take several walks around the garden and think about the positions you would like to change.

One of the rules of planting is “right plant right place”. Make sure that the plants you want to shift are going to be placed in the right location in the garden that suits the plant. Shade loving plants in shaded places and sun loving where they will get a lot of sun.

Shifting plants

Identify where you want to position the plant and prepare a planting hole
The new hole should be two (2) times as wide as the proposed root ball and the bottom of the hole forked up so the soil is loose.
The plant to be shifted can be pruned to a desirable shape. It is important to reduce the top of the plant back to match the amount of roots that are going to be cut when the roots are dug up and cut through. Reduce by about one third.
To identify where to insert the spade, work out this mathematical problem. Measure diameter of stem, multiply that by two (2) and add on the width of your spade.
Dig a trench around the plant undercutting the roots to create a root ball of soil and water.
Carefully loosen the plant by moving the plant from side to side or getting spade right underneath it and lifting it up
Carefully work a strong tarpaulin or similar under the root ball and lift the plant out of the hole by lifting the tarpaulin etc.
At the new hole place the plant in position in the hole so that the depth of the root ball is the same as in its previous position
Once in position carefully backfill the hole making sure the soil goes right down around the roots. Firm the soil down to ensure the plant is held in position firmly. The soil level around the plant must be the same as in its previous position.
If it is a tall plant stake it well so that the winter winds will not blow it over.
Water well and mulch the surface.

Topiary

2011-07-18T22:45:00.001+12:00

The return of silver-leaf

2011-06-26T19:48:00.001+12:00

During winter it's easy to spot shrubs that have their leaves turning silver, especially rhododendrons and viburnum.

What causes this to happen? Small insects called thrips are to blame.  They thrive on the sheltered microclimate on the underside of the leaves. These tiny insects have strong suction pipes which they insert into the leaf and proceed to suck out all the goodness including the chlorophyll (green colored matter) turning the leaf silver - hence the name silver leaf. Unfortunately the leaf does not recover even if you kill all the insects. 

Controlling thrips is quite easy. Regular autumn sprays of all seasons spraying oil in late summer and autumn. The oil smothers the eggs and insects effectively killing them. Spraying needs to be done regularly and every year to make sure that infestations are kept under control. For additional control add some systemic insecticide to the oil mixture.

Where infestations are known pick up all the dead leaves, which may have thrips and eggs on them, and dispose of them but not in the compost heap.

Kingfisher in the garden today

2011-06-18T23:15:00.000+12:00

What a surprise today to see a colourful kingfisher flying and roosting in the garden today. It has been at least 10 years since I have seen one here. I hope there is a breeding pair!

These beautiful colourful birds love to live along the streams, rivers and coastal areas diving into the streams to hunt for little fish or catching insects, lizards and even small birds. It will eat fruit as well. It is known to attack mammals and other birds.

Kotare, sometimes called the Sacred Kingfisher, nest in cavities in rotten trees and a clutch consists of four to five white eggs. Both sexes are alike in appearance with plumage being deep green and ultra marine above, buff below with a broad buff collar. The black bill is large and tough for catching food and making its nests.

Photo by CBG from http://www.rosssea.info/nz-bird-life.html

Sawcut Gorge - a fabulous place to visit

2011-05-19T21:32:00.001+12:00

For more pictures go to my Facebook page

Want a wonderful adventure filled walk with wet feet? This is it.

Getting there is a little bit of an adventure and a very nice trip. Turn off State Highway 1 on the north side of the Waima River Bridge 55 km south of Blenheim. Sitting on top of a large tank is an old bicycle on top of a water tanks advertising Peddlers Lodge? Drive along this road past the well tended grape vines, including St Clair Sawcut vineyard. Continue on up the well maintained shingle road which follows the river and then winds it's way up the hillsides offering fantastic views of the valley below.

After opening and closing a few farm gates you reach the last farm, Isolation (an apt name) where on the last gate you find instructions on car parking and an invitation to complete the visitor’s book on the veranda of the house. Those with four wheel drive vehicles can drive down to the river, others have to walk.

After examining the information board and map we headed upstream for one and half hours and tried to keep our feet dry but it soon became apparent that to get there we had to cross and recross the river by walking through ankle deep water to keep to the marked track.

Walking along the rivers edge, climbing up the banks and walking on narrow tracks, boulder clambering or walking in the river this is just a delightful walk.

Starting out with small river stones which gradually got bigger the further upstream you travel until the boulders are about two metres tall.

Finally after just over one hour out of the trees comes a sign saying "Isolation Hut" and a track heading uphill. We went straight on for about 10minutes and the turned hard left up a very narrow gorge and about 20 minutes in we arrived at the Sawcut Gorge.

This ultra narrow gorge cut into the limestone somehow maybe even an earthquake caused it as major fault lines lie in this area. Walking through the narrow gorge in ankle deep water added to the sense of occasion. Out the other side into a narrow gorge clothed in native plants and a nice meandering stream.

Moving on up about ten minutes there is another gorge this one not so narrow. After that it is about. Ten minutes to Isolation Hut.

Returning to the car is all downhill. Following the large triangle markers this time we took the track to the Isolation Hut sign turnoff before heading down stream for an hour or more to the car. Visitors have made it a little easier by creating small cairns to mark the easiest way down the stream.

After signing out at the house and a quick word with the friendly farmer we were on our way along the. Narrow. Shingle road to State Highway One and a continued trip the Blenheim.

This great walk is well worth the extra effort of putting on a pair of boots, sloshing through the river, climbing over large boulders and generally having a good time in lovely pristine surroundings. Don't think you will be alone this walk is becoming more popular with about ten different parties walking into the gorge on a typical weekend day.

http://trampingtracks.co.nz/track_sawcut_gorge.html

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/marlborough/south-marlborough/sawcut-gorge-isolated-hill-route/

http://www.dreamlike.info/nzl/mar/sa/sawcutgorge.htm

http://tramper.co.nz/?331

Enhancing outdoor wooden furniture

2011-05-17T21:56:00.005+12:00

Outdoor furniture needs to be looked after to ensure a long life and retain it's colour and shape.

It is good to do this in late autumn to provide some protection of the timber through the harsh winter climate. Oiling the timber with the recommended furniture oil for the timber to protect and enhance your outdoor furniture is the quickest and easiest way to do this.

Many of these oils recommend using a cloth to apply but using a nice fine clean paint brush is quite effective. Do not put to much on at one time and spread it out evenly over the timber surface.

Before applying use a cloth to clean the cobwebs and dirt off to enable the oil to provide a good finish. If really dirty wash down with warm water first and leave to dry.

Don't forget to do the underside of the furniture as well to ensure the wood is well oiled.

In late spring provide another coating of oil ready for the summer celebration and outdoor meals. It will also protect the timber from the bright drying sun. In really dry climates a s second summer oiling may be required in February.

Completed regularly it will be easy to do and give great results.

Pruning Apple trees for more fruit

2011-05-16T23:15:00.002+12:00

Apples flower and fruit on spurs. Spurs are short multi branching stems along the main branches and pruning should be undertaken to develop, enhance or replace these spurs.

There are two main structures of apple trees. Vase shaped where upright branches are trained in a V formation and spurs are developed along these upright branches. Espalier and centre leader trees both have a vertical trunk and the side branches are trained and tied down to grow horizontally to produce fruiting spurs.

Also the lower in the tree spurs are produced the easier it is to tend the fruit and to pick it

Knowing the style of tree being pruned is important to enable fruiting spurs to be encouraged where required and to remove unwanted branches.

In all pruning start by examining the structure of the tree and identify any new branches that should be kept to improve the style and structure of the tree. Tie these into place.

Once the structure is sorted then the removal of unwanted branches can begin. Shorten them back to at least one third of their length.

When pruning branchlets on a fruiting spur cut back to about one third so that the spur will continue to develop. On older spurs look at the possibility of removing some very old wood which can be replaced by new young growth.

Remove all the unwanted material from the tree. If this material is diseased burn it or send it away in the green recycling bin.

Gardeners should be able to recognized the difference between flowering buds on an apple tree and non flowering buds. Flowering buds are fatter and rounder and are usually at the end of a short spur. Keep as many of the flowering buds as possible.

Always use sharp secateurs and for larger branches a sharp saw.

500 year old grape vine recovers

2011-05-15T21:43:00.003+12:00

A 500 year old grapevine that was cut back by vandalism has sent out some new shoots. When cut back it was not expected to live. This vine is a great grandparent of the popular variety Gruner Veltliner a white grape which is a particularly good food wine. It is being experimented with in NZ currently as a grape producer for wine production.

Check out a little more about this variety on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCner_Veltliner

Trees for Bees

2011-05-15T20:55:00.000+12:00

The honey bee is one of the world’s hardest workers. In NZ bees about $3billion of GDP is directly attributable to the intensive pollination of horticultural and agricultural crops. They also contribute indirectly by pollinating clover which is ten sown into our farm land to grow better fodder for animal food.

Of all the food we eat about one third of the calories and three quarters of our biodiversity rely on bees for pollination.

Throughout the world bees are in trouble. Bees are being attacked by pests (e.g . varroa mite) and diseases. Also many of the traditional flowers from which bees collect pollen and nectar are in decline.

One constructive way to help bees is to plant a variety of trees and shrubs that provide food for the bees.

Below are two lists of plants, shrubs and trees suitable for South Island conditions here in New Zealand. The first is a list on NZ native plants and the second is imported plants. There are different sized and shaped plants for different situations. Choose some to plant at your place in or other public or private areas.

Native plants are the best choice to increase native biodiversity and benefit both the honey bee and the environment.

Cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) --- Tree, 15m, Oct-Dec

Five-finger (Pseudopanax arboreus) --- Tree, 8m, Jun-Aug

Hebe (Hebe spp. e.g., gracillima) --- Shrubs

Horoeka (Pseudopanax crassifolius) --- Tree, -6m

Kānuka (Kunzea ericoides) --- Tree/Shrub, 15m, Sep-Feb

Karangū (Coprosma lucida) --- Tree/Shrub, 4m

Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium) --- Tree, 6m, Oct-Jan

Koromiko (Hebe salicifolia) --- Shrub, 3m, Jan-Feb-(Apr)

Lemonwood (Pittosporum eugenioides) --- Tree, 10m, Oct-Dec

Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) - Tree/Shrub, 5m, Sep-Mar

Matagouri (Discaria toumatou) --- Tree/Shrub, 5m, Oct-Jan

Narrow-lv lacebark (Hoheria angustifolia) --- Tree, 10m, Dec-Mar

NZ flax (Phormium tenax) --- Tufted, up to 5m flw. stalk, Nov-Dec

Ngaio (Myoporum laetum) --- Tree/Shrub, 8m, Jul-Apr

North Island broom (Carmichaelia australis) --- Shrub, 2m, Oct-Feb

Pink tree broom (Carmichaelia glabrescens) --- Shrub, 3m, Dec

Scented broom (Carmichaelia odorata) --- Shrub, 3m

South Island broom (Carmichaelia arborea) --- Tree/Shrub, 3m

Sth. Rata (Metrosideros umbellata) --- Tree/Shrub, 15m, Nov-Jan

Tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) --- Tree/Shrub, 12m, Jun-Jan

Weeping kowhai (Sophora microphylla) --- Tree, 10m

Exotic plants are good choices because many are multi-purpose and have excellent pollen and nectar.

Apple (Malus ×domestica) --- Tree, Sep-Nov

Bottlebrush (Callistemon splendens) --- Shrub, 2m, Oct

Grevillea (Grevillea spp. e.g., ‘Clearview David’, or ‘Victoria’)

Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) - Tree, 36m,Oct-Nov

Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) --- Shrub, 1m, Sept-Dec

Pear (Pyrus communis) --- Tree, Sep-Oct

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) --- Shrub, 1.5m, Sep-Nov

Tree lucerne (Chamaecytisus palmensis) Tree, 5m, May-Oct

Blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) --- Tree, 40m, Sept-Dec

Ribbon gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) --- Tree, 40m, Jul-Apr

Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus cinerea) --- Tree, 15m, Dec-Feb

Snow gum (E. pauciflora subsp. niphophila) --- Tree, 18m, Sep-Nov

Swamp peppermint (Eucalyptus rodwayi) --- Tree, 15m, Mar-Jun

White ironbark (Eucalyptus leucoxylon) --- Tree, 30m, Mar-Nov

Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) --- Tree, 30m, Dec-Feb

Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) --- Tree, 25m, Aug-Sep

http://fedfarm.org.nz/f1759,65241/65241_New_S4_Canterbury.pdf

Material for this article was taken from Federated farmers brochures and website.

Nerine bowdenii. Cape flower, Guernsey lily, Japanese spider lily

2011-04-27T22:21:00.000+12:00

The bright, pink flowers of Nerines always add that little extra in the garden at this time of year when the demise of summer colour is well on its way. Whether it is pink, white or bright orange-red it always is nice to see before the onset of winter.

The genus Nerine, which belongs to the Amaryllidaceae, is made up of small to medium sized bulbous plants. They are all native to South Africa, and there are 20 to 30 species that originate from rock ledges, mountain screes, mountain ledges and other well-drained and arid habitats where the soil is not too rich. Most occur in the summer-rainfall areas, from the Eastern Cape Province north and eastward. In New Zealand they are quite hardy but in England and other countries with tougher winter climates they are considered to be tender and they are grown in pots.

Nerine bowdenii is native to the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and Eastern Cape Province. It is a summer-growing species which flowers in the autumn and is deciduous in winter. The large, 50mm pink, trumpet shaped flowers are borne in an umbel of up to 10 blossoms atop a scape (stem) 25 to 50cm tall. There are also occasional white-flowered forms. Its frost-hardiness stems from the fact that it grows at up to 3000m. elevation in parts of the Drakensberg.

Nerines are related to Brunsvigia and less closely to Crinum and Amaryllis (the Cape Belladonna). The bigeneric hybrid between Brunsvigia and Nerine is called Brunserine. Some Nerine species are confused with Brunsvigia, or perhaps vice versa.

N. bowdenii is the only contender hardy enough for consideration in cold climates. They resent disturbance and produce their best display of flowers when the bulbs appear to be overcrowded. Resist the temptation to lift and divide clumps of bulbs, as it may be a few years before they produce a vigorous display of flowers.

There isn’t a widely used common name for this genus, but the flowers are so distinct and the botanical name is concise enough for it not to cause a problem. Occasionally, it is referred to as the Guernsey lily as there is evidence that it was, at one time, naturalised in the Channel Islands. Nerine sarniensis, or the Guernsey lily, was named when a ship was wrecked many years ago on Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands, located off the coast of Normandy. Nerine bulbs washed ashore and took root on the island's sandy beaches. Because the ship was Japanese, it was originally believed that they were Japanese in origin, hence another of the common names, Japanese spider lily, but they are actually native only to South Africa.

The genus is named from the Greek word Nereis, the name of a sea-nymph. Perhaps a reference to the bulbs that were washed up onto the Channel Islands.

At their best, the long-lasting flowers have an extremely exotic appearance.

N. bowdenii is also suited to growing as a greenhouse bulb, but flowers stems can become elongated and require staking in this situation.

Until recently, pink was the predominant colour, but frenetic hybridising, especially in New Zealand, has produced a wide range of Nerine colours. Flowers are now available in shades of scarlet, magenta, fuchsia, blush pink and orange, and recent introductions include those with grey, white, bicoloured or striped flowers. Although some of those colours may be slightly more subdued than the typical shocking pink Nerines can be relied upon to add an unusual and extroverted dimension to the autumn garden.

An interesting aspect of the culture of nerines is that many of the species do not need much fertilizer. Hybrids involving N. sarniensis and N. bowdenii in particular may show signs of something like a virus infection if fertilized too much.

This robust perennial is one of the best late flowering bulbs. In the autumn it bears open sprays of five to ten trumpet-shaped, faintly scented, bright pink flowers with curled, wavy-edged petals. The strap-like, glossy green leaves appear after the flowers, at the base of the plant. In the garden it is suited to a dry position, at its best where it is bright and sunny where the vivid and distinct flowers can be shown off to their best in May.

Like many herbaceous perennials and bulbs the foliage is often attacked by slugs and snails but otherwise nerines are generally free from pests and diseases.

Propagate from bulblets by dividing the clumps after flowering, or when in leaf in the spring, or propagate by seed, sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe. Seedlings take three to four years to reach flowering size.

Garden Tourism Conference Toronto Canada

2011-03-29T21:59:00.000+13:00

Garden Tourism Awards 2011by Press ReleaseMarch 27, 2011
Last week’s Canada’s Garden Tourism Conference in Toronto saw both individuals and attractions feted for helping give tourism a greener hue.
The Garden Tourism Awards – one of which was presented by Baxter Travel Media – were given to both organizations and individuals who have distinguished themselves in the development and promotion of the garden experience as a tourism attraction.
Michel Gauthier, chair of the Ontario Garden Tourism Coalition, said, “Given the enormous number of Canadian and American travellers – almost 27 million [according to a government report] – who include visiting Canadian gardens among the top 10 things they want to do while on a holiday, it’s high time that Canada’s many and varied garden experiences are recognized as a tourism product.”
Canadian winners included:
• Garden of the Year: Butchart Gardens, BC
• Person of the Year (sponsored by Baxter Travel Media): Alexander Redford, Que.
• Festival of the Year: Canada Blooms, Ont.
• Event of the Year: Montreal Botanical Garden’s – The Magic of Lantern, Que.
• Initiative of the Year: War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail, USA/Canada
• Achievement Award: Parks Canada, on the occasion of their 100th Anniversary
• International Event of the Year: Taipei International Flora Exposition, Taipei, Taiwan
• Five North American gardens worth travelling for: Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Az.; Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, NB; Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa.; New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY; Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, Ont.
The Garden Tourism Conference takes place every other year in Toronto.

Read more:http://www.icangarden.ca/document.cfm?task=viewdetail&itemid=9006&categoryid=0#ixzz1HyeEUteA

Botanical Names

2011-01-05T23:28:00.001+13:00

A botanical name is the Latin name of the plant. Botanists around the world have a structure to work with to ensure each plant has its correct name and it is associated with its own family and genus. This classification of plants is governed by The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (2007 edition) and this code is based on the botanical makeup (botany) of the plant with particular reference to the flower structure and the rules that are necessary for botanists to comply. There is only one botanical name for each plant and it is recognised throughout the world and in any language as it is written in Latin. Why Latin? It is an unchanging language and therefore subject to specific rules that do not change.

All plants belong to a family. A family is made up of one or more genera or Genus. Each Genus is made up of one or more Species.

The family name is not used for plant names but it is useful as it brings together many plants that have similar attributes.

Botanical names are written using the Genus and species. The genus name always starts with a capital letter but the specific name starts in lower case. Lilium regale - the Regal Lily.

Where there is variation within a species there are a number of ways this can be recognised by sub dividing the species by sub-species, variety, form and where it is a plant of garden origin it is a cultivar.

The most noticeable additional names gardeners recognise will be cultivar (cv.) and variety (var.). You will notice more tendency towards cultivar names for garden plants these days as a distinction is made between naturally occurring varieties and new plants developed from seedling variations and sports or mutations.

Another group of plants will be hybrids. These occur when two related species cross pollinate and new different plants arise with characteristics of both species. Where this occurs a multiplication sign x is used to denote that this plant is a hybrid. Depending upon the nature of the cross and the names of the parent plants various rules apply in how it is written. In gardens there are several plants types like roses that it is impossible to identify the parents botanically and a simplified system is used. Rosa ‘Sexy Rexy’.

The naming of Cultivated Plants is set out in The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (7^th Edition 2009).

Writing plant names also has a convention. When writing in a sentence the botanical name of genus and species and varieties should be in italics (for hybrids the x is not italicised). Cultivar names should be surrounded by a single quotation mark and not be italicised.

Examples as if written in a sentence

Hebe speciosa. [Species]

Hebe speciosa ‘Variegata’ [Cultivar]

Hebe macrocarpa var. brevifolia [Variety naturally occurring]

Hebe ‘Mc Ewanii’ [Hybrid]

Hebe ochracea ‘James Stirling’ [Cultivar]

Burst! of Water - Te Wai Pounamu!

2010-11-17T22:09:00.002+13:00

Burst! Christchurch's 22nd Festival of Flowers
Friday 11 February – Sunday 6 March 2011

http://www.festivalofflowers.co.nz

Burst!, the Festival of Flowers is over for 2010 and we are already planning next year's event, the theme of which will be water: Burst! of Water - and the Festival will be Bursting! into Te Wai Pounamu (South Island). Please note: 2010 Festival events remain on the website until 2011 events are confirmed.

To view or print our October Festival Newsletter, please CLICK HERE

The Festival of Flowers is known to bring 'firsts' to New Zealand, building on this reputation the Christchurch Garden City Trust is proud to present 'burst! of water' as the 2011 theme.

We are inviting the people of the Garden City, New Zealand and beyond to start the festival New Year off with a bang! The world class 23m plus Floral Carpet in ChristChurch Cathedral - 'Where Streams of Living Water Flow' - will realise the water theme aesthetically. Simple and beautiful education will be presented through exciting installations, exhibits, panel discussions, key-note speakers and a treat for the whole family – a summer’s movie night in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens

The 2011 Festival of Flowers will include:

Water-themed Floral Carpet
Key-note Speakers &
Panel Discussion
Water themed Exhibition
Water sculpture/s
Topiary animals featuring a watery wonderland
Water themed floral displays
Outdoor movie night in the Christchurch Botanic gardens
Water is Precious, Children are Precious garden
A prelude to World Water Day on 22 March

http://www.festivalofflowers.co.nz

Heritage buildings damaged in Earthquake

2010-11-16T23:16:00.002+13:00

The big issue for the City is how do we save these older buildings?

“Gung ho” people making instant decisions without thought can lead to the demolition of buildings that could be saved and restored.

Expert engineering advice, conservation architectural advice and heritage management advice are all essential at a time like this.

Yes there is likely to be an economic imperative to get the economy moving again.

People may even see opportunities to reduce the unemployment levels and help the building trades out by suggesting demolition and rebuilding. This however is often a short sighted and economically flawed idea.

Others have the bright idea we can build new modernistic buildings where there are these new spaces.

Irrespective of economic and developmental ideas time is on everyone’s side once a building is made safe.

Businesses can re-establish in a variety of locations, even temporarily. In today’s world with instant communication customers can be advised of new locations.

Let’s take the time to make the right decision about our buildings.

It is not only buildings but bridges, monuments, houses, sites, trees, rivers, streams and other natural and man made features that can be retained, strengthened, conserved and restored.

The benefits of doing this will put us on the world stage as being able and capable of achieving this and rebuilding out city. The skill set developed will be marketable around the world. Visitors will come to see and learn how it is done.

We will have a city which boldly shows off its heritage, (both built and cultural heritage) to the world.

Corylopsis Spicata

2010-09-20T23:37:00.000+12:00

Corylopsis Spicata (Winterhazel)

Tired of harsh yellow flowers like forsythia and King Alfred daffodils in the early spring? Not as common is another shrub that not only blooms at the same time as the forsythia, but has a profusion of pastel yellow, fragrant blooms that will brighten up your garden as winter turns to spring - Corylopsis spicata or Winterhazel.

Corylopsis spicata is by far the most handsome of all the Corylopsis and the earliest to bloom. Beginning in September, pendulous 50mm chains of lemon-yellow blooms appear on the bare branches. They are somewhat reminiscent of wisteria blooms in shape, but on a much smaller scale. The fragrance is spicy and sweet, similar to that of witchhazel to which winterhazel is closely related. New foliage will soon appear, unfurling a dark purple and maturing to a deep blue-green with lightly felted undersides.

It will slowly develop into an attractive, broad mass of horizontal branches, reaching up to 2 m tall and wide. It is a prefect accent in front of a dark backdrop, such as a dark wall or evergreens, and is ideal for border or mass plantings. Corylopsis spicata works well when planted as a mid border planting dressed up with Rhododendrons, Azaleas or Crocus tomasinianus in the foreground - all of which bloom at the same time as the winterhazel.

For best results, plant in the autumn and mulch the soil. Does best in light shade, but will tolerate full sun or up to half shade. Choose a site protected from the worst of the winter winds. Prefers a moist, well-drained acid soil. Water regularly until established, will not tolerate drought so keep well mulched.

Radish

2010-08-25T21:40:00.000+12:00

Radish

The great thing about growing radish is that they are simple and easy to grow, mature early and taste good. It is an ideal vegetable to encourage children and adults to try vegetable gardening.

Radishes grow in any good, well cultivated soil. Sow the seed in rows at a depth approximately 7 times the diameter of the seed. It is normal to grow radish as an early crop but it is best to wait until the soil temperature is over 8 degrees centigrade for rapid growth.

Sow seed thinly in the rows. This will save time consuming thinning out of the seedlings as they grow. Once growing they need to grow unchecked for about 40 days until maturity for the best flavours. Sow a short row every three weeks to ensure a continuous supply to pick and eat.

The European radishes we normally grow are small and tasty round or oblong root crop in a range of colours from dark red to white and all variations in between.

Some people suggest growing radish with a row of carrots as the radish grow first and show gardeners where the row is. However if left too long in the carrots they will smother the carrots and slow their growth down. A better option is to sow separate rows of radish or sow a row between rows of carrots so that the carrots can grow unchecked.

European radishes are best eaten straight from the garden when they are fresh and plump. Keep cool in a fridge and remove the green tops, clean and eat raw in salads.

There are two groups of radish, European red radish and the Asian radish with their long, usually white, mild roots. The Asian radish are more versatile as a vegetable and can be grated in salads or pickled, and stir fried or used in soups, casseroles and sauces.

In Japan 25% of their total vegetable crop is Daiken radish – a long white root crop of which there are several varieties; “White Icicle”, Minowase Long White F1” and “Tokinash”. These longer Daikon radishes are quite easy to grow in deep friable soil. Sow the seeds about 25mm deep in the row and cover. Once growing thin out the seedlings so they are about 80mm apart to allow them to grow rapidly to full size.

These radishes stay fresh, crisp and tender longer than European varieties.

There are a number of different cultivars to grow depending upon your requirements.

· Round red Cultivars

· Longer red Cultivars

· Daikon radish cultivars

· Pink and purple round radish

· Round Black radish

· Radish “watermelon” White with pink centre.

In New Zealand a great range of radish cultivars can be purchased from Kings Seeds (http://www.kingsseeds.co.nz) or Egmont Seeds (https://www.egmontseedsshop.co.nz)

Hamamelis mollis – Witch Hazel

2010-08-11T22:52:00.002+12:00

Flowering in the late winter the distinctive flowers provide a highlight in the garden leading up to spring. The Witch Hazels, of which there are many different cultivars, start flowering in mid winter and flower for the next 6-8 weeks or longer.

There are about 20 genera in the family Hamamelidaceae including such well known plants such as Liquidambar, Fothergilla, Parrotia and Hamamelis which has the following species H. mollis (China), H.japonica (Japan), H.macrophylla (SE USA), H.verna (S USA), and H.virginiana North America). H.mollis and H.japonica hybridise easily producing a large group of hybrids and named cultivars with the botanical name Hxintermedia.

Hamamelis mollis grows very well in all temperate climates. It prefers well drained rich soil although will adapt to a variety of soil types. It needs full sun for its new shoots to grow strongly and ripen but it is also happy in dappled shade. In spring the new ovate shaped leaves emerge. They may be dull green or green grey in colour, glabrous (smooth without hairs) and pubescent (covered in fine hairs) below and occasionally lustrous. It can be propagated by layering the lower branches.

The flowers open slowly like a spring unwinding as the very long narrow strap like bright lemon yellow petals emerge from the buds until they are stretched fully open. The sweet scent is pleasant and provides an additional attraction in the garden or as a picked flower inside.

Hamamelis mollis is an aristocratic shrub with a distinctive conservative branching structure growing in a wide vase shaped pattern. Its low maintenance requirements in terms of care, pest and disease resistance and lack of pruning make it ideal for the modern garden.

The Penny University - Just imagine before blogging!!

2010-08-06T22:04:00.000+12:00

The following article is taken from Wikipedia.

Penny University is a term originating from the eighteenth century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffee house. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others, various discussions, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and the latest news and gossip. Reporters called "runners" went around to the coffee houses announcing the latest news, to hear about the newest developments and business ideas.

This environment attracted an eclectic group of people that met and mingled with each other at these coffee houses. In a society that placed such a high importance on class and economic status, the coffee houses were unique because the patrons were people from all levels of society. Anyone who had a penny could come inside. Students from the universities also frequented the coffee houses, sometimes even spending more time at the shops than at school.

It is easy to imagine the wide range of ideas that were produced as a result of this intermingling of people. The term “Penny University” is often used in reference to the eighteenth century coffee houses because of this reason. Coffee houses encouraged open thought and gathering of community. This environment, which was so conducive to intellectual discovery, could almost be called a school of social learning. To some people this was probably more of a school than rigid classrooms where people could not step out of a particular social role.

The original sense, of a coffee house, probably grew out of a common experience: that you came out of a coffeehouse feeling ten times as smart as you were when you went in. As, indeed, wide-ranging conversations ensued therein, from the commercial (leading to the founding of, in London, Lloyd's of London, and in New York, the New York Stock Exchange) to the political, and the purely intellectual; the idea that one could acquire an education for the price of a cup of coffee, that is, a penny, took hold of the poetic imagination.

Since that time, various coffee shops all over the world have used the name "Penny University".

Today, many coffee house visitors come alone to read or with a small group of friends for intellectual conversation. They walk up to a counter, pay for their beverage and find a nice quiet corner to settle into. The ambiance in a modern coffee house is created with perhaps a fireplace, the sweet smell of flavoured syrups, and mellow ballads flowing out of strategically placed speakers. The stimulating effects of caffeine give rise to the lovely humming of inspired conversation and the sound of frantic scribbles of a pencil upon paper. Should a person from eighteenth century London walk into this scene, they may not even recognize this evolved form of what they used to call a coffee house. Wikipedia.

Tamarillo Fruit

2010-07-28T21:45:00.002+12:00

Tamarillos - Cyphomandra betacea

The Tamarillo is a native of the Andrean Region of Peru South America and was introduced to New Zealand from plants grown in India in 1891. It is a member of the Tomato family producing many large egg shaped fruits ready to harvest in autumn and winter.

Often called the Tree Tomato in NZ it is quite popular as a fresh fruit. Two varieties are grown, red fruited and yellow fruited. Flavour can be quite tart to some people but for others it is a fresh tasting highly flavoured fruit when eaten raw. It can be used as a stewed fruit as a filling or even poached and decorated as a desert. The yellow varieties are milder in flavour.

It is a subtropical plant and tolerates only very light frosts requiring warmer climates or special microclimates. It is grown commercially in the northern parts of New Zealand.

Growing is quite easy as it copes with a variety of soil types provided it does not get wet feet. The large leaves are easily damaged by wind.

Once established it grows quite quickly with thick soft branches. Good training of a strong branch system is important to support the leaves and weight of fruit. They flower on fruit on new seasons growth which means pruning in early to late spring to get the longest growing season possible.

Harvest fruit from late autumn through to early spring. Fruit ripening will depend on local conditions and the time pruning took place. Early pruning in spring will give an early crop with later pruning giving a later crop.

Common pests and diseases include whitefly, aphids, looper caterpillar and powdery mildew.

Tamarillos are great talking points in the garden their large leaves make an impressive statement. While the flowers are small and sometimes insignificant the fruit makes a fine display and a great talking point.

July in the Garden 2010

2010-07-26T21:42:00.000+12:00

here is a link to what to do in your garden in July

July in the Garden 2010

Hope you enjoy this and if you have any suggestions for gardening in NZ in July please let me know by leaving a comment.

happy Gardening

Alan

Chimonanthus praecox - Winter sweet.

2010-07-22T22:13:00.001+12:00

The Winter Sweet is a lovely plant to produce a fabulous winter perfume. The flowers set flush to the small branchlets are a fabulous pale yellow and waxy looking cup shaped marked with a purple stain in the centre. Unfortunately it does have a rather unruly appearance and is best placed at the back of a border.

It grows best in a warm sunny place and succeeds well in any well drained soil.

Originally from China where it is a native plant it was introduced into England in 1766. Two cultivars are widely grown.

Chimonanthus praecox ‘Grandiflorus’ a form with deeper yellow flowers and a very conspicuous red stain in the centre.

Chimonanthus praecox ‘Aureus’ which has larger flowers again which are a clear yellow and there is no red or purple stain in the flower.

This is a great plant and excellent for picking a few twigs each day to take inside and add a beautiful scent to the home.

Pruning demonstration

2010-07-20T22:29:00.002+12:00

Pruning demonstration

Saturday 14 August
9.30am – 11.30am Mona Vale Gardens
Fendalton Christchurch
Open to the public free

Daphne appearing

2010-07-19T23:25:00.000+12:00

Daphne odora just appearing in the depths of winter

It has been very busy here for the winter. I have been taking a gardening course for a group of mowing and gardening franchisees as well as the Canterbury Horticultural Society garden classes. All on top of my day job at the university. Not only that the Minister of Education appointed me as a trustee of a local health camp School. It is very small but plays an important part in young peoples lives.

As always lots to do and so little time to do it in.

Galanthus - The Snowdrop

2010-07-18T20:11:00.000+12:00

Terrible weather lately has kept many people inside this winter. Of course the weather is really bad at the weekend and sometimes quite fine during the week when we are all at work.

Galanthus - The Snowdrop

At this time of the year the true snowdrops are flowering. This small plants should not be confused with the larger and more popular Snowflakes that flower later.

Galanthus are found in the wild throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. There are 20 species in the genus. They have been cultivated from many years and many species and forms provide an interesting display in the garden when there is nothing else in flower. They do best in cool climates.

Galanthus byzantinus from southern Europe is one of the best species. Its wide, long deep green leaves which set off the white, globular flowers held aloft on longer stems.

Galanthus caucasicus is quite desirable and flowers earlier than the others. It has large rounded white flowers

Galanthus elwesii is one of the best snowdrops. It produces several stems of white flowers with green markings on the petals.

Galanthus nivalis is the most common species and there are several cultivars. Single white flowers tipped with green are borne on the stems in early spring.

Galanthus plicatus has very large flowers with prominent green markings around the inner segments and it flowers later.

Winter has arrived - first flowers for the new year.

2010-07-13T23:40:00.000+12:00

Eranthus hyemalis, Winter aconite

WHEN TO PRUNE SHRUBS

2010-06-22T22:34:00.002+12:00

Pruning time depends on the flowering season of the shrubs. The method of pruning depends upon whether the flower is borne on the new of the old wood. For pruning purposes, shrubs can be grouped in six classes:

1 For shrubs where the new shoots (those of the current year) bear the flowers, pruning should be done at any time in winter as the flowers usually arrive in summer or early autumn. The shoots of the previous year are pruned hard back to the structural branches of the shrub or even ground level. Sufficient old wood (it must not be too old) must be left in to form a structure to carry the new growth. This does not apply to shrubs that send up new wood directly from the ground level.

2 Where the plants flower on the wood made during the previous summer, pruning is done directly after flowering, as it is vital to give the plants as much time as possible to form and ripen new wood before winter. This is the wood flowers will be borne on the next spring. Some earlier flowering plants may be thinned, the old flowering shoots removed and pruned sufficiently to keep them tidy and trim.

3 The third group consists of those shrubs that flower in spring and onwards through the summer on the wood produced during the previous growing season. These shrubs start to make much of their new wood before the flowers fade. Much of this new growth would have to be cut away with the old wood if the pruning were left until after the flowering season. Shrubs of this group should have the oldest wood cut right from the base early in the autumn. This will give the new wood a complete growing season in which to develop. When a shrub is pruned in this way, it will sometimes make so much young growth that a thinning out of this new wood may be necessary during the summer.

4 This group comprises shrubs whose blossom is borne on wood over two years old, or on short "spurs" from it. With this group of plants very little pruning is needed in the ordinary way, but the young growth must be cut back annually in winter to within 75mm of the old wood. Very old wood and weak growths should be cut out annually.

5 There is another group that consists of plants that throw up vigorous young growth direct from the roots. Some of this class flower best on the old wood, and most of the young growth must be cut away annually. But where the best flowers are borne on the young wood, and in cases where the plants are grown for their foliage or coloured stems rather than for bloom, they should be cut down almost to the ground each year.

6 The last group is composed of slow-growing shrubs that need no pruning. They may need light pruning to develop a nice shape but once mature they will require no pruning except for occasional thinning when overcrowded, or trimming should any of the branches become straggly.

Sometimes when a shrub has been in the same position for several years, the wood becomes thin and weak, and blossom is poor and scarce. Should this happen cut the old wood out and the newer wood hard back. Do not cut out all the old branches at once, remove an entire branch at a time, one every year in late spring.

Rehmannia elata

2010-06-08T23:19:00.001+12:00

This plant comes from northern China. It one of about eight species of hairy perennial herbs. The large leaves grow from a basal rosette which is joined to other rosettes by fine underground roots. It spreads very easily in light soil and likes a lot of water.

The flower spikes grow up to 1 m high in good conditions. Flowers are about 10 centimetres by 4 centimetres in size. They are solitary occurring in the leaf axis and are a beautiful rose purple in colour. Each flower has a yellow throat dotted with purplish red spots. The flower is held in a position by a large calyx.

This is a beautiful plant plants for growing in a semi shady place and it makes an excellent Woodland plant. In 1877 it was granted a medal of Merit of the RHS.

Quizz! Can you name this plant?

2010-05-25T22:20:00.000+12:00

Lovely summer flowering perennial

Please leave a comment

Answer in a couple of days

Its a Fuchsia! Fuchsia procumbens

2010-05-23T21:36:00.001+12:00

Fuchsia procumbens, Creeping Fuchsia

This is the most unusual fuchsia in the world as it is the only species that holds its flowers upright - all the rest have pendulous flowers or flower in trusses. Not only that the pollen is blue at the end of red filaments and it is reputed to be the only yellow fuchsia. The flowers are small and sit upright on the stems. The cherry sized, showy, bright red, seed filled berries that follow are more noticeable.

The flowers are orange yellow in colour with the sepals dark purple. The blue pollen orange yellow flowers and the purple sepals work well as a colour combination.

As a ground cover it grows fast and covers a lot of ground each year. It is easily pruned back each winter to keep it under control. The long trailing stems will also put down roots so that it can make a nice mat. Grow in part shade with average to low water and is excellent under rhododendrons.

Apart from the naturally growing green leaved form there is a variegated cultivar with silvery white markings on the leaves.

It grows naturally in NZ in sandy, gravelly or rocky places near the sea in the north of the North Island. It was discovered by Richard Cunningham who collected it in 1834 at Matauri Bay between Whangaroa and the Bay of Islands and it was a form with a long style with a large globular stigma protruding from the flower. T Kirk collected a short styled form from Tryphena harbour, Great Barrier Island in 1867 and named it F. kirkii. However it was later noted that there is a great variation in the length of the style but it is all the same species. As Cunningham collected and named his species first F. procumbens is the official name.

In the garden in the south it survives well but will loose its leaves over winter becoming deciduous. Each spring new leaves appear rapidly making a nice fresh groundcover show.

Quizz! Can you name this plant?

2010-05-19T22:51:00.000+12:00

This plant is a mat forming New Zealand native plant.

Its cousins are well known

It is unique for two reasons

The pollen is blue and the flowers are upright

Please leave a comment and watch this space for the article.

Elegia capensis

2010-05-17T22:08:00.000+12:00

This is a tall, dark green, elegant plant with large, decorative, papery sheaths along the stems. For a really good picture of this plant go to

http://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Restionaceae_Elegia_capensis_4000.html

The genus Elegia, belongs to the family Restionaceae. Elegia has 35 species. The name Elegia is presumed to come from the Greek elegeia, a song of lamentation, and may be a reference to the rustling sound of the papery sheaths and bracts in the breeze. The genus is commonly known as the South African Thatching Bush in reference to its usefulness in being used as a roofing thatch.

This plant has many common names including besemriet, bergbamboes, fonteinriet, Fonteinbush, katstert, kanet, horsetail restio many of which are South African in origin.

This is a very widespread species in or near the mountain ranges of the western, southern and eastern Cape, as far as Port Elizabeth. The plants grow from near sea level to an altitude of 1600 m in fairly poor, sandy soils but always near watercourses, in seepages on mountain slopes or in areas where groundwater is present.

Growing in damp places this clumping, bamboo like, rush like plant sends up stems from the ground which are fluffy green stems usually up to 1.5 metres high but in good places it can grow up to 3 metres high.

These main stems give rise to clusters of fine secondary stems in fluffy masses at the nodes. All the green parts are stems not leaves and it is this part of the plant that has the chlorophyll which converts sunlight water and carbon dioxide into plant nutrients (sugars) for growth. The true leaves look like small brown bracts.

The flowers are small and appear at the end of the green stems. Interestingly the male and female flowers are on different plants and they can look quite different to each other and at one time they were classified as different species that’s how different they looked.

Elegia capensis is really good in the garden as a foliage plant best planted near water, a small stream or pond. As long as the plants have a regular supply of water a well-drained soil and full sun or very light shade, they should do well in a frost-free location.

Traditionally, E. capensis has been used as a broom by binding the sturdy stems with their tufts of foliage to a broomstick. Today it is used as cut foliage and the stems when picked and kept in water will stay fresh for several weeks. The plants produce a new flush of stems every year and deteriorate during the third year when these older stems should be removed.

For a really good picture of this plant go to

http://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Restionaceae_Elegia_capensis_4000.html

Haemanthus

2010-05-16T20:19:00.003+12:00

Haemanthus

This is an interesting genus of some 20 species of bulbs belongs to the Amaryllidaceae - the Amaryllus family.

Haemanthus coccineus is a fairly common species and is often available to purchase.

The flowers appear at the top of a 10-15cm erect solid stalk. The flowers at the top of the stalk have very small petals and it is the clusters of stamen which make this look like a paint filled paintbrush. It is unusual and interesting. The masses of orange red stamen each capped with a yellow pollen sack all surrounded by bright red bracts. The flowers may vary in colour a little if grown from seed. Records show these colours may vary from bright pink to dark red.

H. coccineus is generally evergreen with wide (up to 15cm) flat dull green leaves growing horizontal to the ground. The leaves are an attraction on their own.

Haemanthus albiflos is a fairly common species and is often available to purchase.

The flowers appear at the top of a 10-15cm erect solid stalk. The flowers at the top of the stalk have very small petals and it is the clusters of stamen which make this look like a paint filled paintbrush. H. albiflos produces masses of white or light green stamen each capped with a yellow pollen sack all surrounded by green bracts.

H. albiflos is generally evergreen with wide (up to 8cm) hairy leaves. It is the only species that multiplies readily from leaf cutting as well as by division.

If you can get hold of these plants try growing them

Can you name this plant? Its Haemanthus

2010-05-11T20:41:00.003+12:00

This autumn flowering bulb has very large leaves

The above are two species of the same genus

Have a go and please leave a comment

Thanks for the comments

Hot Loud and proud New Zealander

2010-04-30T08:40:00.001+12:00

Use this link to find out more

Meterosideros excelsa

NZ Christmas tree

Hibiscus syriacus

2010-04-29T20:51:00.001+12:00

No one had a go at identifying this plant. Admittedly the photo does not clearly show the leaves which may have helped.

Hibiscus syriacus

This is a hardy hibiscus which does very well in cool temperate climates. It is deciduous loosing all its leaves in winter. It is particularly attractive when in full flower when it covers itself in hundreds of flowers about 75mm across. There are about 300 cultivars in the world. Colours range from pure white to dark purple. Flower shaper is from single open flowers to large multi double flowers as shown.

This is a great versatile plant that would grace any garden.

ANZAC DAY IN NZ

2010-04-25T21:10:00.000+12:00

ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) DAY is a day of Remembrance for those NZ Servicemen and women who have died in the various wars. The first ANZAC Day was held in Turkey one year after the fateful landing of troops into Turkey in the Dardanelle Straits on World War I. This landing and subsequent fighting took many NZ, Australian and Turkish lives.

New Zealanders and Australians commemorate this in all the large cities and small towns as well as at ANZAC Cove in Turkey. This year about 7000 New Zealander's Australians and Turks took part in the Dawn Service there.

This photo is of the local war Memorial in Kaiapoi, near Christchurch, about 1 hour after the ceremony finished.

Can you name this flower?

2010-04-22T20:52:00.001+12:00

When I looked at this genus I found this plant species had over 300 cultivars!

Tell us about your experiences growing it

Please leave a comment

Alstroemeria psittacina. Lily of the Incas, Peruvian Lily, New Zealand Christmas bell, Parrot Beak Lily

2010-04-18T22:47:00.000+12:00

Alstroemeria is a genus of about 50 – 60 species of herbaceous plants native of Mexico and South America. The genus was named after Baron Clas Alstroemer (1736-94) who was a friend of Linnaeus. (Linnaeus was the inventor of modern plant classification system we use today for botanical names). When first described Alstroemeria was placed in the family Amaryllidaceae but it is now classified into its own family Alstroemeriaceae.

Alstroemeria psittacina can be found growing in the wild in Mexico and Northern Brazil. It was introduced to England in 1829. Flowers are borne at the top of a long, leafy stem about 1 metre high. There is usually 5 -6 flowers each about 45mm long dark red tipped with green and internally spotted brown. The top petals are longer than the bottom ones hence the name Parrot Beak Lily.

This and other commonly grown Alstroemerias are herbaceous perennials growing from a fleshy root. They can be difficult to transplant but once growing can be difficult to remove. In fact in some places this species A. psittacina has been know to be quite a rampant coloniser resistant to a number of eradication methods, especially in warmer climates. Where frosts of up to 8C occur in winter growth is quite slow.

Transplanting this and other Alstroemerias can be tricky as they do not like to be shifted and the fleshy roots will die. However in commerce a variety of Alstroemerias are grown for cut flowers while others are grown as pot plants and treated with a dwarfing hormone to keep them compact.

Alstroemerias have been hybridised to create a large number of brightly coloured cultivars fro the cut flower market and as garden plants.

The following website will give you further information.http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/alst_psi.cfm

Do you know this plant?

2010-04-17T21:00:00.000+12:00

You may know this plant because some of its brothers and sisters are used in floral art and the florist industry.

Please leave a comment

Thank you

Crocus sativus. Saffron

2010-04-13T21:53:00.000+12:00

A lovely little crocus that flowers in autumn. It is no relation to the Autumn Crocus Colchicum.

Its claim to fame is that it is the source of saffron and it is harvested in autumn from these lovely little plants. The long, drooping stigmas of brilliant orange/scarlet are the source of saffron. They are painstakingly harvested by hand and dried to be used as a herb in cooking as a seasoning and colouring agent. Saffron, long the world's most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia.

The domesticated saffron crocus (C. sativus) is an autumn flowering bulb unknown in the wild. It is a sterile triploid form, possibly of the eastern Mediterranean autumn-flowering C.cartwrightianus that originated in Crete. The saffron crocus resulted when C. cartwrightianus was subjected to extensive artificial selection by growers seeking longer stigmas. Being sterile, the plant's purple flowers fail to produce viable seeds; reproduction depends on corms underground bulb-like starch-storing organs, being dug up, split and replanted.

The corm sends up five to eleven narrow and nearly vertical green leaves, each up to 40 cm in length. In autumn, purple buds appear and its brilliantly hued flowers develop; they range from a light pastel shade of lilac to a darker and more striated mauve. A three-pronged vivid orange crimson style about 300mm long emerges from each flower.

The plants grow poorly in shady conditions; they grow best in strong sunlight. Planting is best done in fields that slope towards the sunlight maximizing sun exposure. Planting depth and corm spacing are critical factors affecting yields. Mother corms planted deeper yield higher-quality saffron, though from fewer flower buds and daughter corms.

C. sativus prefers friable loose, low-density, well-watered, and well-drained clay soils with high organic content. Traditional raised beds promote good drainage. Soil organic content was historically boosted via application of some 20–30 tonnes of manure per hectare. After a period of dormancy through the summer, the corms send up their narrow leaves and begin to bud in early autumn. Only in mid-autumn do they flower. Harvesting the saffron has to be rapid as after blossoming at dawn, flowers quickly wilt during the day. All plants bloom within a window of one or two weeks. Roughly 150 flowers yield 1 gram of dry saffron threads.

Can you name this plant?

2010-04-11T22:14:00.002+12:00

Have you seen this plant in cultivation?

Hint: It is grown commercially and it is autumn in NZ

Leave a comment telling others about the unique qualities of this plant.

Please leave a comment

After a few days I will post a short article on this plant.

Warbirds over Wanaka

2010-04-08T21:39:00.000+12:00

Over Easter we went to a small town Wanaka in the Central Otago region of New Zealand for one of the top four air shows in the world.

Warbirds is a tribute to the men and women who fought in the two World wars and the aeroplane technology that was developed in those conflicts by both sides.

In New Zealand the 25 April is ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) to remember those who died in conflicts round the world.

The Airshow was a non stop 6 hour show. These are some photographic images of the event.

Hope you enjoyed these.

Makes New Zealand worth a visit in 2012

The most beautiful country in the world

Please leave a comment.

Aconitum japonicum

2010-04-06T18:36:00.001+12:00

Aconitum japonicum

A native of Japan it grows in the hills and mountain areas. Its leaves are 3-5 lobed deeply cut with some shorter cuts on each part of the leaf giving it a star like appearance. It grows in large clumps with spikes up to about 1 metre high. It is very hardy up to -20C. The flowers are on short spikes often branched.

This is a valued plant because of its excellent foliage and of course its later summer early autumn flowering with its true blue flowers.

Aconitum is a genus of about 100 different species. Perhaps the best known is Aconitum napellus which is known by a variety of names such as Helmut Plant, Turk’s Cap, Friar’s cap, Soldier’s cap, Bears foot, Garden Wolfbane, Garden Monkshood and Monkshood.

What is the name of this Plant?

2010-03-28T21:37:00.002+13:00

My challenge to you all is to name this plant.

I have decided to put a new one up each week so keep watching.

This one may be harder as it is autumn flowering and it is not tropical.

I tried to think of a prize for this but haven't come up with one yet. Any suggestions?

Maybe I will Fave your blog.

Leave a Comment or ask a question if you want a hint during the week

The Answer is

Aconitum japonicum

Monstera deliciosa

2010-03-28T20:47:00.001+13:00

The answer to last weeks question what is this plant?

Photo taken on Norfolk Island

Windowleaf, Ceriman, Swiss-cheese plant, Breadfruit vine, Hurricane plant, Mexican breadfruit, Fruit-salad plant, Window plant, Split leaf Philodendron, and Cut leaf Philodendron.

Yes it is Monstera deliciosa. Well done those who live in warm climates.

Monstera deliciosa - Windowleaf, Ceriman, Swiss-cheese plant, Breadfruit vine, Hurricane plant, Mexican breadfruit, Fruit-salad plant, Window plant, Split leaf Philodendron, and Cut leaf Philodendron.

One of about 30 species of monster, Monstera delicosa is the most well known indoor plant of its type in the world. A native of Mexico it has been cultivated as a house plant in cooler countries and in tropical and sub tropical countries it is often grown as a garden plant because of its unusual foliage and edible fruit. The name Monstera is suggested to have been derived from the large curiously perforated leaves which might mean a monstrosity.

This plant has so many common names which show s how popular it is. Windowleaf, Ceriman, Swiss-cheese plant, Breadfruit vine, Hurricane plant, Mexican breadfruit, Fruit-salad plant, Window plant, Split leaf Philodendron, and Cut leaf Philodendron. There may be more local common names as well. This is a good example of why people need to use the correct botanical name because using the common name/s means many people will not know what pant is being talked or written about.

In nature it climbs up trees and may reach about 10 metres in length while in cultivation it may climb trees or a variety of other structures.

The shining green leaves which are also thick and leathery grow to about 40cm x 60cm and are perforated with neat curving holes making a nice even pattern not at all like a monstrosity. Sold as an indoor plant it is marketed for its foliage and its ability to grow well in a variety of indoor situations.

It is somewhat unusual to see the flowers as it needs, like all plants, similar conditions/climate to its native habitat. In large tropical greenhouses or tropical or subtropical gardens where it can grow freely flowers will occur. First we see the large spathe, a single greenish creamy white boat shaped structure up to 35cm long. Inside is the upright spadex or flower stalk (which looks similar to a corn cob) which is a dense many flowered structure which remains green and solid long after the spathe has finished. The fruit, when ripe is succulent and edible with a pineapple flavour. To eat the fruit pick it and place in a paper bag until the individual kernels pop off and show the edible flesh underneath. Just cut this away from the core and eat.

Usually it is propagated by cuttings from the adult section of the plant which means we rarely see the juvenile growth when the leaves are smaller and not perforated. With modern propagation techniques like meristem culture plants grown this way will go through the juvenile state to adult state. Purchasing small new plants will enable you to observe the proper growing cycle of this plant.

As it grows large, fat, light brown aerial roots will appear from the main stem and hang down. They absorb moisture from the air and in the wild will take root when they hit the ground.

Monstera deliciosa is a very popular attractive indoor plant which is very easy to grow and always looks good. It will catch a lot of dust on the leaves but a quick wipe with a damp cloth and diluted all seasons spraying oil brings it back to its bright green state.
Older plants in cultivation may have grown quite leggy and look somewhat straggly. It can be rejuvenated by pruning off part of the long stem just above a green leaf. A new shoot will grow from this point. The piece that has been removed can be used as a cutting (or several cuttings) to grow plants to give away to friends and neighbours.

Don't forget to leave a comment

City Attractiveness - City Image with Trees

2010-03-25T22:43:00.001+13:00

Many landscape studies exist where landscape analysis and landscape perception surveys have been used to identify ways in which people view landscapes. This article takes a different approach and leaves aside landscaping, landscape planning, landscape construction and focuses on one element in the landscape – trees. It also addresses the issue how to change the image of a city by selecting the right tree.

This article is based on experiences and cases in New Zealand. New Zealand is a young country in terms of European immigration with only 160 years of modern history. New Zealand was inhabited by the Maori over 1000 years ago. They voyaged from other pacific islands and brought with them a limited number of plants and generally hunted birds for food and cultivated their special crops.

Europeans brought with them a great range of trees and plants and set about shaping an English landscape, especially in the cities.

Trees are essential elements in the natural or man made landscape. As essential elements they may be native (indigenous) or introduced. Native trees are well adapted for the climate in New Zealand, can be used in a variety of locations and they will grow well. Trees live for a long time – the oldest tree known is approximately 1000 years old. In New Zealand many of the common indigenous trees growing in their native habitat may be 200 – 300 years old. The oldest introduced trees are approximately 160 years old. The choice of the right sort of trees for the future city image is therefore very important.

Looking at a few examples where tree choice has been regarded by the locals and visitors as an important part of the city image we can start to understand a little more about developing an image based on choice of trees.

Marine Parade, Napier. Norfolk Island Pines providing a subtropical image.

Inner City, Napier. Recent plantings of palm trees providing a subtropical image.
Oriental Parade, Wellington. Norfolk Island Pines providing a subtropical image.
Main Streets, Invercargill. Cabbage tree providing the form and texture of a plant that grows in a hot dry area.
Christchurch. Deciduous trees. Providing an English image.

What are the images? Seaside promenades under subtropical trees. An English garden city. Subtropical shopping paradise. That’s what the photographs show when visitors, locals and the publicity machine take photographs of these areas to show their friends or use them in various promotions.

Wellington is well known as a wet and windy city yet parts of it conjure up an image quite differently.

Invercargill is an interesting case study where the image, whether by accident or design, has been enhanced by the planting of the indigenous cabbage trees. In reality Invercargill is the coldest city in New Zealand being regularly pounded by southern winds straight off Antarctica.

Napier while being on the coast does not have a sandy sun drenched beach it is stoney and swimming is not recommended at all.

In all cases an image has been built up based on tree selection. Using this basis it is suggested there is merit for local authorities to determine a policy on the choice of trees that are planted that will modify, and over time, change the image of an area. The local council is the coordinating body for city planning and development and can provide a lead in this area. It also controls and manages all the public open space on which it generally plants trees as part of the development and in this situation the council has sole control over this area of land.

As a planning authority it can promote a range of trees as being desirable, reliable growers, that would enhance the image. Private landowners would be able to seek advice about trees. The council or other planning organisations may provide for free specific trees that promote this image.

Well planned and executed this policy could reduce the time frame to change the image. The choice of trees that grow faster, or are bulkier or have distinctive features that create the image is the key to this. For example the Norfolk Island pine is rapid growing providing evergreen foliage with a ‘tropical’ shape. It is known to come from a warm and pleasant climate and is often used to create this subtropical image.

Another example is the use of hardy, fast growing palms that will withstand severe frosts. Palms are normally recognised as growing in warm tropical climates. Even the native Nikau palm is quite hardy.

City parks and gardens vary in age from 150 years to recently developed and have a variety of trees in them. A planned approach to tree planting for image purposes will be successful. Shrub plantings and landscaping tends to have a shelf life of 20 – 25 years yet more planning tends to go into this than the choice trees. Trees with a longer life span often outlive these landscape areas and because they are “good specimens” are often built around when the landscape is renewed. They have become a landscape element that needs to be preserved and enhanced.

There is a need for councils to consider the type of trees that are selected and planted. It is this selection and planting process that can have a major effect on a city – it can effect the “city image”.

Similarly tourism development agencies, NTO’s and RTO’s can identify and enhance their countries or regions by adopting a tree planting and preservation policy that safeguards and improves the image created by trees.

Norfolk Island Pine

This tree has a subtropical look and feel about it and git grows well in mid temperate climates

What is the name of this Plant?

2010-03-21T20:50:00.000+13:00

My challenge to you all is to name this plant.

I have decided to put a new one up each week so keep watching.

This one is not hard as it is commonly grown as an indoor plant. This photo is taken outdoors on a sub tropical island.

I tried to think of a prize for this but haven't come up with one yet. Any suggestions?

Maybe I will Fave your blog.

Giant Topiary at Festival of Flowers - Christchurch

2010-03-21T20:33:00.002+13:00

This was the first year we have commissioned Topiary as an exhibit. The aim is to commission further models each year to build enough for a large scale installation in a few years time.

We have a dry climate in summer so again some Research and Development was required.

Here are our first few completed.

They were a hit with the public but as always is the case we learned a lot as well when they were on display.

What do you think?

And then there are those who decide to have a bit of fun? on Saturday night and kill the mother Elephant. We called them poachers but still have not tracked them down.

Actually it was fortunate that many people thought it was actually part of the exhibit to have mum playing dead.

Please leave a comment

Vertical Lawn/Meadow

2010-03-20T22:39:00.001+13:00

The Christchurch festival of Flowers commissioned several new installations this year.

One was this fantastic Vertical lawn/meadow.

Once the research and Development was complete special fabric was coated with grass seed and wild flower seed and grown in a greenhouse.

A large vertical scaffold was constructed and at the beginning of the Festival the Vertical Lawn installed. In typical Kiwi Fashion a lawn mower was added to the installation.

The building in the background is the famous Canterbury Museum.

The pictures tell the story well.

Thanks for all the Comments

Cathedral carpet Photos

2010-02-26T22:00:00.000+13:00

View from the East End

View from the West End

The Floral carpet is 21 metres long.

ChristChurch Cathedral

Christchurch

New Zealand

Facebook - Otautahi Urban Foraging

2010-02-25T20:47:00.000+13:00

This is a Facebook Social networking group dedicated to finding sources of “free” ood all over Christchurch. The Facebook site describes it as “All over the city there is food that is being grown by nature, which falls on the ground and rots without being utilized. This group will function as a treasure map for the city, displaying information about foraging throughout the Christchurch area.”

Interested? Go to Facebook and search for Otautahi Urban Foraging and join to find out all about it and what is popular at different times of the year. Already 508 people have become fans of this site. You may be able to help as well.

Lawrie Metcalf.

2010-02-25T20:46:00.000+13:00

Lawrie (Lawrence) Metcalf was made a Companion of the Queens Service Order in the New Year Honours 2010. He is one of New Zealand’s most well known and authoritative authors of books about New Zealand plants.

Lawrie was Assistant Director of the Christchurch Botanic Garden for over 20 years then moving to Invercargill as Director of Parks and Recreation before retiring to Mapua in the Nelson area.

He was extremely active in the Canterbury Botanical Society, NZ Institute of Parks and Recreation, the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture and other groups. Through his involvement on groups and committees he made a great contribution to horticulture, parks, reserves, conservation, education and recreation in New Zealand. He has been recognised for much of this work by his peers.

His books are well researched and well written and accompanied by his own photographs and line drawings. The books usually provide a full and précis botanical description of the plant, a horticultural description and commentary on the use of the plant in the garden.

Cathedral Floral Carpet Christchurch New Zealand

2010-02-22T19:59:00.001+13:00

The Festival of Flowers Floral Carpet is on again right now. East End

The first video is from the east end representing the morning sunrise

The Festival of Flowers Floral Carpet No 2.

The second video from the west end representing the sunset

Click on the link to go to the you tube video.

Bumble bees

2010-02-16T23:05:00.002+13:00

Bumblebees

Several news stories provided New Zealanders with some interesting information on Bumblebees in January 2010.

The lead story of the return of a species of bumblebee to England. Those collected from the Mackenzie Country are direct descendents of bumblebees brought to NZ over 100 years ago to pollinate red clover in the pastures of Canterbury and Otago. There were several attempts to bring live bees to NZ with early attempts being unsuccessful. It was not until 1885 that 48 bees finally arrived alive although the rest of the 282 sent with this batch died on the way. They were released at Lyttelton by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society.

Interestingly this particular species which came from England is now extinct there.

Did you know there are over 250 species of bumblebee in the world mainly occurring in the Northern Hemisphere. Many have the well known black and yellow body hair which is characteristically soft in nature, called pile, that covers their entire body, making them appear and feel fuzzy.

Bumble bees in general are perfect for pollinating many fruit and vegetable plants grown in NZ and England. They should be care for and of course their off spring should be repatriated home. Further there are no bumblebees in Australia even though there were some early attempts to introduce them to Tasmania. Border control in Australia is on the lookout to make sure they do not establish there either.

Bumblebees live in colonies which are usually much less extensive than those of honey bees. This is due to a number of factors including: the small physical size of the nest cavity, a single female is responsible for the initial construction and reproduction that happens within the nest, and the restriction of the colony to a single season. Often, mature bumblebee nests will hold between 50 and 450 individuals. Bumblebee nests may be found within tunnels in the ground made by other animals, or in tall grasslands. Bumblebees sometimes construct a wax canopy over the top of their nest for protection and insulation. Bumblebees do not often preserve their nests through the winter, though some tropical species live in their nests for several years. In temperate species, the last generation of summer includes a number of queens which overwinter separately in protected spots.

In spring the queen emerges and finds a suitable place for a nest and sets about gathering pollen and nectar, preparing wax pots to store food in and wax cells into which eggs are laid. Larvae are fed on both pollen and nectar through various stages until the bees appear after about 5 weeks.

Bumblebees continue to visit flowers throughout the summer and growing their nest while at the same time performing the valuable function of pollinating a wide range of flowers. Late in autumn they repeat the cycle of creating a number of queen bees to start all over again.

While not native to New Zealand the bumblebee performs a valuable function in agriculture and horticulture. Returning these bees to England will enable the British countryside to again produce a wide range of wildflowers.

For further information go to the following websites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee

http://www.organicpathways.co.nz/business/story/129.html

http://www.bumblebee.org/

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/wasps-and-bees/5/3

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/Bumblebees_to_New_Zealand.pdf

Cyclamen hederifolium

2010-02-14T23:09:00.001+13:00

Mid February is near the end of our official summer of December, January and February. The weather is really supposed to be hot but this year is a very cool summer for us. Usually our best months are Late January to mid March.

The photos show the gradual emergence of the cyclamen flowers from one very large cyclamen corm and a photo of my single white flower currently out.

Cyclamen hederifolium

This is one of the easiest species of hardy cyclamen to grow outside in your home garden. Once established and it flowers well it will set seed and more plants may grow nearby. It makes a great ground cover and produces many flowers often at a time when other flowers have finished.

This hardy species of Cyclamen has a wide distribution stretching from southeastern France, through Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, (including Crete and many of the Aegean Islands) and western Turkey. It inhabits woodland, scrub, and rocky hillsides from sea level to 1300m.

C. hederifolium has pink flowers with a purple-magenta V-shaped blotch at the base of each petal, which appear between January and May in New Zealand. There is also a white flowered form which is now common in cultivation, but scarce in the wild. The many flowers appear either before, or with, the young leaves which are often ivy-like as suggested by the specific epithet. However, the plant is very variable and the leaves can be every shape from almost orbicular to lanceolate. Leaves vary from dull or bright plain green to plain silver with various forms of pattern in between, with the pattern in silver, gray, cream or merely a different colour green. The tuber roots from its top surface and sides.

The plant was for many years known in horticulture as Cyclamen neapolitanum Ten. (1813), and this name erroneously persists today in some nurseries and writings although the name Cyclamen hederifolium Aiton was proposed in1789. Today its correct name is Cyclamen hederifolium.

In 1997, Grey-Wilson revised the classification of the species, identifying two varieties. This recognised that populations in the southern parts of its range, particularly Sicily, Crete and the Mani Peninsula of the Peloponnese differ from other forms.

C.hederifolium var. hederifolium. Which has two forms C. hederifolium var. hederifolium forma hederifolium which has prominent patterns on the leaves and deep pink to reddish purple flowers and C. hederifolium var. hederifolium forma albiflorum with pure white or pale pink flowers

C.hederifolium var. confusum. Which has leaves bright green with a poorly defined leaf patterns, leaves thicker and fleshier, shiny, particularly beneath.

C.hederifolium is the most reliable and hardy Cyclamen species, flowering well in the garden and seeding around. It grows well both in full sun and partial shade or beneath deciduous trees. It particularly enjoys growing in soil which contains a good proportion of leaf mould (leaf litter). It easily survives low temperatures, and grows quite happily in in New Zealand. It naturalises in a variety of areas making a fine show.

The fleshy tubers can survive for up to 50 years in the ground and can grow up to the size of a saucer.

Some cultivars have also been named C.hederifolium.'Album', C.hederifolium 'Pink Pearl' and 'White Pearl'

For more information on the 20 species of Cyclamen visit http://www.cyclamen.org. This is the website for the Cyclamen Society.

White Heron Visitor

2010-02-09T23:00:00.002+13:00

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is 1 kilometer from home and we visited there on Saturday. This White Heron or Kotuku has taken up residence.

Going fishing for food

Been fishing!

Sorry no video as I only had a little point and shoot camera.

The Kotuku is famous as a rare bird in New Zealand. It lives naturally at Okarito on the West Coast in a special reserve area. Single birds or pairs occasionally cross the high mountain range to the East Coast areas (where I live) to go fishing and have a holiday before heading back home.

Links for more information

Department of Conservation - Okarito Lagoon

Wikipedia

Growing out of the Recession.

2010-02-04T22:13:00.000+13:00

2008 and 2009 were years many people would like to forget and fortunately 2010 looks like it will be better. Things are still tough and it will take some time to be really bright again.

We may be able to help others this year. Some of the things we can do individually, as small groups or as a large group may be to

Take a bunch of Garden flowers to someone you know needs a lift.
Give away some surplus vegetables grown in your garden to someone not as well off as ourselves.
Help someone establish a new vegetable garden
Give away some surplus plants to help brighten up another person’s garden
Take a bottle of homemade jam, chutney or other produce to a neighbour
Give a one year membership to a garden club or similar to a deserving person or family
Introduce them to Blotanical and the internet

All these acts of kindness, and others I have not thought about, will show we live in a community that cares. The community can lead the way in brightening up peoples lives by sharing our gardens with them.

There is a great little saying “Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, teach him to fish and he can feed himself forever” maybe we should have one that says “Give a person food and they can eat today, teach them to garden and they can feed themselves and others forever.”

In this respect bloggers can lead the way us sharing our knowledge and teaching others how to garden, groups of gardeners can get together and learn more

Let us start this year in such a way that we can and will make a difference in peoples lives.

Toadstool Visitor

2010-02-03T22:22:00.000+13:00

This toadstool is growing in the lawn on my next door neighbours property. Or at least it was until he removed it to mow the lawn!

It grew rapidly and 250mm across (10 inches) at the time of photographs.

Thought you might like to see it.

Lilium lancifolium Tiger Lily

2010-01-28T23:18:00.001+13:00

Lilium lancifolium (L. tigrinum) Tiger Lily, Devil Lily, Kenten.

Lilium lancifolium Tiger Lily

L. lancifolium ‘Flore Pleno’

The botanists are still fighting over its correct name but I think this name Lilium lanciflorum is winning. However many people will know this plant a Lilium tigrinum or Tiger lily. It has also had an earlier name L.sinense (Nois ex Stead).

It is also believed to be a very old and ancient hybrid between Lilium maculatum and L. leichtlinii. It has been described as lily in cultivation in the world. This botanical investigation is backed up by modern science as its chromosome numbers identify it as a triploid. This makes it a vigorous plant and because of its triploid nature it does not produce seed.

A native of China, Japan and Korea it is found growing in a number of locations and soil types but it does not like lime or limestone areas. In the wild the flowers vary in colour from a dark yellow to a dark orange with purple or black spots on the petals. In these countries the bulbs were consumed as food up to 1000 years ago.

Its does not like lime soils and in ideal soils and poor soils without lime it will quickly naturalise large areas quite quickly. In Britain it is heavily infected with a virus but still manages to naturalise large areas. It is recommended not to grow this lily in close proximity to other lilies as the virus will spread to them as well.

It is easy to grow and forms a large bulb and the new stems grow rapidly each year up to abut 1.5 metres tall. Long narrow lanceolate leaves protrude from the stem. Depending on location and parentage of the clone they can be quite hairy with lots or a little of white cobwebby long hairs on the stem and leaves. Set at the base of the leaves is a small bulbil which can be planted in the ground to rapidly increase this plant.

It is widely grown and depending upon size can produce up to 25 flowers in a head born on black stems. The most common colour is deep bright orange petals and sepals heavily marked with dark purple spots. The pollen is purple brown in colour. Some clones will be a little softer in colour.

This bold display of flowers appears in NZ in January. They hang from stems and have reflexed petals (and sepals) creating a nodding Turks Cap flower.

There are a few cultivars grown in gardens

L. lancifolium ‘Flore Pleno’ (l.l. Florabunda) which has large double flowers.

L. lancifolium ‘Giganteum’ a larger growing form

L. lancifolium ‘Splendens’ with large glossy flowers of a rich salmon red colour.

L. lancifolium var flaviflorum a yellow purple spotted form which does set seed.

L. lancifolium var. fortunei with densely woolly stems

L. lancifolium var. simplex a single flowered form

L. lancifolium var. plenescens which has six series of petals and sepals.

This easy to grow lily makes a fine show in mid summer in any garden. It will increase and naturalise quickly.

Leeks

2010-01-27T22:16:00.000+13:00

Leeks, some people like them some people don’t. There seems to be a constant debate about the likes and dislikes of leeks. Strange that as leeks belong to the onion family and there is a lot less discussion about the likes and dislikes of onions.

Leeks are hardy and very easy to grow but require a long growing season to achieve a good size. Seed is sown in spring and seedlings either pricked out into containers to grow on a little more or if sown thinly in the ground allow them to grow to about 150mm high.

Once they have reached this size prepare the ground for planting out. Fork the ground deeply and level. Remove the leeks from their growing position and separate the leeks and tease the roots out. Use a large fat dibber and plant them in a row quite deeply so that the base of the leek plant is several centimetres underground. This will blanch the base of the leek plant making it tender and mellow in flavour.

Keep the leeks well watered and weed free through the summer. If you would like longer, blanched leeks mound up a little soil against the stems.

One of the problems with transplanted leeks it that they occasionally go to seed. Proper teasing out of the roots at planting time will usually prevent that happening.

Once they are of a reasonable size they can be harvested when needed direct from the garden. It is usually used as a winter vegetable.

Leeks are used in casseroles, stir fry’s, or other combination meals. They can be chopped and fried in butter or olive oil as a vegetable. Leeks were cooked and served with a white sauce but this seems to be less common now.

Lilium auratum - Photo essay

2010-01-24T22:51:00.000+13:00

Lilium auratum lily is coming out

2010-01-21T23:31:00.001+13:00

More pictures to come soon

Garden Visitor - White Faced Heron

2010-01-17T19:58:00.002+13:00

Short video of the White Faced Heron which visited our garden today.

This video is on You tube just click the link below.

Maybe you might like to see my other garden videos as well.

Garden Visitor - White Faced Heron

In response to requests here are a few photos of the heron. Taken on Fuji S6500 with optical and digital lens hence not quite the quality I wanted.

Littonia modesta. Climbing Lily, Climbing Bell.

2010-01-14T23:08:00.002+13:00

If you are looking for a neat bulb that is different then Littonia might be for you. A native of Natal, South Africa, this is a genus of seven species closely related to Gloriosa and belongs to the Colchiaceae a division of the former large family Liliaceae.

Beautiful foliage of a fresh soft green colour adorns the green stems and the leaves are arranged alternately, opposite and whorled all on the same stem.

Unlike lilies the stems keep growing after the flowers have finished and may reach up to 1.8metres high. It climbs by tendrils attached to the end of the leaves and they will wrap around most plants or climbing frames.

Flowers are a true golden yellow colour bell shaped about 5 cm across solitary in leaf axils, the six hanging petals are pointed. Usually there are five flowers per stem and they are good for picking.

After flowering large green seed pods appear which eventually split to produce large red brown, pea sized, seeds. Sow the seed normally but be aware it can stay dormant for a few years as it has adapted to the variable South African climate. The new tubers will take 2 -3 years to flower.

It was named after Dr Litton a Professor of Botany at the University of Dublin Ireland and introduced to England in 1853.

Easily grown in normal garden conditions with drained soil for its unusual forked bulbs to grow in, but if the ground is not well drained lift and store the bulbs in winter.

In South Africa the cultivar Littonia modesta ‘Keitii’ produces large and more flowers per stem and is a stronger plant.

In New Zealand it has been crossed with Sandersonia to create a bigeneric cross XSantoina ‘Golden Lights’ which is being evaluated for the cut flower market.

Platycodon grandiflorus Balloon Flower

2010-01-14T08:09:00.001+13:00

A botanical lesson first. Platycodon is a monotypic genus which means there is only one species in the genus. However it can come in various forms or cultivars including white and various shades of blue flowers and occasionally double flowers. There are a few cultivars that grow to different heights including dwarf ones.

It gets its common name from the shape of the unopened flower buds that look like inflated balloons. When open the flowers measure up to 7.5cm across and have beautifully and prominently veined flowers.

It is a native of all the islands of

Japan

and

Korea

, Northern China and Eastern Siberia growing on grassy slopes in hills and mountains. It is very hardy for all

New Zealand

conditions.

In the garden they are very hardy but resent wet feet. The large fleshy rootstock enables it to survive in dryer conditions. One advantage is that the rootstock increases in size slowly which means it does not need high levels of maintenance like some other perennials. In the garden it can produce seeds and a few will germinate to slowly increase plant numbers.

Cultivars include

‘Snowflake’ a white semi double flower.

‘Mother of Pearl’ light pink

‘Apoyama’ deep blue

Festival of Flowers is coming soon

2010-01-11T22:56:00.003+13:00

www.festivalofflowers.co.nz

Thinking of visiting Christchurch during the festival then please make contact with the festival office.

For my blogging friends let me know if you are coming and we can meet.

PS I am the Chair of the Festival Trust.

Plant spotting

2010-01-11T22:50:00.002+13:00

Sandersonia aurantiaca Gold Lily of the Valley

A neat summer flowering bulb which has a slight tendency to naturalise in the garden. I would not be without it. While its common name is Gold Lily of the Valley it is nothing like the traditional Lily of the Valley of spring.

Growing from a very odd shaped bulb this is the only species of this genus. It naturally occurs in South Africa and is allied to Gloriosa and Littonia. It has been known to hybridise with these two plants and they all belong to the lily family.

It requires a loose, free soil ands a sunny sheltered spot and freedom from heavy frosts. (In Christchurch NZ we get ground frosts of -8C and there is not effect).

The stems grow vertically about 300 -450mm high each bearing up to 7 individual lantern shaped orange/yellow flowers branching out on single pendant stems from the axil of the leaf and stem. It quickly sets viable seed which grows very well.

It is commonly grown commercially fro cut flowers in NZ for both the domestic and export market.

Garden Tourism

2010-01-09T23:12:00.001+13:00

I have just found this page and it will be worth exploring this site furter in the next few days.

Gardens to visit in England

Enjoy.

New Counter

2010-01-07T22:51:00.001+13:00

I have added this really nice new visitor counter. It will be interesting to see where all my visitors come from.

Please visit often

Thanks Dinzi

Weigela - Apple Blossom

2010-01-07T08:12:00.001+13:00

The genus Weigela was named for C.E. Von Weigel, a German professor. There are about 10 species of shrubs from eastern Asia in the genus. All are deciduous and easily grown.

The Chinese species are all attractive and many have been hybridised to produce a range of improved hybrids and cultivars to such an extent there are few wild or original plants left. Assigning species names to the cultivars has been difficult and often these are now left out of the name as it can be confusing for gardeners.

Weigelas are often called flowering apple blossoms because of there extremely free flowering in spring and their adaptability to a wide range of garden conditions. The trumpet shaped flowers have a wide open mouth showing of some detailed marking inside the flower. Usually the flowers are up to 35 mm long and about 25 mm wide. Colours vary from pure white to dark rosy pinks and deep reds. They grow up to 2 metres high.

Regular pruning out of old wood after flowering in late spring will keep it vigorous and healthy.

Weigela florida is one of the few species encountered in gardens these days. The flowers are almost white when open but fade to a pale pink as they age. There are two cultivars to compliment the species Weigela florida 'Aurea Variegata' which has green foliage with an edge of yellow and a silvery companion named Weigela florida 'Argentea Variegata'. A purple leafed form also exists called Weigela florida 'Foliis Purpurea'.

Other forms of Weigela that may be spotted in gardens include

Weigela 'Candida' best pure white.

Weigela 'Cardinal' bright red

Weigela 'Amabilis' light pink

Cyathea dealbata – Ponga, Silver tree fern

2010-01-05T22:41:00.001+13:00

This is the most easily recognised ferns in New Zealand because of its distinctive bright silvery underside to the fronds. On young plants the undersides have not developed this silvery colour as it takes several years for it to develop. Once the colouration has started each new frond becomes more silvery until all the fronds are typical of the species.

Every New Zealander should know this fern. To identify the Silver Fern all you need to do is turn the frond over. The other major problem is that people call it punga. This is incorrect and it is Ponga. Punga is a misused word as it does not apply to any fern in New Zealand at all although people tend to use it for all tree ferns.

As it is also our National Emblem we should all get it right and correct those who get it wrong.

It is a beautiful tree fern quite hardy but susceptible to some wind damage in exposed places. In nature it grows in dryer bush areas enabling it to adapt todryer gardens without a problem. As a slower growing tree fern it takes some time to attain a good size but that can be an advantage in the home garden.

In nature it can grow up to 9 metres high albeit very slowly and with a relatively narrow stem. Old fronds tend to hang down from beneath the colourful fronds as a protective skirt.

It is easy to grow in the garden and for those with kiwi pride it makes a nice feature plant.

• The silver fern has long been used on dairy products and was trademarked as early as 1885.

• It is a logo for many other organisations, such as (heavily stylised) the rail infrastructure owner OnTrack.

Silver fern leaves appear on the coat of arms for New Zealand and the Silver Fern is also used extensively within politics and printed material use by the government. It is used extensively as a symbol for our National sports teams.

The Koru symbol (new life) found in Maori Art is inspired by the shape of the young Ponga frond.

This Month in the Garden – January

2010-01-04T22:29:00.001+13:00

January is traditionally a warm month and holidays are being taken. It is important that the garden survives nicely on its own. Ensure it is weed free and that it is really well watered. Deep watering is essential. To ensure excellent growth apply or top up the mulch. Mulches keep the soil cool and moist as well as providing much needed nutrients.

The Vegetable Patch
·         Sow crops of French beans, turnips, lettuce, radish, silver beet, spinach, kohl rabi, carrots and swedes.
·         Lift early potatoes and use for your summer meals.
·         Mulch runner beans with compost.
·         Plant brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, silver beet and late celery, use lots of compost.
·         Marrows and pumpkins will be sending out flowers. Remember they have male and female flowers.
·         Onions, garlic and shallots should be lifted when the tips go yellow. The bulbs must be dried to ensure good storage for later use.
·         Asparagus. Stop cutting shoots and let them grow so the roots store energy for the next crop.
·         Rhubarb should not be harvested after Christmas. Remove flower spikes and seed heads to encourage good root growth.
·         Outdoor tomatoes. Ensure they are staked and tied to prevent them falling over. Control chewing insects. Remove side shoots (laterals) and any old yellowing leaves at the base. Apply a balanced fertiliser. Keep up a good regular watering cycle that will ensure even growth and ripening of tomatoes. This will also prevent the fruit splitting and the onset of blossom end rot.
·         Courgettes / Zucchinis. Harvest daily to ensure a continuous crop.

Lawns
·         Mow regularly. Remove lawn weeds as they appear or spray with lawn weed killer.

Conservatory and Indoor Plants
·         Begonias. Take care of these tender plants ensuring even temperature, good soil, good drainage, light shade and frequent watering with liquid fertiliser.
·         Ensure all indoor plants are well watered. Provide nutrients by either liquid or pellets.

The Ornamental Garden
·         Summer pruning of a range of flowering shrubs should be done now. Remove the branches and shoots but leave a nice framework for the shrub.
·         Sow seeds for winter annual display. Wallflowers, stock, polyanthus, pansies and violas.
·         Trim hedges.
·         Take cuttings of a variety of shrubs and semi shrubs and place in sharp sand undercover.
·         Mulch the flower garden if there is insufficient mulch on the ground.
·         Remove dead heads from roses. Prune back to the first 5 leaflet leaf. Spray for pest and diseases.
·         Train climbing roses by tying new canes into position and remove canes not required.
·         Remove dead heads from all flowering plants and shrubs.
·         Lift spring flowering bulbs and replant in an appropriate place for next year.
·         Climbers. Ensure these are trained throughout summer. It is easier to do now when the stems are soft and supple rather than when they are hard and woody and likely.
·         Perennials. If required ensure they are staked and tied up.
·         Control thrips and red mite on a variety of plants.

Fruit.
·         Black currants should be picked and prune out very old branches as they fruit on new wood.
·         Red currents should be picked, remember they flower on the old wood.

Glasshouse
·         Tomatoes need to be tied up each week. Remove and side shoots (laterals) and older yellowing bottom leaves.
·         Early ripe fruit will appear, pick it while it is firm.
·         Regular watering is essential for good growth and reduction in Blossom End rot.
·         Capsicums also require lots of water on a regular basis.
·         Control chewing insects on each crop.

Plant Spotting - Weird Flowers

2010-01-04T22:20:00.001+13:00

Ratibida columnifera forma pulcherrima "Red Midget"

Mexican Hat

Will write a short article soon on this

Corynocarpus laevigatus – Karaka

2009-12-30T17:57:00.001+13:00

This is a handsome hardy coastal native tree found along our coastlines from Banks Peninsula northwards. Its firm, dark green, evergreen, leathery leaves give it a semi sub tropical look.

It is a medium sized tree growing up to 10-15 metres tall with a dense bushy evergreen top. The trunks are strong and may grow up to 600 mm in diameter. The thick leathery leaves vary in size from 75 to 200 mm long and 50 mm to 95 mm wide giving them that sub tropical look. The very small greenish flowers a groups together on short stems and after flowering the large fruit form. These are drupes up to 40 mm long with a smooth orange skin when ripe.

The fruit was very important to Maori as a food source and some say second only to kumara. The flesh was eaten raw but the seeds, which are poisonous, required treatment before they could be eaten. So poisonous are the fruit they can cause convulsions and paralyse muscles sometimes causing death. To treat the seeds they were collected in large baskets, placed in hangi and steamed for some hours. Then they were transferred to loosely woven baskets and washed in running water and cleaned of any pulp etc. Following this they were sun dried and stored. When required for food they were cooked in a hangi to soften them.

Interestingly recent ecological research has led to some thinking that the karaka may have only naturally grown in the north of the North Island and that Maori distributed seeds and plants around coastal areas as food supplies. Further research is being done on this idea.

In the garden or coastal areas the Karaka establishes quite well and will grow in adverse conditions. In the garden it is wise to place it at the back of a border, where it makes a nice background and also because the fruit can produce a rather pungent smell.

There are at least four variegated form of the karaka

Corynocarpus laevigatus 'Alba Variegatus. Dark green leaves with a narrow margin of white and the outlines of the leaves are a little irregular.
Corynocarpus laevigatus 'Moonlight'. Irregularly splashed with in the centre with pale yellow to greenish yellow. Found in Duncan and Davies Nursery as a sport on 'Picturatus' in 1971 and released to the public in 1976.
Corynocarpus laevigatus 'Picturatus' the best variegated karaka with a large yellow green variegation and a centre splash of yellow. This arose in the garden of Sir Victor Davies in 1968 as a bud sport on 'Variegatus'. It is slow growing and very attractive.
Corynocarpus laevigatus 'Variegatus' The leaves a re broadly margined with yellow.

Alan Jolliffe "The Art and Science of Gardening"

Garden Tourism Conference March 2011

Garden hygiene

CHCH Rebuild

Garden Centres as Destinations

The Green Thing (you've gotta read it)

Ophir's Postal History

Snow business

Hamamelis mollis Chinese Witch Hazel

How to Shift Plants around the Garden

Topiary

The return of silver-leaf

Kingfisher in the garden today

Sawcut Gorge - a fabulous place to visit

Enhancing outdoor wooden furniture

Pruning Apple trees for more fruit

500 year old grape vine recovers

Trees for Bees

Nerine bowdenii. Cape flower, Guernsey lily, Japanese spider lily

Garden Tourism Conference Toronto Canada

Botanical Names

Burst! of Water - Te Wai Pounamu!

Burst! Christchurch's 22nd Festival of FlowersFriday 11 February – Sunday 6 March 2011

Heritage buildings damaged in Earthquake

Corylopsis Spicata

Radish

Hamamelis mollis – Witch Hazel

The Penny University - Just imagine before blogging!!

Tamarillo Fruit

July in the Garden 2010

Chimonanthus praecox - Winter sweet.

Pruning demonstration

Daphne appearing

Galanthus - The Snowdrop

Winter has arrived - first flowers for the new year.

WHEN TO PRUNE SHRUBS

Rehmannia elata

Quizz! Can you name this plant?

Its a Fuchsia! Fuchsia procumbens

Quizz! Can you name this plant?

Elegia capensis

Haemanthus

Can you name this plant? Its Haemanthus

Hot Loud and proud New Zealander

Hibiscus syriacus

ANZAC DAY IN NZ

Can you name this flower?

Alstroemeria psittacina. Lily of the Incas, Peruvian Lily, New Zealand Christmas bell, Parrot Beak Lily

Do you know this plant?

Crocus sativus. Saffron

Can you name this plant?

Warbirds over Wanaka

Aconitum japonicum

What is the name of this Plant?

Monstera deliciosa

City Attractiveness - City Image with Trees

What is the name of this Plant?

Giant Topiary at Festival of Flowers - Christchurch

Vertical Lawn/Meadow

Cathedral carpet Photos

Facebook - Otautahi Urban Foraging

Lawrie Metcalf.

Cathedral Floral Carpet Christchurch New Zealand

Bumble bees

Cyclamen hederifolium

White Heron Visitor

Growing out of the Recession.

Toadstool Visitor

Lilium lancifolium Tiger Lily

Leeks

Lilium auratum - Photo essay

Lilium auratum lily is coming out

Garden Visitor - White Faced Heron

Littonia modesta. Climbing Lily, Climbing Bell.

Platycodon grandiflorus Balloon Flower

Festival of Flowers is coming soon

Plant spotting

Garden Tourism

New Counter

Weigela - Apple Blossom

Burst! Christchurch's 22nd Festival of Flowers
Friday 11 February – Sunday 6 March 2011