Category Archives: Tikorangi notes

Tikorangi Notes: Friday January 7, 2011

LATEST POSTS: Friday 7 January, 2011

1) Schimas are flowering trees from the subtropics and tropics of Asia but such is the confusion over classification that the name of the large one we have in full flower this week is a little uncertain but it is likely that it is Schima wallichii subsp. noronhae.

2) Time to see to autumn bulbs without delay (they will be coming into growth shortly) and to summer prune cherry trees along with other garden tasks for the first week of the year in a southern hemisphere summer.

3) I was a bit surprised to find that the common advice is to spray apple trees every 10 days to a fortnight with an insecticide and fungicide throughout summer. Fortunately apples can still survive and crop on benign neglect – ours are lucky to get one winter spray of copper or lime sulphur and a summer spray to combat codling moth. Our latest Outdoor Classroom gives a simple approach to summer care of apple trees.

4) Helleborus orientalis are tried and true plants, understated and undemanding but quiet stars in winter.

One of the trumpet hybrid lilies growing through a lacy, burgundy maple

One of the trumpet hybrid lilies growing through a lacy, burgundy maple

TIKORANGI NOTES: Friday 7 January, 2011
Lilies feature in our summer display here and fortunately in New Zealand, they are generally free from insect pests. The lily beetle which we saw infesting the blooms in the UK in 2009 was enough to make one give up growing them. That is one pest we can do without here. While our main display will come in the next week or two with the auratums, it is the trumpet hybrids which are looking winners this week. The climbing Schizophragma hydrangeoides is also looking very fetching – a fluff and festoon of flowers all but covering the foliage.

The froth of Schizophragma hydrangeoides in flower

The froth of Schizophragma hydrangeoides in flower

Tikorangi notes: December 31, 2010

LATEST POSTS: Friday 31 December, 2010

1) A pink flowered cordyline from Australia – C.petiolaris in Plant Collector this week.

2) Decoding the jargon of garden design and probably ensuring that I remain off somebody’s Christmas card list – Abbie’s column.

3) Garden tasks this week including dealing with the explosion of blight and mildew we can expect with current high humidity levels.

The colours of a New Zealand Christmas - at least in the upper half of the North Island

The colours of a New Zealand Christmas - at least in the upper half of the North Island

TIKORANGI NOTES: Friday 31 December, 2010

The colours of a New Zealand Christmas – a clear blue sky and the red pohutukawa flowers. It was a bit of a close-run thing this year with a week of dreary weather and far too little sun in the lead-up, the roses taken out by too much rain and the Christmas lilies looking distinctly weather-marked but the day dawned fine and we could lunch outdoors.

After a visit to friend and colleague Glyn Church today, we are thinking that we should be using more hydrangeas in the summer garden, particularly the smaller growing lace-cap serrata types. Glyn has a fine collection of hydrangeas but it was the serrata that kept attracting our attention.

Tikorangi notes: Friday December 24, 2010

Latest Posts: Friday December 24, 2010

1) Lilium regale is flowering this week and is often referred to as the Christmas lily in New Zealand.

2) The DIY Christmas tree with a Polynesian flavour – Outdoor Classroom.

3) In between the excesses of Christmas eating and drinking, the garden still calls – tasks for the week.

Kevin, Sharon and our Christmas tree

Kevin, Sharon and our Christmas tree

Tikorangi Notes: Friday 17 December, 2010

Straight after the rains, the zephyranthes appeared this week

Straight after the rains, the zephyranthes appeared this week

LATEST POSTS: Friday 17 December, 2010

1) Cornus prefer a drier, continental style of climate to our mild, humid conditions but Cornus kousa var. chinensis flowers prettily at this time of year.

2) Water features can be more of a challenge than many gardeners appreciate when they decide to install one – Abbie’s column.

3) A week out from Christmas and we give our hints for garden tasks in this busy week.

TIKORANGI NOTES: Friday 17 December, 2010
While seven or eight weeks without rain may be nothing unusual for other parts of the world, here it has us in serious trouble so the 25ml that has fallen so far this week has been hugely welcome. Not enough, but it is at least a start. And that is all it took to bring the pretty copper and yellow zephyranthes into flower. These gently seed down beside our driveway and flower intermittently in the gravel for an extended period throughout summer.

Tikorangi Notes: Friday 10 December

LATEST POSTS: Friday 10 December, 2010

1) Dactylorhiza are looking very pretty by our stream this week. We have always had this one as D.maculata though it may be the closely related D.fuchsii instead – Plant Collector.

2) Garden tasks this week as we look more like the end of summer with our extended dry weather.

3) Dreamers of the Day – a large presentation volume on the history of Auckland’s regional parks.

4) It may be that access to stands of giant bamboo are more common in our part of the world than many others, which may limit the opportunities for some to build a stylish bamboo obelisk or teepee for climbing plants but we show you how to do it in Outdoor Classroom this week.

TIKORANGI NOTES: Friday 10 December, 2010

Wondering about watering the rose garden
Wondering about watering the rose garden

As our abnormally dry spell continues, we are starting to accuse Australia of stealing our rain. Both our daughters live in the east of Oz these days – in NSW and ACT – and both are complaining of the wet. On the other hand, Mark has been doing something never seen before here – watering the lawn. Just small areas of it initially but we are starting to wonder if we might have to do some more active management than usual to keep the place looking good for the WOMAD event scheduled here for March. Fortunately our water comes from a bore which we own and the supply has never let us down yet. I am wondering about watering the rose garden. These are things we don’t normally have to worry about at all, so regular is our rainfall. At least the little disa orchids Mark has planted down by the stream won’t dry out where they are and we are delighted with their first flowering this year.

The little Disa tripetalata naturalising by the stream, we hope

The little Disa tripetalata naturalising by the stream, we hope