New plants for the garden

 

Back in the first week in November 2020 I planted more small rhododendrons from Jayne ex Myross Bush nursery with the idea of trying to extend the flowering season of the existing varieties.  I have made a row up the front path on the edge of the Red tussock garden.  The existing Black Sport nearest the letterbox has been joined by Furnival’s Daughter (pink); Olin O’Dobbs, which flowered late - one glorious burgundy bloom; Bumblebee (purple) and just for a bit of contrast Golden Gate (next to the gate), which is I thought would be orange but is not!  Eventually they will encroach on the path; I’ve decided I’ll deal to that problem when that happens.  Rhododendron Sunspray (yellow) will hopefully make a big shrub between the ceanothus (end of Holly garden) and the apple row.  Tucked into the ceanothus not far away is a new Clematis Jackmanii which is flowering right now; purple of course.  In Corduroy’s paddock three new rhododendrons join those already there.  They are FFP (purple), Cotton Candy (pink) and Cerise Queen which is also pink.  A frost tender Michael’s Pride (white) is in a pot (an old aluminium semen bank) tucked in beside the water tanks behind the garage.  This is just an experiment to see if it will survive in a pot in the most sheltered situation I can find.  It may need to be tucked up in a frost blanket in the winter.  The tidy gardener and I have made a couple of trips to gather pine needles to mulch all the rhododendrons and camellias and they are settling in well.  Sadly, Van Dec, Bud Flanagan and Mother Bear have all turned up their toes this spring. 

I built a memorial arch at the entrance to Corduroy’s paddock in December 2020 to commemorate my dear friend Sue who died in April 2020 in the UK. She wasn’t a gardener but always wanted honeysuckle around the door of her home.  I don’t know if she ever fulfilled this wish but I have planted Honeysuckle Graham Thomas on one side and the blousy peachy pink climber Rosa Souvenir de Madame Leonie Viennot on the other.

The blue pots are home to bright pink geraniums and purple petunias this summer while I have pondered as to what should go in them.  Lesson learnt, that I have put too many plants in the pots (three plants of each) and in the wet not enough air was getting to them.  I think I have made my decision and once the bedding is finished, I will plant variegated box (to shape into a ball) that are in pots waiting for a home.  I propagated them from cuttings from my neighbour and from my Mum’s Waimea Road garden years ago.  Originally, they were part of my driveway hedge but when the driveway was widened, they were lifted and have just been waiting for a permanent home since then.