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Historic gardens in the Bay of Islands

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  1. Gary
  2. LyndaH
  3. Gary
  4. LyndaH
  5. Gary
  6. CarolWallace
  7. Gary
  8. LyndaH
  9. Te_Aniwa
  10. LyndaH

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Top 3.   Dec 6, 1998 11:07 PM

» Gary - The beauty of place . . .

Hi Lynda and all,
The grandeour of New Zealand,
rather leaves Australia, by comparison, second best; but then I'm biased.
I'm a sucker for your mountains, clear running streams and the even climate for bulb growing.
When we moved from Tasmania to Victoria, we nearly looked at moving east to your fair Isle but because of our babies, ( old faithful Doberman and three cats ) decided to move to Geelong.
Two years on, we regret the move, for the heat of summer and the water restrictions are most alien to us after 'glorious Tassie'.
But one is learning to 'adapt' and the canopy of trees planted are beginning to work their magic by lowering the summer temperatures.
Which, are some of your favorite bulbs for garden culture, Lynda?
We have many cyclamen flowering at the moment along with Liliums, Arisarmas, tigridia species, and a white Myosotidium.
The latter isn't a bulb, but we like it.
cheers-Gary.

-- posted by Gary



Top 4.   Dec 7, 1998 12:07 AM

» LyndaH - Hi Gary

I have lots of bulbs tucked into my garden. Too many really, I often forget where I planted them. At the moment I'm waiting for my assorted lilies to flower, they're almost there! One of my lilies is now more than two metres tall. Gulp. It's been there since last year, a big tall white one which sends out four flowers at a time. I can't remember its name. I also have tuberose, and gorgeous, gorgeous calla lilies everywhere. I adore calla lilies, their strong colour and form.
In Spring, I love freesias and of course, tulips, plus sparaxis and babianas under the weeping cherry tree.

-- posted by LyndaH



Top 5.   Dec 8, 1998 1:17 AM

» Gary - weeping cherry and lilium.

Hi Lynda,
glad to read you have a weeping cherry, love weepers!
How high is the graft?
Here in Geelong, we have according to the neighbours; too many trees.
They say this with warm affection, but.
When first moving here from glorious Tassie, because of the heat; the day we arrived it was 48c, we planted in the first year about fifty weeping trees.
All of them now make the garden look much older than it acually is.
Do you think your Lilium could be L.longifolium-snow queen?

If I ever get the time, must find my camera and take the odd photo.

cheers - Gary.

-- posted by Gary



Top 6.   Dec 8, 1998 1:57 PM

» LyndaH - I'm not sure what the bulbs are!

When I was planting them, I didn't think I could easily forget their names - all I remember is that they're lilies!

As for the weeping cherry, the graft is only about 1 metre off the ground - it's a fantastic little tree, albeit rather mutant looking. We bought it from the please-make-an-offer section of a nearby nursery. Let's just say its graft wasn't that successful! It's a funny looking thing.

-- posted by LyndaH



Top 7.   Dec 8, 1998 6:07 PM

» Gary - As long as it is growing.

Hi Lynda and all,
As long as the tree is growing and it was cheap and gives both pleasure and some protection in summer to bulbs; this is the main thing,smile.

Weeping trees are another passion of mine, I'm a sucker for them.
Gary.

-- posted by Gary



Top 8.   Dec 8, 1998 7:26 PM

» CarolWallace - I'm a sucker for weeping trees, too

although, like Lynda, one of mine came from the "make me an offer" bin. I have yet tobe able toimagine exactly what that one will grow up to look like - but it will certainly be interesting.

But a few years back I planted a weeping cherry. I'd never seen one actually planted - only those growing in pots at the nursery - so I wasn't in any way prepared for how WIDE it gets! But it sure is gorgeous in spring!!

-- posted by CarolWallace



Top 9.   Dec 9, 1998 12:46 AM

» Gary - Weeping Elms.

Hi all,
Weeping Elms make a very quick 'fill'
down here, how do they fair up north?

Gary.

-- posted by Gary



Top 10.   Dec 9, 1998 4:59 AM

» LyndaH - carol, i second that!

My weeping cherry shot out about a metre all round sideways. It never occurred to me it would grow "fatter" and now you have to push past its branches to walk down the path lol.

-- posted by LyndaH



Top 11.   Dec 11, 1998 3:50 PM

» Te_Aniwa - Weeping Cheery Trees

Kia ora. I've been following your comments about the weeping cheeries. I have an old video called Spring Secrets, which stars Eion Scarrow (NZ's gardening guru). There's one section in it on pruning weeping cheeries - he says you have to be quite hard on them, and actually demonstrates how this is done. If you like, you can borrow the video, cos looking at the pictures will indicate to you just how fat the little blighter is going to get!!!!!

I'm happy to post it off to you, Lynda, just send a postal address on a personal email to me at te_aniwa@xtra.co.nz.

Actually, the rest of the video is also quite good value (esp since I got the video from my brother who thought it was a terrible Christmas present)!!!! I've seen it so many times that I know it by heart.

Talking about Christmas - Season's greetings to all

-- posted by Te_Aniwa



Top 12.   Dec 12, 1998 7:41 PM

» LyndaH - thanks Te Aniwa, an email is on its way!

Te Aniwa, how is your garden looking? It's been rather dry of late, hasn't it. I try not to water my garden too often (about once a week or perhaps fortnight if I can) because we're on a shared water meter. Also, I find watering a boring task at the best of times. I spent hours staking plants this week, in the hope that should we get cyclones this summer as predicted, my sunflowers won't get snapped (like they did last year!)

-- posted by LyndaH



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