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October Newsletter

Well October arrived with an explosion of all things plants…the nursery, the garden, the bulb beds, my to-do list, and orders…oh my gosh! Thank you all so much for keeping me on my toes these past couple of weeks with all the amazing orders…I thought last spring was busy but after the crazy wet winter this year, spring decided to cram itself into a few short weeks it seems. As busy as I am, I think it is just wonderful to see the interest in plants in general across the country…anything from vegetables, to cacti and succulents, our native flora, shrubs, perennials, sweet wee alpines, cut flowers, plants for pollinators, gardens that are neatly trimmed or wild and untamed, windowsills, courtyards or large acreages…it seems that gardening is finally getting the kudos it deserves in helping us feel closer to nature and in turn, better in ourselves.

Nursery happenings…

There’s a phenomenal amount of growth happening in the nursery at the moment. I honestly feel like the plants are about to grow legs and start running off some days! There are always the slow ones though…like Salvia lanceolata and Bupleurum fruticosum which have been rather frustrating this year. Agastache are coming up next…there will be quite a number of new ones available in a few weeks…Agastache aurantiaca ’Tango’ A. rugosa ‘Alba’ and ‘Arcado Pink’, A. rupestris, and A. mexicana ‘Sangria’ just for starters. I’ve recently sown a few more seeds as well, just a few customer favourites like Gaura and Verbena bonariensis as they tend to sell out so fast (I’m on my 3rd batch of Verbena already this spring). Plus some extras which need to be started off now for selling later in summer/autumn or next spring…like Baptisia australis ‘Alba’, and fingers crossed the giant fennel Ferula communis, plus I’ve got loads of new Echinacea varieties germinating which is exciting. Aphids have arrived in the nursery already, which is rather annoying. I don’t spray, and I use various biological controls in the tunnelhouse, but out in the open it’s a little trickier to deal with these critters. Plant health plays a big role in keeping them at bay of course, but inevitably there’s always a few around trying to thwart my efforts…so if you receive a present of a few little green aphids on your plant then I do apologise, and hopefully you can deal with them accordingly. They are all part of the natural ecology of life I guess, but still annoying!

There’s always a lot more to growing plants in a nursery situation than just sowing and potting as there’s so much planning work that goes on behind the scenes, and many plants take years to get to a saleable size. I write lists and try and keep everything in order, but the reality is my imagination is always in creative mode. I find I’m getting so busy in my head at the moment that I’m often wide awake by 5am, so instead of lying there tossing and turning this morning, I just got up and started jotting down notes for myself. It’s very peaceful at that hour… amazing how much more can be accomplished when its quiet!

Stock numbers of existing website listings have now been updated, along with all the new additions, which are:

• Agastache foeniculum

• Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Atropurpurea’

• Artemisia lactiflora ‘Rosenschleier’

• Delphinium vestitum

• Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’

• Gaura lindheimeri ‘Cool Breeze’

• Gaura lindheimeri ‘Summer Breeze’

• Lunaria annua (Honesty) seedlings ex. Gold variegated, and Silver variegated

• Nepeta tuberosa tall form

• Penstemon ‘Stapleford Gem’

• Penstemon ‘White Swan’

• Symphyotrichum (Aster) ‘Kylie’

• Trachelium caeruleum ‘Hamer Pandora’

• Verbena rigida

• Papaver orientale (Oriental poppy, perennial)

  • ‘Beauty of Livermere’

  • ‘Princess Victoria Louise’

  • ‘Royal Wedding’

• Salvia:

  • Costa Rica Blue

  • leucantha ‘Midnight’

  • nemorosa ‘Violet Queen’

  • pratensis ‘Haematodes’

  • verticillata ‘Alba’

Getting ‘up’ to Business…

…because down is not an option! Unfortunately, after managing to stave off the dreaded price rises for the past 6 months, I have now completed the necessary number-crunching to see where my business is heading. With all the increased costs associated with plant production I can no longer continue to absorb these and have no choice but to increase my plant prices, including limiting the number of ‘multibuy options’ I make available to customers. I know that this will be disappointing to many of you, but I also know how important it is to keep my business running…not only for me, but also for all of you who enjoy the ability to fill your gardens with some of the unusual or rarely available plants that I offer. I’m not going to dwell on the negative, as I’m a naturally positive person, so I shall keep this short, and hopefully as sweet as can-be given the circumstances…in the spirit of my small business being a labour of love, plant prices will increase on Monday 24th October 2022. The new prices for plants in 9cm pots and 1 litre pots will be $8.00 and $10.00 respectively. Special collectors’ items will continue to be priced individually at the time they are listed. Thank you for your understanding and continued support in my endeavours to bring new and exciting botanical treasures to your world xx

Plant of the Month…

Fringed Iris!! Wow…with a tendency to run a bit, these beauties, that I was lucky enough to receive as rescues from our dear friend the late Roger Harwood’s garden, are truly outstanding at the moment. I have three distinct varieties and they are creating waterfalls of fringed flowers in pure crystal white with contrasting yellow markings, some with an ice-blue tint, and the darker lavender-blue which adds such a beautiful element amongst the two-toned Phormium hybrid (flax), punctuated by dots of red from Salvia univerticillata, and a couple of small flowering heads of a stray Euphorbia. I’ve yet to confirm their botanical parentage, as Roger had a number of these labelled with their hybrid or cultivar names, but I shall just continue enjoying them anyway…they are so lovely to have clambering amongst the rocky outcrops in my garden.

Salvia search…

Can you help? Many years ago, when I was part of the now-defunct NZ Salvia Society, organising various meetings and gatherings, mostly in the Auckland region, I was lucky enough to have many unusual species of Salvia in my collection. I have since lost these three and would dearly love to have them back again…Salvia atrocyanea, S. curviflora and S. semiatrata. I know they were all growing in New Zealand 20-plus years ago, so I’m hoping that somewhere, someone has one or two of these tucked away in their gardens. If you can help with any kind of plant material, or hints on where I might find them, please email [email protected] Thank you!

Out in the garden…

This past week I did manage to find a couple of hours to get out into the garden and finish planting out some key plants that needed homes. I’m always experimenting with new plants, and I’m a great believer in the saying that ‘a garden is never finished’. The existing border along the front of my house is now taking shape and looking rather nice, with a good balance of foliage textures, forms and colours. In places it’s quite hot and dry in the summer, with lots of stony soil raised up nearer the house, but in the front, where the ground naturally dips down a little, the soil is quite heavy and retains the moisture. So there’s conditions to suit a wide variety of plants. I’ve used plenty of silver and grey foliage in the drier areas, such as large, softly-hairy Salvia argentea, mounds of Helianthemum ‘Henfield Brilliant’, some Salvia lanceolata, my treasured ‘dinosaur bulbs’ aka Merwilla plumbea (syn. Scilla natalensis) whose flowering stems rise up at this time of year, arching and twisting like star-studded serpents…in front of a backing of the glossy deep blue-green Shrubby Hare’s Ear Bupleurum fruticosum, plus Salvia yangii (the new name for Perovskia or Russian sage) amongst mounds of Erigeron glaucus ‘Janet’s Lilac’. Slightly further out from the hottest driest parts Phlomis russeliana is expanding its mound of soft hairy leaves and will have those beautiful stems of soft yellow flowers later on, there’s also Achillea in various terracotta and autumn shades, Verbena bonariensis and grasses, namely my favourite Chionochloa rubra which looks beautiful and airy. C. conspicua is handling the denser soil conditions nearer the bottom edge and I’m hoping for some more of those mini-toetoe flowers this year. In the theme of gardens never being finished, my task last week was to fill in gaps, adding in some colourful plants to trial in the heavier soils, such as more red Helenium and Monarda both of which have root structures which enjoy denser, more moisture-retentive soils in summer, along with the stunning yellow coneflower Ratibida pinnata. Plus I’ve added some bright blues and purples - a few Teucrium fruticans ‘Oarzazate’ seedlings in the dry stones, a river of Salvia 'Caradonna’ seedlings to trial, some Salvia reptans (the willowy Texas form), and a few more bits and pieces like the Apricot Desert Globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua and Agastache aurantiaca ‘Apricot Sprite’ to contrast with the soft grey leaves of Salvia candidissima, which remind me so much of lambs ears.

That’s it from me today…I’m off for a walk now to breathe in some fresh air after all this computer work.

Happy gardening…

Kate

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Welcome to Spring!

The weather has been absolutely typical for spring - four seasons in one day. As I sat here typing this up yesterday I could see that the sun was shining but there was yet another shower of rain, and then the trees across the valley would begin to roar in the blasting cold wind.

I spent quite a bit of the morning yesterday outside dodging showers, pricking out seedlings and potting up more plants, so it was nice to spend the afternoon inside out of the weather. There is always so much to do at this time of year, and I really have to make myself sit still long enough to update the website, type lists, email customers and write this newsy email. Not that I’m complaining – it is wonderful to have so many avid readers of my wordy musings, thank you . A note about subscribers, particularly those Bulb list fans…I am sending this newsletter out to all subscribers this time as it contains quite a bit about bulbs. However next time I will only send out the newsletter/perennials updates to general subscribers. So if you only subscribed to the Bulb List but also wish to receive the general newsletter and plant updates then please email me. Alternatively, I have added the two options to the subscriber form on the website so you can head there and choose one or both.

Anyway, I will pop the list of latest additions to the website here first…so those of you who are extra keen to purchase some goodies won’t have to scroll to the bottom of the page right away. I’ve had some lovely feedback from very happy customers in recent weeks, so a big thank you to those of you who take the time to send me emails or write reviews – I don’t always have the time to answer but I can assure you I read every single one and am always humbled by the positive comments I receive. One thing I just need to clarify is at this time of year especially, many plants are just coming out of their winter dormancy, so quite often you might receive a plant that looks a little small, or worse still (especially with Echinacea for instance) the pots look like they have nothing in them. Do not despair…they are alive and well and I personally check every single plant before I send them, particularly with smaller ones, to make sure their root structure is in order. When it comes to perennials, a plant can have all the bells and whistles – leaves, buds, flowers etc. – but it’s the root structure that is going to give you a good garden plant.

Without further ado…here is what I’ve added today:

Aquilegia caerulea ‘Kristall’; Centaurea nigra; Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Twister’; Eryngium amethystinum (few); Eupatorium maculatum ‘Atropurpurea’; Euphorbia griffithii ‘Great Dixter’; Isatis tinctoria (woad); Nepeta nepetella ssp. aragonensis; Polemonium reptans seedlings ex. ‘White Pearl’; Polygonatum variegatum (variegated Solomon’s Seal); Reineckia carnea; Rudbeckia laciniata (few); Salvia candidissima; Salvia sagittata

I’ve also updated stock numbers on a number of previously-added plants, so if you missed out on something earlier then have a look and see if what you wanted is available again.

PLUS…I’ve added a new category called ‘Plants for Collectors, plus Odds and Ends’. This is a place where I can add those plants that are really special, or the pesky ones that turn up in ones and twos from a tray that was forgotten about in another life (yes, all of those nursery people will know what I’m talking about here ). This week I’ve added some exciting potted bulbs to this category – but you will have to be in quick as there are only a few of these beauties available. Normally they would be offered as dry bulbs in summer, but these ones got potted up instead.

What’s happening here…

At this time of year my Instagram and Facebook feeds are mostly filled with photos from the bulb collection, as they are looking so great at the moment. Aside from Hellebores, early Pulmonaria, Primula and a few random Salvia like the compact form of S. gesneriiflora with its large fire-engine red flowers, there is not a lot of colour showing from the perennials at this time of year. Much like finding greens to fill the ‘hungry gap’ we always lament in the vege garden, spring flowering bulbs are brilliant at filling the gap between our emergence from winter hibernation and our lust for summer colour. And whilst traditional bulbs like daffodils and hyacinths are wonderful, I am a huge fan of South African bulbs for spring colour, in particular those from the Iridaceae family, as I find them so easy in our climate. Babiana, Moraea, Lachenalia, Romulea and Sparaxis are all bursting into flower right now and there are so many different colours, shapes and sizes. I’m out there every day, inspecting and photographing, and sniffing too, as many of these beauties are scented.

Plant of the Month…

Thank you for all of your support in my plant world endeavours, I am always grateful and appreciative of the lovely order form comments and emails I receive, even if life is a little too hectic for me to reply sometimes! We did manage to zoom off for a night away in the Buller region late last week. It was wonderful to have a change of scenery, even just for one night…we soaked up the calming influence of stunning rivers, both turbulent and silently smooth, admired the bush whilst eating yummy picnics, met up with many friends new and old, and added a fair amount to the swatted-dead sandfly tally. We really do have the most amazing natural scenery here in NZ and I am always so grateful to get out and enjoy it when I can. I always feel so much more refreshed when I’ve been out in nature…relaxed and yet re-energized at the same time. Long may it last

Happy gardening…

Kate

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Phlox paniculata ‘Argosy’ flowering last summer…

New Plants and News from the Nursery…finally!

It’s been a long time coming but I finally have my new computer system in place (the old one broke down after 11 long hard years of dedicated service). Of course new technology means I am now having to learn some new ways of operating…including a new newsletter platform which has been great for stretching the brain cells!

So, welcome to my August 2022 Newsletter. You will see that I am now sending them out via Mailchimp, a service designed to make these things happen a little more smoothly, both for myself and you the customer. As you previously signed up for my mailing list your email has now been added to my Mailchimp subscriber list. If you no longer wish to receive emails from Seaflowers Nursery then please use the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. Thanks so much to all of you lovely gardeners and plants people that continue to subscribe and read all of my news and ramblings…your support is very much appreciated.

What have I been up to…Despite the lack of newsy emails over the past few months, I have been very busy in the nursery. We installed a new 9 metre tunnel house, a project which I swear I never want to do again, but it is fabulous now that it’s finally up. In between pretending I’m a ‘hotshot tunnel house builder’s apprentice’ I have been doing loads of seed sowing, pricking out, digging, dividing and potting-up. There are new plants everywhere I look and plenty more yet to come to. I absolutely love this part of my job - bringing new plants into the world. There’s something so satisfying about watching the first baby leaves emerge from their seed casing, a place that they’ve been encapsulated in for however long before they were specially chosen by me to bring to life. Potting them up and watching them grow to a saleable size is an achievement I never get tired of. Another task that happens here throughout autumn, winter and early spring here is digging and dividing perennials. It’s another way of making more plants, and unlike some seed-grown lines the new plants are identical to the mother plant, which is essential when you’re dealing with named cultivars of such things as Phlox, Heleniums and Asters. Cuttings is another way of ensuring this, which is what I do with many of the Salvias for instance, but there’s a lot of herbaceous perennials that can only be increased by division. So you see, there is always so much to keep me busy, and that’s without even mentioning all the thinking that goes on (honestly, if you could see inside my mind somedays…my thought processes can get very creative when it comes to plants…I even think about them in the middle of the night!).

Bulbs…This year has been so wet that I was unable to dig any of the bulbs I normally would before they started sprouting, so apologies to anyone waiting for the winter bulb list, there will not be one this year. I am hoping to find time to pot a few up now that the soil is a little drier, so there may still be some available a bit later on.

What’s coming…Despite the extraordinary amount of rain we’ve had over the past few months, there is also much discussion within gardening circles about water-wise or drought tolerant plants. Over the past few years I have been gradually adding to my repertoire of these plants, which I find useful not only for their low water requirements, but also because many of them are highly attractive to all sorts of pollinators, providing them with food and shelter at various times throughout the year. So this year you will see plants become available of such things as Epilobium canum spp. canum, Nepeta nepetella ssp. aragonensis (both pictured below), Felicia echinata, Salvia candidissima (not to be confused with S. canariensis var. candidissima), and a wide range of the usual and highly popular suspects - Verbena, Gaura, Salvia and Agastache species and cultivars to name a few.

Above left: Epilobium canum ssp. canum (syn. Zauschneria) Above right: Nepeta nepetella ssp. aragonensis

New plants… Today I have updated the website and added a number of plants which are ready for sending out to customers. Some are new varieties I haven’t grown before and some are old friends which keep coming back every year due to their popularity and usefulness in the garden. You can purchase plants via my website (click on the link below) or you can email me to order and I will reply to confirm your order depending on what’s still available. Some lines sell out super fast and others at a more sedate speed…below is the list of what I’ve added today, but there are other plants listed in the online shop as well. Not everything on the website has a photo so please read the description and then perhaps look on the internet for online photos.

• Achillea ‘Autumn Sunrise’

• Anthericum liliago

• Dicentra eximia ‘Alba’

• Digitalis ferruginea

• Digitalis purpurea ‘Pam’s Choice’

• Eryngium planum ‘Silver Salentino’

• Helenium ‘Red Wonder’

• Iris unguicularis ssp. cretensis

• Pelargonium longicaule (few)

• Phlox paniculata ‘Alba Grandiflora’

• Phlox paniculata ‘Argosy’

• Phlox paniculata ‘Dusterlohe’

• Phlox paniculata ‘Vintage Wine’

• Polemonium kiushianum

• Salvia ‘Shangri La’ (S. moorcroftiana x S. indica)

I really hope you’ve enjoyed reading this newsy email and that it has arrived in your inbox looking as I intended it to. As with any new technology there may well be a few hiccups along the way, so please if you spot something that needs fixing then do let me know. It is a pleasure to be able to provide you with something a little different to grow in your gardens throughout the year, so thank you for continuing to buy my plants and support my small business. Take care, may the sun keep shining and the plants keep growing…

Kate