Winter colour in the gloom...

​Well it has been exactly a year since I became part of the Golden Bay community, and in my own backyard, the coolest little community up the Pohara Valley. I was reflecting on this as I travelled home from Auckland yesterday, having attended the IPPS conference in Hamilton. One of the things that struck me is that in the past year I seem to have met some truly wonderful and inspiring people, some of whom I know I will be friends with forever. I feel like New Zealand is home to this big melting pot of vibrant personalities, all so unique in what we do and how we interact with others...the key is to find the ones you really connect with and then hold on to them, make them smile the way they make you smile. Happiness is truly underrated. So, to everyone who has made the past year so colourful for me – thank you, you are all totally awesome!
 
Seeing as I’m feeling so warm and fluffy on the inside (while the weather is freezing outside) I thought I would create a little bit more Happy May Madness and have a sale. YAY! As of the moment you receive this newsletter, everything is now 40% off…the sale ends 31st May 2021, so get in quick while stocks last. I haven’t added any new stock to the website other than some Silene alba, but there will be new plants to add in June, and in the meantime I will continue on with all the propagation jobs that seem to be piling up here…I go a way for a week and suddenly there’s so much to do!
 
The garden has mostly gone into a state of decay and decline, with all sorts of things curling up ready for winter. But there are still some gems…the gorgeous bright lemon yellow Kniphofia is now in full flower, still in its ‘temporary’ home near the back of the vege garden. It should have been moved as it’s a big one and likely to take over in the rich soil in there, but I couldn’t think of where to put it until now…it will be heading off to the bottom of the driveway so it can stop traffic with its huge flowerheads down there. Not sure when…maybe when I’m feeling seriously strong one day soon, as it’s huge! The Plectranthus fruticosus hybrids ‘James’ and ‘Behr’s Pride’ are both looking magnificent, the latter is just coming into full flower, with large panicles of rich mauve pink which contrast fabulously with the dark stems and reverse of the leaves. Lots of the Salvias are still putting on a colourful show…the luminous red Salvia splendens ‘Yvonne’ is now at head height, S. iodantha is just beginning to show off its stems of vibrant magenta, S. madrensis is shimmering buttery-lemon yellow in the autumn sunshine, and ‘Indigo Spires’ continues to send out long deep violet spikes, reminding me of octopus tentacles. The beautiful red flowers of S. univerticillata and S. gesneriiflora compact form will come out later in the winter and early spring, at just the right time…when we need a boost of bright colour to give us a lift on those cold gloomy days.
 
A little bit of housekeeping before I sign off…next weeks orders will be sent out on Tuesday 18th May as I have meetings on Monday, my apologies but it can’t be helped.
 
Happy plant hunting – you can find the plants for sale here https://www.seaflowersnursery.co.nz/store/c32/A-Z_of_all_plants_.html#/
 

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