Irises and Archives

I was talking plants with a few friends during the week and the topic turned to plants we never expected to see.  You know what I mean – ...

A minor star of the native plant world that is showing off at this time of the year is one you might not even notice – the once ubiquitou...

Tulip 'Orange Parrot' There are quite a number of different forms among tulips, some of which are seldom seen in lour gardens. ...

Gloriosa superba Perhaps the most mis-used word in gardening is “lily”.  All sorts of plants are described as lilies, even though the...

Photo courtesy historiciris.blogspot.co.nz   Regular readers of this column will know I have a fascination for the members of the iri...

I had an interesting chat with a gardener from just north of Auckland during the week.  She called in at the archive to talk about fami...

Lapageria flowering in the manuka Last week we were discussing gardening at work and the question came up about the best place to gro...

Late summer and early autumn is a great time for us bulb lovers.  The very first of the spring flowering bulbs have started arriving in...

The long and unspectacular summer has spluttered on through the past week, with showers and almost wintry conditions prevailing for m...

Among the many native plants I am fond of, the vast collection of flowering shrubs that make up the genus Hebe come top of the list.  Thi...

In the past few weeks I have been reconstructing parts on my garden, and reconsidering others.  Two large plantings of Alstroemerias ...

Although it is just the very start of spring at the moment, it is the time to start thinking about the Christmas day meal, and to start...

Magnolia 'Sweetheart' A wet weekend at this time of the year seems like a bit of a waste for the home gardener.  The imminent a...

Osmanthus 'Pearly Gates' Many trees and shrubs that flower in the late winter (or early spring) have pale flowers, often high...