Green Bed and Breakfast Hotel

Affordable, luxury accommodation for Business Clients

Tony — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:23:54 +0000

Eden Park Bed and Breakfast has long had a reputation for quality , affordable accommodation and as the Winter Season approaches, the property will reintroduce its Winter season rates to Business clients visiting Auckland.

Being located in the Mt Eden Suburb and only 10 minutes from the CBD, Eden Park Bed and Breakfast offers 5 luxury rooms with attached ensuites. There is free wi-fi throughout the property and a free computer for guest use. A private lounge is available for guests and checkins/checkouts are arranged to suit a guests requirement.
Breakfast is a choice of a gourmet affair or a simple continental snack.
The property has had an enviable ranking as #1 Auckland Bed and Breakfast on TripAdvisor .com.
As these reviews are generated live by travellers, Eden Park Bed and Breakfast is well placed to offer the same degree of comfort to visiting businessmen and women visiting Auckland.

Eden Park Bed and Breakfast
20 Bellwood Ave
Mt Eden
Auckland.1024
New Zealand
P: 09 6305721
F:09 6305722
E:bookings@bedandbreakfastnz.com
www.bedandbreakfastnz.com

Thank You

Tony — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:16:55 +0000

As Business owners of Eden Park Bed and Breakfast, my Wife and I offer humble sincerity to all the customers who have written such fantastic reviews of Eden Park Bed and Breakfast on Trip Advisor.com .
With your support we have managed to #1 Bed and Breakfast in Auckland all Summer. And i do admit that the incentive to remain #1 is still strong.
We will always endeavour to provide a special Kiwi welcome to all our guests. We welcome everyone to visit Auckland and experience the unique atmosphere that this city has to offer.
It can be a trip up the Mt Eden Volcano or participating in the Auckland Ghost Tour. Whatever you choose, we will always offer a warm welcome to you at Eden Park Bed and Breakfast.

Thank You
Anthony and Marlene McAnulty.

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Tony — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:13:06 +0000

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Natural Insecticide for Sustainable Gardens.

Tony — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:10:58 +0000

Natural controls work far better in a garden than chemical insecticides. Over time the range of insects have become immune to a wide range of sprays.
The more chemicals you put onto your plants relates to the ammount you ingest into your body.
At Eden Park Bed and Breakfast i have created companion planting with herbs everywhere. The herbs have a natural positive effect on the health of ther plants.
Where i have to spray i use a mixiture of Key Pyrethrum and Neem Tree Oil.
The pyrethrum affects the nervous systems of insects , breaking it down and killing the pests.
Pyrethrum is used in a number of fly sprays.
Neem Tree Oil is mainly an anti-feedent which means that it stops the pests ability to eat and they starve to death over the following days.
When we mix the two together and spray we have a quick knock down followed by a control period of about 7 days.
The two sprays should only be used late in the day just before sunset as the pyrethrum is quickly broken down by UV.
Also once the sun is off the plants the oil will not damage the foliage as it can in direct sunlight, been an oil, burning the leaves.

Planting Times

Tony — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:51:10 +0000

PLANTING TIMES
With a great number of first time gardeners growing their own vegetables, a question that I am often asked is; when is the best time to plant various crops?
This is a difficult question to answer as conditions vary greatly in different parts of the country.
To make matters more complicated, you can have a situation where the growing conditions can be different just half a mile away which is caused by what we call micro-climates.
A gardener with a good micro-climate; as a result of the terrain, or by established trees, making a sheltered hot spot which can be planting out a month or more before it is safe for another gardener to do so, a bit down the road.
When you buy packets of seeds you will find on the packet the average best sowing times for various regions. This information is general and unless you know your own growing conditions, succession sowings should be made about 2 to 4 weeks apart.
If the early plantings fail through weather conditions, your later ones will be more successful, as the weather settles. Over a period of years you will become a better judge of when to sow and plant out.
A gardening diary giving weather conditions each week and sowing times will make a great reference for the future plantings.
Keen gardeners like to beat nature and grow plants out of the normal season so they can have early crops and this can be done with a glasshouse, or the use of plastic film over wire hoops to warm the garden soil and protect the germinated seedlings from adverse weather conditions.
Early plantings can also be assisted by placing plastic bottles over the individual plants after cutting the bottom off and removing the cap.
The most important aspect is when not to plant out seedlings of vegetables.
Late plantings of vegetables towards the end of autumn means they have only a small window of growth, which is progressively slowing down day by day. In mid winter growth can reduce to zero and immature crops will just sit waiting for better times. As the daylight hours extend and the soil warms, they then get a growth spurt but because of the previous conditions the plants feel their lives have been threatened and will grow on a bit and then go to seed. (Bolt)
Thus the crop is a failure, a waste of time and money. Crops of winter vegetables are planted in summer to grow to near maturity as winter sets in. In doing so they will mature ready for use in winter and hold nicely over the cold winter months.
For instance leek seedlings will be planted out in December through to February for succession, winter harvesting. Brassicas, such as winter cabbage and brussel sprouts will be planted out later in January through till March, dependant on varieties (maturity times) and succession requirements.
The worst problem with brassicas grown for winter is that the young plants have to face the problem of the white butterfly’s caterpillars when the pests are most active. By placing Neem Tree Granules in the planting hole and sprinkling some onto the soil, around the plants will greatly assist in control. Refresh the granules every 6 weeks with a few more onto the soil.
Stress on vegetables that are not grown for their fruit (cabbages etc as apposed to say tomatoes) can make them go to seed prematurely.
Two ways this can happen, one is purchasing seedlings that are in punnets and have become root bound and likely have suffered stress through inadequate waterings.
Always look for the very young fresh seedlings of non fruiting plants to purchase, even if you need to grow them on in their punnets till they are of a nice size to plant out.
The next problem can occur during the spring when weather conditions fluctuate from nice warm sunny days to cold miserable days. The plant’s growth responds to the sunny warm days and then they sulk in the cold windy days. This stress of change, makes the plants believe that conditions are not good and their lives are threaten, so all they want to do then is produce babies, then they go to seed.
Often not straight away as they have to reach a certain level of maturity to be able to flower and thus several gardeners have contacted me recently to ask why their early spring plantings have gone to seed.
Either of the above can be the cause of bolting.
A number of gardeners also like to do late plantings if they live in areas not prone to early frosts.
Late plantings of sweet corn in January can often result in a second harvest of cobs before winter sets in. Tomatoes sown from seed in December and January should give you more ripe fruit after your earlier plantings have finished.
You do not even have to sow seed, as you can strike the laterals (side shoots) to make a new young plant, once it has rooted up.
To do this; fill a small pot two thirds full of compost and fill the balance to the top with sand or fine pumice. Remove a lateral which should be about 6cm long and place it into the sand to about the depth of the sand. Moisten down and keep moist. When the plant stands up and shows some new growth then the early roots have formed.
If you spray the laterals with Vaporgard a day before you remove them off the parent plant, you will have a new young tomato plant quicker.
When removing laterals off tomatoes or old leaves, it is most important that you do not do this during humid or moist times as a disease can enter the wound and you lose a good plant.
Remove laterals on a nice sunny day when the air is dry and as you remove each lateral, spray the wound with Liquid Copper.
It is still not too late to plant seeds of summer crops unless you live in an area prone to early frosts.
Keep the soil moist at all times using non chlorinated water. (Put a filter onto your tap to remove the chlorine) It makes the world of difference and your crops will grow quicker and healthier.
Gardeners that use tank water or are fortunate to live in a town/city that does not dose the water supply with this chemical poison, do not have to worry about a filter.
If you do not have room for a vegetable plot then use containers or planter boxes to grow as many vegetables as possible. Fill the containers with a good purchased compost, not potting mix.
Much better for your health and pocket.
Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz

GARDENING PRESENTS FOR XMAS

Tony — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:05:26 +0000

With Christmas quickly looming, ones mind starts to turn to what gifts to buy for family members and friends.
With the downturn in the economy, people will not expect the lavish gifts that may have been bestowed in the the better times of the past, instead we should be more practical and personal in what we give.
Likely there will also be many more people staying at home over the holiday season, which means they will look to do short outings and things around the section and home.
With the tremendous up surge in people turning back to growing their own fruit and vegetables as a buffer against harder times ahead, as well as for health reasons, then practical gifts in the gardening range of products, are going to be very welcome gifts.
Garden centres will still have a few deciduous fruit trees left over from the winter intake and likely a better range of evergreens such as citrus trees, feijoas and tamarillos. These three fruiting types are perfect gifts and are all suitable to grow in a 45 litre plastic container (or larger) but 45 litres is ideal to start with.
I have a number of citrus trees along with a Feijoa (Unique) and a Tamarillo all growing very successfully in containers and producing a good crop of fruit every year, now that they are established.
The Feijoa variety called Unique surprised me as it gave a nice small crop of good sized fruit in the first 12 months.
So for an excellent fruiting gift pick up a fruit tree and a 45 litre container and pot up using a purchased compost to which you have added animal manure or sheep manure pellets plus blood and bone and a gift is solved, that will give years of pleasure and fruit.
Practical gifts include bags of compost, blood & bone, sheep manure pellets and packets of vegetables seeds.
You may like to also throw in a few natural products such as the Neem oil or Neem Granules, Magic Botanic Liquid, Rok Solid Mineral dust etc. These will enhance the gardening activities of both the novice and seasoned gardener and even if they are already using a product you buy for them they will appreciate a replacement, when theirs runs out.
For those that have concerns about their health you could always buy them a Wheat Grass Juicing kit.
Wheat grass grown with all the natural minerals that come in the kit make for highly mineralized grass when juiced, through the manual juicer that comes with the kit. Taken daily the juice will greatly assist in their health.
Gardening books must rate high on the gift list for both novice and seasoned gardeners and copies of my own two very popular books are available through book shops, some garden centres and by mail order. They are Wally’s Down to Earth Gardening Guide and Wally’s Green Tips for Gardeners.
Inexpensive and I am told by some, that they bibles for gardeners that want to grow naturally and have wonderful gardens.
Garden Vouchers are also always appreciated and these can be included with a Xmas Card or added to another gift.
Vouchers from timber merchants are also ideal as the money can be used to build raised gardens for growing crops of vegetables.
A nice non food line is to pick up some colour spots, a rose or suitable shrub and pot them up into a suitable, decorative container to grow on and then give nicely wrapped up for Xmas.
Poinsettia with their lovely red flower bracts bring indoors a Xmas feel and they also make wonderful inexpensive gifts.
Xmas lillies are also another symbol of Xmas and you maybe able to find some that are potted up and coming into bud.
I spotted individually potted Xmas lillies in a garden centre about 3 Xmases ago and purchased half a dozen which I repotted together into one larger container.
They have flowered for me every Xmas since, and saves buying them as a cut flower every year.
There are also larger ticket items that can be great assets to the gardeners such as a Worm-a-Round worm farm, a tumbler or Earth Maker compost bin, a Mulcher for turning clippings and trimmings into garden mulch, which would also include lawn mowers with the mulching shoot.
There are also garden nicknack’s that some people like to place around their gardens to enhance areas.
Statues can look nice, bird baths and feeders are practical, water features are great value and so the list goes on.
If you are handy with tools and wood you could make for someone a raised garden or a chook run.
I had a lady inquiring recently if I knew of anyone she could employ to build her a chicken house and run.
I suggested that as the building industry was not so busy now, that an advert in the local paper would produce some results.
A lot of you are handy with tools and could very easily do a relative or friend a great favour by putting the wood together for them. That costs you nothing but your time and saves the person a great deal of money.
Likewise why not set up a vegetable garden for a family and assist them in its care.
It is in times like these that we need to cooperate with others to improve our welfare as a community.
If we are able to do this then a lot more people will have a happy Xmas after all.

Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz

GARDENING TO SURVIVE

Tony — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:07:04 +0000

The world economic situation is in a upheaval and by the looks of things it is only going to get worse.
At this time in New Zealand things are not too bad as yet, so as we used to say, ‘Make hay while the sun shines’
There are two aspects to growing your own food to be more self-sufficient, these are the short term and the long term. For instance on the short term you can plant out a few lettuces and some silverbeet and be eating the maturing plants in a matter of weeks. On the other hand when we plant a young citrus or fruit tree we are looking at a few years before we can gather good harvests.
When I was a lad, I grew up with my grandparents and mother on a section that had an abundance of fruiting plants and vegetables along with chickens. With the eggs, vegetables and fruit we could have survived fairly well if the need arose. Money was tight also in those times, for our little family, but our outgoings for other food stuffs was minimal. Only a few items needed to be purchased such as flour, sugar, milk and butter etc. We did a lot of baking and preserving to utilize the abundance of produce available from the garden, all of which was nourished by chicken manure.
Back then there was no fridges or deep freezers, only a porous concrete container for keeping some perishable items cooler. (It was a concrete box with a concrete door measuring about 30 cm wide and 50cm tall, you placed water in the cavity at the top which would seep through the concrete and evaporate causing the interior to be cool.)
Nothing was wasted on the principal of ‘waste not, want not,’ left overs, vegetable trimmings and weeds would go to the chickens and we would gain fresh eggs every day.
A real treat would be to kill and roast a pullet for Xmas dinner or a special occasion.
Because of limited room not everyone can have a small chook house and run, for half a dozen chickens but for anyone that does, they are a great investment to ensure you have food in times of need or to reduce your cost of food purchases.
The alternative for those that cant have chickens would be to install a worm farm to take care of your kitchen scraps and supply free worm casts and worm pee for fertilising your vegetable crops.
I have a combination of both, two worm farms and a dozen chickens that can free range part of the section. Both sources supply free, high quality organic material for the fruit trees and vegetable crops.
On the long term you can purchase fruit trees and fruiting plants and get them started for future harvests.
If and when times get really tough, then potential home buyers will be looking for established food gardens in preference to ornamental gardens, so you can be adding a lot of value to your section and home.
Raised gardens are far better than the old method of digging up garden plots for vegetable production.
A raised garden can be made from concrete blocks, timber or roofing iron. A raised garden never gets walked on, instead you just tend it from the sides which removes the need for tilling the soil.
Weeds are not such a problem either as the higher the raised garden, the less chance of weed seeds blowing in. What weeds that do come up, are simply cut off just below ground level while small, then left laying on the soil to decompose.
On the short term aspect anyone can grow a few vegetables that are quick to mature and great for your health and wallet. Any container that is between 18 to 30cm deep is sufficient to grow most crops, the length and width will determine how many can be grown.
For instance; polystryne boxes that are often given away free from supermarket fish departments are ideal for a whole range of vegetables. Drill some holes in the base for drainage and fill them with a purchased compost that is friable and weed free. Here is what I do; I fill to about half full the box, with compost and then place a layer of animal manure such as chook manure or alternatively blood & bone with sheep manure pellets. For additional minerals I then sprinkle a little Rok Solid mineral dust and Ocean Solids. This is then covered with more compost to within about 20mm to the top rim of the box.
If you have any worms place a few into the mix as these will also supply extra food and keep the mix open.
Now it is ready to sow seeds or plant seedlings. You can get 6 lettuces in a tray at nice spacing or 8 silverbeet plants, 10-12 spinach, about the same number of dwarf bean seeds, about 20 or more beetroot seeds, numerous carrot or parsley seeds, a good crop of onion seed, a lot of spring onion seeds, a number of yams, 6 medium or mini size cabbages, or other brassicas and half a dozen strawberry plants.
Then in tubs of about 20 litres, one dwarf type tomato plant, one zuchinni, two staked cucumbers, half a dozen staked climbing beans, a couple of pumpkins, 4 sweet corn seeds. ( Every type as suggested in separate 20 litre containers.) Plant most in a double row halfway between the sides and the middle.
Buckets can be used to grow potatoes at one seed per bucket.
Larger containers such as 40 to 100 litres can be used to grow tall type tomato plants such as Beefsteak.
Also plastic rubbish tins of 75 to 100 litres are ideal for a range of fruit trees including all citrus, Fejioa Unique, a tamarillo and most other fruiting trees or bushes.
200 litre plastic or steel drums can be cut in half to provide two 100 litre containers or cut down the middle, long ways, to give a good size planting bed.
Plastic children’s paddling pools are also ideal and often don’t cost much from plastic shops.
Once you get your plants up and away, a two weekly spray of Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) will make for healthier plants and bigger crops.
Having your own vegetables fresh straight out of the garden will not only save you money but it will greatly improve your diet.
Commercially grown vegetables lack goodness and carry chemical residues from all the chemicals used in their growth. The commercial produce is also becoming much more expensive to buy because the cost of fertilisers, chemical sprays and transport have all increased markedly.
They are not fresh as we are lead to believe, in most cases they are at least a couple of days old from harvest to supermarket shelves.
Vegetables and fruit grown naturally in your own back yard and picked for the table as required will make a healthy difference to your body.
You can be self sufficient to a degree and if one day the supermarket does not open its doors, you can fall back on what you have stored and grown. Better to be safe than sorry.
Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz

Tomato Time

Tony — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:38:11 +0000

TOMATOES: THE FINER POINTS (by Wally Richards)
Growing tomato plants is one of the big items for gardeners at this time of the year and even non gardeners will likely have a go at growing a plant or two.
Some gardeners are very fastidious in their selection of types grown, the special culture methods used and like wines, some years have better vintages than other years.
From garden centres you can obtain a good range of different types of tomato plants from grafted or Supertoms types to traditional varieties and heirlooms.
Seed stands will likely increase the number of types you can grow and through seed mail order companies the range extends dramatically.
Many gardeners have their own favourite ones, most of which are only available from over the fence from a friendly gardener. Some of these have been hand-me-down seeds, originating from returned servicemen from the World Wars, collected while in Europe especially from Italy.
Italy might be called the home of tomatoes at they have over 500 known varieties growing yearly and the Italians would likely be the world’s biggest consumers of tomatoes as it is reported that they eat 38Kg of tomatoes per person annually.
A Palmerston North gardener, Mr P Boulton, while in Europe recently, came across an article in a UK paper entitled ‘In Search Of the Ripe Stuff’, Mr Boulton clipped out the article, thinking of me and presented yours truly with a copy .
The article talks about the experiences of a journalist visiting Sicily with a tomato expert, Paolo Battistel, looking for the best tomatoes in the world. Traveling through Mafia territories to Scoglitti and then beyond to a farm very close to the sea where they find their goal.
The article explains that it is a combination of the sun and the saline soil that produces the best flavoured tomatoes. The mineral rich soil due to sea salt is the key as it has been found that tomatoes desire 56 minerals and elements for best results. (You are not going to get that from your bag of tomato food.)
The health benefits from eating tomatoes either raw or cooked are great if you grow your own tomatoes naturally with all the minerals that they would like.
You are not going to obtain the same health benefits from tomatoes you buy especially the ones in winter that are picked green and then chemically treated to make them go red. The chemical does not actually ripen the tomato in just changes them from green to red, so you are then eating a tasteless green tomato that is red in colour.
Scientists have discovered that eating five tomatoes a day can help to protect against sunburn and premature aging.
Tomatoes are a super food; oozing lycopene, folic compounds, magnesium and potassium, reports suggest that they can help fight both Alzheimer’s and cancer as well as improving your overall health.
Let us now look at some of the finer points on growing these wonderful plants.
In the following I am going to give you as many aspects as I can remember, you may not want to use all the points but even a few will make your tomato production results better than before.
Firstly if you want to grow a tomato plant without any great problems or care then plant a couple of Sweet 100’s they are prolific, grow like weeds and will give you lots of small sweet tomatoes for salads and eating.
If you have a tomato variety that you like and have grown successfully for some years, keep the seed and grow them for the rest of your life, keeping fresh seed from the best tomato each season for the following year.
Try one or two other types for variety, you will have successes and failures and in a never ending search you will likely add more favourites to your annual collection of seeds.
Seeds are picked out of tomatoes, laid on a bit of paper towel to dry (with the type written on the paper) then the paper is rolled up and placed in a sealed glass jar for storage in the fridge. (I have tomato seeds over 25 years old that still give me a 50% germination rate using this method.)
To germinate cut the paper to obtain the required number of seeds and place paper and seed on a seedling tray or punnet that contains a friable compost or a good potting mix, spray the paper/seeds with undiluted Super Roots (alternatively use Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) with Mycorrcin added)
Leave to dry and then cover with a little more of the mix or with sharp sand. Moisten down with MBL by misting. Keep moist in a warm bright light situation till seedlings emerge and then immediately place in a glasshouse or cold frame so the plants receive overhead natural sunlight.
Keep moist with non chlorinated water. (During the life of the tomato never water with chlorinated tap water) When of a size to transplant, soak the tray with water and lift the individual seedlings and spray their roots with Super Roots (Alternatively MBL & Mycorrcin) Pot into individual pots about 100mm in size using a friable compost (not potting mix) Plant deep up to the first leaves as they will then root all the way up. (Do not do this with grafted tomatoes) This applies also to purchased seedlings in punnets.
Place a couple of grains of Ocean Solids along with a quarter tea spoon of Rok Solid and a similar amount of Dolomite & Wallys Secret Tomato Food with Neem Granules on top of the mix. Keep moist but not wet allowing the mix to dry a bit between waterings. Place in full sun.
When the plant is about 150mm tall then it is ready to plant into open ground or a large container.
For containers use a large bucket about 20 litres for dwarf type tomatoes, 45 litres for average size fruiting types and 100 litres for Beefsteak types and Supertoms. Use animal manure based composts, apply more Ocean solids, Rok Solid, Dolomite and the tomato food mentioned. The plant can once again be planted deeper than previous. Spray the foliage with diluted Super Roots. Repeat this once again 6 weeks later.
Two weekly; spray foliage with MBL (Mycorrcin can be added) but miss the cycle that the Super Roots is sprayed. Place more of the special tomato food with Neem Granules at about 4 weekly to 6 weekly on top of soil/mix.
Do not remove laterals on humid days and spray the wound immediately with Liquid Copper.
A monthly spray of Perkfection will also assist in disease prevention.(This can be added to MBL or Super Roots)
The same will apply to open ground grown tomato plants as above for containers.
Support the plants with stakes etc.
In glasshouse grown plants on sunny days when in flower, tap the plant to cause a vibration which aids in setting fruit.
Protect ripening fruit from bird damage with Bird Repeller Ribbon or pick fruit as they turn colour to ripen indoors. (Best if ripened on plant.)
If cooking tomatoes only cook in a good Virgin Olive Oil as it brings out both flavour and health benefits. Wishing you a great tomato year.
Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz

About Iris.

Tony — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:34:51 +0000

ABOUT IRIS

The Iris is known as the Rainbow flower and is named after the Greek goddess who wore a rainbow as a gown and was a messenger of the gods.
The bearded irises receive their name because of the fuzzy beard that is on the fall of the flower.
The falls are the three petals that hang downwards and the upright petals are called standards.
There are several types of Bearded iris, the most common being the Tall Bearded, which grows to over 71cm and generally, have five to ten flowers that open over a period of time. While each flower may last for 3-4 days, the sequence of opening gives a display for about 2 weeks. When there are several spikes, they will open at different times and an overall clump will be flowering for about a month. As an extra bonus some varieties will flower earlier (or later than others), so if an area is planted with different varieties of a similar colour there can be a flowering period for about six weeks.
Median Bearded Irises grow between 38-71cm and are ideal for windy areas, in front of the border, or smaller gardens. Their flowering period is generally just prior and overlapping the Tall Bearded irises. Standard Dwarf (20-30cm) and Miniature Dwarf (under 20cm) flower around September and October and form very colourful clumps. Perfect for tubs.
Growing bearded irises is fairly simple, the most important aspect is for them to get sun on the top of the rhizome which should be at soil level. If they become too wet they will rot and the plant will be lost.
Bearded irises can be bought from catalogues from specialised growers and they are sold as bare rhizomes in December and then again around Feb-March. The catalogues usually are available from September.
Irises can be fed in the spring as well as in autumn.
Bearded irises need a low nitrogen fertiliser as they can put on too much growth and not flower.
Sheep manure pellets with some added potash is good value.
The flowers are developing and opening at this time of the year. The leaves can be prone to rust and a Liquid Sulphur spray can be used to help keep the rust away, luckily this does not affect the blooms.
If the stem is leaning over it is advisable to stake to prevent the blooms being damaged, or the stalk snapping.
One variety of iris that enjoys the wet are the Louisiana which are native to the south Eastern areas of USA and are found nowhere else in the world. The colour range is vibrant and size of the flower varies from 7-18cm across. They can be grown in containers, normal gardens and shallow water. An acid soil is required and they thrive with plenty of feeding and sun. Irises that prefer the damper conditions usually prefer an acidic type fertiliser and TB prefer alkaline soils, so they can also be dressed with lime.
Dutch Irises that can readily be bought through garden centres are the bulbous varieties that are in stock in early autumn. The most well known variety is the Dutch Iris, which is used year around by florists and flowers in the garden in early spring. The tiny Reticulata Iris can also be purchased at this time but is not as easy to grow on in future years. Japanese and Siberian Irises are often available at garden centres at this time of the year. The only place I know where Pacific Coast Irises can be purchased through the Seed Pool of the Iris Society. The Seed Pool also includes many other Iris Species along with other Iridacae- there are over 200 species.
Members of the NZ Iris Society will be very happy to advise on where to purchase Irises, we will have named potted Irises for sale at the show.
The Palmerston North Iris Society is having an Iris Show on the 1st and 2nd November at the Leisure Centre P. Nth. There will be a wide range of irises available and every one is welcome to attend. The Show is being hosted by Wairarapa, Wellington and Rangitikei Branches and they hope to have a good selection of irises on Show, the predominance will be the Tall Bearded.

Written by Wally Richards

Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz

Rose Pruning

Tony — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:57:53 +0000

PRUNING ROSES
It is about that time of the year when gardeners oil up their secateurs, put on their gloves and go out to do battle with their thorny but well loved roses.
Just how you go about pruning your roses is really up to you, but the most popular cut is to prune somewhere above the third or fourth outgoing buds. This will create a champagne-glass shape which means that the inner part of the rose will receive adequate light. Some in growing buds can be rubbed out to prevent the centre of the bush becoming too congested.
If you prune low to second outgoing buds, you will end up with strong new growths which will bear fewer flowers, but better blooms. If you prune high, say to the fifth or sixth outgoing buds, you’ll end up with a denser bush with a lot of flowers.
PRUNING CLIMBING ROSES
        Pruning climbing roses is a somewhat different affair. Assuming you don’t want a rambling rose which grows where and how it wants, you need to shape your climbing rose to form a framework of main branches along a wall, a fence, or over an archway. The aim is to have the new season’s growth sprouting from this framework and producing the much-wanted floral display, but to get to that stage requires careful training and selective pruning. After planting your climber, let the branches grow and tie them to the support over which the rose is growing, to cover the desired area. A reader recently asked me how many plants he should buy, and how far apart he should plant them, when putting in Dublin Bay climbing roses to create a solid “wall” along his fence line. I replied that the normal distance apart would be one metre, but it would be his subsequent pruning and control which would determine how thickly the lower part of the floral structure would grow. For example, I explained, take the lowest buds and train them sideways to fill in the space between the rose plants. Take the next buds at about 30 degrees, then 60 degrees, then 90 degrees until each rose has a fan-like structure from which each year’s new shoots will grow. Once the wall is nicely covered, it is simply a matter of cutting back or tying in those growths extending too far from the wall.
        Once you’ve established the basic framework of the climber, the only pruning needed is to remove any branches which have grown outwards and detract from the desired effect, and remove any dead wood, spindly growth or dead branches.
Over time, replace the old main branches with new ones which you have trained during the season to become part of the framework. Your work during the growing season of a climber consists more of training and tying back than anything else, as the branches will grow quickly from new shoots in the spring and summer period. The chances are, they will initially grow away from where you want them, but all you need do is tie them back to the framework. Then in winter, you can remove them if you want to prevent the framework from becoming too congested, or you can leave them in the framework and remove older branches instead.
        It is really important to remember to never cut a climber down as low as you would a bush rose. Climbers treated in this fashion can revert back to bush roses. Always leave a few branches of a metre or more in length, even when doing a hard cut-back such as might be the case when you’re repairing or painting the wall or fence.
PRUNING HYGIENE
I remember some years back a prominent rose grower criticised an article that I wrote about using hygienic practices when pruning roses or other plants. His retort was you did not need to take any special care when pruning several roses, one after another.
My answer to this is common sense and logic. If an aphid can travel from one rose to another and transfer a virus or disease then the jaws of a pair of a pair of secateurs are a lot bigger than the jaws of an aphid! Anyway lets read on a bit more;
        Whatever rose you are pruning, and whatever technique you use, there are some invaluable tips you should adopt for the post-prune process. First, you must spray each rose with Liquid Copper immediately after pruning to protect the wounds. Don’t, however, prune on a cool moist day as silver leaf disease is likely to be air borne in these conditions. It is also crucial to keep in mind that viruses can be transferred from rose to rose, so make sure you spray copper onto the secateurs after pruning each rose. Alternatively, use methylated spirits. The latter is even better than the copper in providing protection. Simply fill a cup almost full of the meths, and dip the partly open blades into the cup, making sure all the cutting edges are well soaked prior to moving onto the next rose.
        In a nutshell then, pruning consists of cutting back the rose, spraying the remaining canes with Liquid Copper, and then dipping the secateurs blades into methylated spirits. Then move on to the next rose and repeat the procedure.
Thats all fairly simple isn’t it? But lets give a few extra tips.
Take your bottle of Liquid Copper, (it has the great advantage of already being liquid so there is little risk of blocked jets in the middle of a job) and double the normal amount (which is 3.5 mils to a litre of water) to 7 mils per litre, add in one ml of Raingard so the spray stays on, rain or shine for up to 14 days. Mix up and place in a trigger sprayer and use this spray after pruning each rose to cover the wounds.
Once made up the spray will keep for sometime but you need shake the sprayer well as the copper will settle. When using Raingard or its spray on frost protection cousin, Vaporgard, you must remember that these are films which set on the areas sprayed, to obtain their benefits.
This means that after you have finished spraying with these aids, that you should flush and spray some clean water through your sprayer, otherwise the residues left will set and block up the jets.
Hot water is best to use for this purpose and spray the water till it runs clean.
If on the other hand you forget to do this simple task, then when you come to use the same sprayer again and find that the jets are blocked, you need to dismantle and clear the jets with a bit of fine wire and soak them in methylated spirits.
Choose your day to prune carefully, it should be after a few days without rain with sun and wind to dry the soil and air. This is very important as the deadly silver leaf disease favours entering fresh wounds when the air is moist and cool. In areas where silver leaf disease is a major problem extra care should be taken. It is also a very good practise in the spring, after a reasonable amount of new foliage appears, to give the roses a couple of sprays, a month apart, with Perkfection. This builds up the immune system of the rose and can allow a rose to recover from the disease if it is not too far advanced.
It also protects against a number of other diseases as well, through fortifying the rose’s immune system.
If early in the season when the new shoots are out and we have a cold snap you can protect the delicate shoots with a spray of Vaporgard.