When I see the word hibiscus I think of big, beautiful blooms. When I hear the words New Zealand I remember scenic flax covered coasts. But when I think of New Zealand hibiscus I feel troubled. I should have known when this hibiscus germinated so readily and grew so easily that there would be trouble. Trouble when it grew so fast and sparsely and discouraging … Continue reading Growing New Zealand Hibiscus
Cordyline australis is a true New Zealand tree. I saw it everywhere I went in Wellington. It was at the botanical gardens proudly sporting a nameplate and it was in my brothers backyard with a small girl climbing its branches. Up on a hill and down by the sea, this tree grows from the North to the South on both islands. I really like the … Continue reading The Cabbage Tree
The nursery in New Zealand was so familiar and yet so far away. This summer I stepped off a plane from a sunny Washington summer into a cool and windy New Zealand winter. It was a surreal experience to not only change time zones but also to change seasons. I felt like I had fallen back in time to March. One of my first stops … Continue reading New Zealand Nursery
As I was exploring the Wellington Botanic Garden today I had a chance encounter with a very unusual tree. Near the Lady Norwood Rose Garden I met a Banksia integrifolia or Banksia on a steeply sloped hillside. The first thing I noticed were the unusual seed pods, or woody cones that were persistent all over the tree. They have such an interesting shape and are … Continue reading Banksia
We visited the local garden center today, Palmer’s, and it was fun to see so many familiars mixed in with some strange new species. They were selling winter flowers like pansies and cyclamen, ornamental cabbage and primroses. I also recognized camellias, azaleas, roses and choisya in the nursery. It was strange because almost everything was evergreen. There were a few deciduous shrubs, I saw a … Continue reading At the Nursery in Wellington
Rainyleaf 