August 2023
WELCOME TO OUR AUGUST NEWSLETTER
Keep an eye on your letterbox if you ordered Early-bird tickets!
If you missed out, don't worry! The regular price is $10 per person per garden from 1st August or you can pay cash at the gate of each garden. Sorry, no electronic payments available at gardens (cash only).
Don't forget!
This year's festival runs from Thursday, October 26th to Sunday, October 29th. We look forward to seeing you there!
Winter happenings in the Karetu Downs garden
To be completely honest Winter is not my most favourite month to be gardening. However, that said, I have just purchased five new Mutabilis roses to replace the white Margaret Merril which I am moving to another spot. Mutabilis common name Butterfly rose is an old fashioned rose with single flowers in shades of honey yellow, apricot and mahogany. A shrub rose which produces flowers on and off throughout most of the year.
If you haven’t already pruned your roses, it’s not too late. I haven’t pruned mine yet so I know it will be full steam ahead this month for me. Here are some useful tips on how to prune them. Information curtesy of Tui.garden.co.nz
TIPS ON PRUNING YOUR ROSES
Prune in mid to late winter.
For best results use clean sharp tools and prune on a clear warm day.
Make all cuts on a 45º angle and just above an outward facing bud (be careful if the cut is too high or too low it will cause dieback).
When pruning remove all dead and diseased stems.
Generally, aim to cut the main branches back by half and clear the centre of the plant to allow good air movement, leaving at least three to four main canes in an open vase shape.
Collect any diseased leaves that fall off your rose to stop it spreading.
Once pruning is complete use a copper spray and conqueror oil which will help to keep any scale, fungus diseases and mites under control. Early Spring is also time to feed your roses. Use a slow-release fertilizer or sheep pellets. Hopefully, your reward will be lovely healthy flowers. Shown below in the photos are two of my favourite roses in the Karetu Downs garden - Green With Envy and Evelyn.
Happy gardening
Karen x
SPONSORS SPOT
As our sponsors support us please support them.
Red Post Cafe is proud to have been a sponsor of the Hurunui Garden Festival since its inception.
While you are visiting the gardens, take a break and call in to us for some delicious home made slices, scones and muffins. Or, try some of our delicious cabinet food. Take advantage of our restful garden area to re-charge before continuing your tour of these amazing gardens.
Our Company is built on the foundations of wanting to improve our client’s lives, leaving them in a better place than when we met them.
We want to help you gain control over your financial life, so you can get on with all the other things that you care about. We understand that achieving financial wellbeing is different to everyone, whether this be someone looking to protect their family with insurance, buy their first home, paying down debt, or looking to invest and grow their wealth.
We believe that financial advice should not be about “products”, it should be about your life, and the products simply underpin this, to allow it all to happen. We see our role as listening to what you want from life, understanding what is important to you and helping you to achieve this either through our own team of financial advisers, or through using our professional network.
THE FESTIVAL DATES THURSDAY OCTOBER 26TH - SUNDAY 29TH, OPEN DAILY FROM 9AM - 5PM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THEN!
We are very grateful to our sponsors. Without their support we would not be able to bring you this wonderful event. Our sponsors are listed below plus on our website. The website will begin to be updated ready for this years festival in early to mid June.
If you want to contact the committee, or require any information contact us via our email address info@hurunuigardenfestival.com
If you haven’t ‘liked’ our Facebook or Instagram page yet, we recommend you do as we are often posting snippets of information and updates – more regularly than newsletters.
Check out our website www.hurunuigardenfestival.com which holds information about the gardens, places to go, see and do. This will be updated regularly as we lead up to the festival in October.
