Behind The Scenes

Summer Pruning: The Secret to More Rhododendron Flowers Early January is one of my favourite times in the garden. With a bit of spare time over the holidays, Steve and I can finally slow down, observe what’s really happening in the garden, and focus on the jobs that will make the biggest difference long term….

As we head into summer and towards Christmas, a lot of the important work at the nursery happens quietly behind the scenes. While the plants may not be in full flower right now, this is one of the most critical times of the year for setting rhododendrons up for healthy growth in the seasons ahead….

Although the weather has been wildly unpredictable this season — snow, severe hailstorms, late frosts and everything in between — the rhododendrons have still managed to shine. They’ve taken every bit of extreme weather in their stride, and honestly, I think this year they’ve proven just how tough and resilient they really are. Over the…

🌿 Lisa is Going Potty Potting Up! If you’ve ever wondered what happens before a rhododendron ends up ready for sale at RhodoDirect, let me take you behind the scenes. There’s never any downtime here in the nursery — it’s a constant cycle of growing, potting, pruning, and re-potting again! And now that we’ve added…

If you’ve been following RhodoDirect for a while, you’ll know we’re always looking for ways to grow (pun fully intended). This year has brought one of our biggest turning points yet — the moment we stepped into the world of wholesale. Earlier in the year, we had the chance to take on the wholesale side…

What a wild ride the last 6 weeks have been! We’ve just wrapped up a massive construction blitz — and the results are seriously exciting. We’ve installed 10 kilometres of slats on the roof of our brand-new lathe house (yes, we measured!), rammed in 112 posts, and clocked up some serious muscle. Let’s just say…

🍄 Behind the Scenes – Truffle Trouble and Treasure! If you’ve ever visited the nursery, you’ve probably noticed the hedged rows of pines on one side and the neat rows of hazelnuts on the other. What you might not realise is that under those very trees, something quite special is going on… there’s a whole…

🍂 Let the Leaves Fall Where They May… and Then Put Them to Work! It’s been a slow start to leaf-fall this year, hasn’t it? But with the recent cold snap, the trees have finally given in — and the leaves are tumbling down like confetti in the wind. If your garden is starting to…

Oh my goodness, I don’t think any of us need any tips on growing weeds this year! It has been, without a doubt, the worst 12 months for keeping on top of those unwanted plants that just seem to pop up everywhere. As our daughter Samantha wisely said, “Mum, you realise that if you leave…

We’re always testing combinations, tweaking layouts, and looking for that magic mix of beauty and resilience. One of the parts I enjoy most about running RhodoDirect is helping customers work through their planting plans. Many of you come in with sketches, photos, or even just a rough idea in your heads, and together we nut…