Behind the scenes

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity as I’ve been frantically selecting scion material for our rhododendron cuttings. February and March have kept me on my toes, with the unpredictable summer weather making things particularly tricky. Some cutting material hasn’t hardened off properly, while others have done so too early—meaning we’ve had…

Over the past couple of months, we’ve faced some challenges in freighting plants across the country, but I want to take you behind the scenes and share the exciting changes we’re making to improve the process. First, let me say how much I appreciate the incredible patience many of you have shown while we worked…

Oh, how plans love to change! Steve and I originally had this grand idea to plant popular oaks to helpbreak the wind and shield our shiny new propagation house from that relentless Canterburynor’wester and the harsh western sun. All was going well—earthworks done, smiles allaround—until our lovely contractor piped up: “Knowing you, you’ll want a…

What a Year It’s Been! Wow, what a year! After hitting the road for a New Zealand-wide rhodo road trip, it quickly showed important it is to start doing more of our own propagating. So, we sharpened our secateurs and got to work, beginning to collect material in February. Selecting cuttings was the quick part;…

Each year, I’ve had grand plans to add some Christmas decorations to the nursery, and this year, I’m finally on to it! The Thuja trees, which protect our plants from the afternoon sun in the shade house, make the perfect Christmas trees. With a little inspiration from Pinterest, I’ve turned some wooden pallets into fun…

Over the past month, we’ve had the pleasure of working with Anne Gane, a talented florist you can see at the upcoming Rakaia Fete. Anne has been helping us bring our beautiful rhododendrons into unique table settings. While rhododendrons aren’t often used in floral design, their vibrant colours, unique textures, and striking blooms make them…

We’ve had some absolutely stunning weather lately, and we’ve been making the most of it to get things moving here at RhodoDirect. The big news? Our new propagation house is nearly up! We’ve been all hands-on deck, installing the internal hoop system in the main tunnel house—so much so that we’re all feeling a little…

Spring has officially sprung at our nursery, and we’re in full spring-cleaning mode—just call me Marie Kondo! This season of renewal is the perfect time to refresh, reorganise, and make way for new growth, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. One of the first things you’ll notice on your next visit is our brand-new…

It’s incredibly exciting to venture down to the propagation houses daily and check on our cuttings. Steve can’t resist peeking under the trays to see if the roots are sprouting. It seems like we’re in for another successful year with our propagation efforts, as the roots are already reaching the bottom of the trays, and…

July is the perfect time to start planning your next gardening venture. Here’s our tried-and-true method for preparing new flower beds: Steve and I often get inspiration from other people’s gardens and browsing Pinterest. Once I gather ideas, I have to persuade Steve that another garden bed is necessary. We head outside with a hose…