One of my Dutch irises - a white one - is out today. 😃 Also, two more new additions to my garden. 😃

Sharon from Te Atatu South

Photo 1: My white Dutch iris, the first one open this season. 😃
Photo 2: My two newest additions to my garden - two blueberry plants of two different varieties, both of the Rabbiteye type. It's a small bush, which grows to 1m x 1.5m at the largest - so is the easiest to keep in a tub/barrel, like I have them both in here. 😃
Photo 3: Blueberry Tasty Blue variety - of the Rabbiteye type. 😃
Photo 4: Blueberry Blue Dawn variety - also of the Rabbiteye type. 😃 Rabbiteye type plants ARE self-fertile, but you will need at least two different varieties of the Rabbiteye type to cross-pollinate and increase crop yield and fruit size, so I've bought two compatible types from Mitre 10. Check the labels on the plants when choosing which varieties to buy, so that you know which varieties will go with which. Plant them at least 1.5 metres apart if planting them in the ground, as this is how big these plants will grow, and position them no further than 20 metres apart, so that the bees can find them and share the pollen between them so that they will cross-pollinate.
Blueberries like acidic soil to grow in (so that they will produce fruit), so that's why you're best to plant them in tubs or wooden (or other material) barrels like I have (that, and they're awesomest to plant that way!!! 😃). I put Tui compost in the bottom, Tui strawberry mix/potting mix at the top, mixed with Hauraki Gold peat moss and sheep pellets. I watered it in well with Yates Thrive liquid seaweed citrus food & Seasol seaweed solution, diluted with water in a watering can. Blueberry plants take a while to fruit, so by the third year, when they get big enough, you should have fruit. 😃