|
|
About Us
WELCOME to Cara Cottage Nursery, so named for my home which is part caravan, part cottage. My name is Margaret Brewer.
This small nursery specialises in easy-to-grow perennials for the home gardeners of New Zealand. I also have a few not so easy ones for the advanced
gardeners to try, & scattered throughout the catalogue are Perennials that have survived from days gone by, which are refered to as 'Heritage' varieties.
I aim to supply well grown plants, well labeled, and at a reasonable cost. The range is comprehensive, rather than extensive, and mostly taken
from my own garden. Visitors are welcome to see the parent plants growing here, during the season. Indeed, I like to meet my customers, as
gardening is such a friendly pastime, and I enjoy sharing my pleasure with others.
The garden and Nursery is situated in Manaia, 13 km up the coast from Hawera, South Taranaki. We have very good soil here, around 2 km from the
coast, & we experience only light frosts in winter. The plants are grown outdoors, so are hardened to this climate. Most of them are Hardy, but if not,
the catalogue will say so. If you experience a problem with one of the plants, please tell ME! If you are pleased with the plants, please tell OTHERS!
Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.
If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. Have a lovely day!
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
PLEASE NOTE: if your email is not answered within a few hours around weekends, it is because I am away with the plants somewhere.
Please be patient, and I will catch up with everything on my return.
My late husband, George, always encouraged me to carry on, so this spring means a bumper selection of plants, and I shall be out and about as
much as I can with markets and Garden shows in the lower North Island.
I have confirmed a very busy schedule from late August, every weekend,
right into December.
These commitments are listed below, and as I progress thru the season, the NURSERY OPEN times will be detailed too, week by week.
SHOWS and MARKETS
AUGUST 28th - 29th New Plymouth Horticultural Show, Racecourse, New Plymouth
SEPTEMBER 4th FOXTON Spring Fling Main Street, Foxton
SEPTEMBER 11th WANGANUI River Traders Market
SEPTEMBER 12th CARTERTON Daffodil Market. Site to be advised
SEPTEMBER 18th WANGANUI River Traders Market
SEPTEMBER 25th KUMEU 'Just Gardening', Showgrounds, Kumeu. This will be my biggest trip.
OCTOBER 2nd & 9th WANGANUI River Traders Market.
OCTOBER 16th DANEVIRKE. Totara College Garden show.
OCTOBER 29th to Friday 5th November. OPEN at Home for the Taranaki Garden Trust Fringe Festival.
Please note, I will not be home for the 2nd weekend, 6th & 7th November.
OCTOBER 13th & 20th WANGANUI River Traders Market.
OCTOBER 21st, possibly Paekakariki; to be confirmed.
OCTOBER 27th; NOVEMBER 4th WANGANUI River Traders Market.
NOVEMBER 5th THORNDON Fair, Wellington, Hill Street, Thorndon.
* * * * * * * * * *
NURSERY OPENING HOURS * * * The sign will be out on the South end of Manaia for directions.
PLEASE NOTE the days will be changing frequently, depending on the weekend schedule.
August 30th to September 3rd 10-30 AM to 4 PM. Closed Sat.
Sept. 5th to 9th, 10-30 AM to 4 PM. Closed Friday Sat, Sunday.
Sept 14th to 17th & 19th to 22nd, 10-30 to 4pm. CLOSED Thursday thru Monday.
October's schedule will be detailed at a later date
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The next 'NURSERY NEWS' email letter will be sent out soon. If you wish to go on the mailing list, or are unsure if you are on it, please drop
me a note using the link at the top left corner of the catalogue.
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Ordering
Please make up your own order from the catalogue and send it to me, by email, preferably. Use the link on the top left corner of the Catalogue pages.
Orders should be made from the sections SUN & SHADE plants,as those are available now. I welcome enquiries about anything on the PLANTS to
COME section, but often they are not ready to be sent. The catalogue is updated frequently.
I am operating the catalogue in this way, as to add 'shopping carts' etc, is a lot more expense to set up & run, than the simple form used.
The plant prices are therefore geared to reflect this simplicity.
Posted orders are accepted, if you do not want to email. If you wish to phone, either an order or an enquiry, please do so between 7 - 9 pm.
I get very tied up during the day, so evenings are the best time to talk to me direct.
I do not give my bank details here, for obvious reasons. Payment is by internet banking, or deposit direct at any BNZ branch, which speeds up delivery
of your plants. You will be given a reference number to use, & banking details will be made available on confirming your order. Payment, in whatever
form, must be recieved before the order is dispatched.
I accept personal cheques, & you will be advised of the correct amount to enter, or, to save time, & a lot of hassle at this end, send an open
'Limit' cheque, with a posted order. Make ALL cheques out to M BREWER, and tell me that you are sending a cheque, please.
When ordering, state your Name, Address for delivery, & a daytime phone or cellphone number for the box.
Shipping
Mail orders will go by Courier on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This avoids having them sitting around in depots all weekend. Orders can be
collected by arrangement, or select from the benches when you visit during the months we are open.
Courier charges,(including a small packing charge) vary with the number of plants, and where it is going. We use Fastway, who we have found to be
very good with handling plants.
6 small plants, or 2 large, or 1 large & 3 small weigh approximately 2kg. (Every large PB 2 size plant counts as 3 small ones). We can pack up to
26 small plants in a Banana box, maximum 10kg, which is the largest box size.
Fees are, as from the 01/06/10
NATIONWIDE small order, 6 small plants, $6-75 maximum weight 2kg.
Taranaki, small order up to 12 small plants, $5-75. From 13 plants up to a banana box full, or 26 small plants, $6-50. This is usually the
same day service.
Wanganui, Manawatu areas over 2kg up to a Banana Box, $8-50 on the overnight service.
North Island, over 2kg up to 10kg, $11.75 ( Banana box size) altho we pack according to the order.
South Island up to 5kg, (max 12 small plants or equivalent) $12.50; the 10kg, banana box, is now $21.00
Rural Delivery is an extra $4-50, no matter what size the box is. Some outlying small towns & semi-rural suburbs do not get Fastway delivery so have
to be transferred to the Rural Carriers, incurring the RD fee.
If in doubt, I can check for you. Prices are subject to change without notice, according to Fastway.
The correct charges will be included in your invoice, & confirmation of the order. All orders are fully invoiced, & will be inside the box.
With freight charges now higher, it does pay to bear in mind that the cost of sending 1-2 plants is the same as 6, & 6-8 plants, the same as 12,
or more. It makes sense to order in quantiy, therefore reducing the cost per plant for freight.
PARCEL POST; Sorry, but I have made it a rule now to no longer send by NZ POST.The exception being small amounts of plant material, sent bare rooted.
As Post have now changed all the rates it is hard to quote accurately, and I often have had reports of damage, delays or upset, somewhere along the line.
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE offered for delivery by POST, and if any damage is incurred, I am not prepared to either refund or replace.
Contact Us
| Phone / | | (06) 274 9436 PLEASE, only in the evening, between 7 - 9 PM. I'm sorry, I do not have a Fax. |
| Mobile | | 0274 980137 if I am away at the time, & it is urgent. |
| EMail | | cottage.nursery@xtra.co.nz |
| Physical Address | | 69 Kauae Street.
Manaia 4612.
South Taranaki. |
| Trading Hours | | The nursery is still closed for winter, but if you wish to order by email or phone & then come out to pick up,
that's fine. Just make the arrangements with me.
To find the nursery, travel Surf Hiway, which runs from Hawera in the south thru to New Plymouth, around the coast.
On the south end of Manaia,(13 km from Hawera) look for the corner nearest the Loaf of Bread, turning down Hassard St, towards the coast. Kauae St is 3rd on the right, off Hassard.
Park on the wide frontage in front of the row of Poplar trees. Number 69.
My MAIL ORDER service is available at all times of the year.
I hope you find this catalogue interesting & useful.
Any mistakes in this catalogue are my own, & as I am just an enthusiastic gardener, not an expert, there are bound to be one or two.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time.
MARGARET
|
|