Asparagus is a favorite seasonal vegetable for many gardeners and gourmets. Bountiful too – once established, mature crowns produce many delicious spears each spring. I spoke to a elderly lady gardener recently who told me that she had a bed of asparagus that is now 30 years old and still producing an abundance of spears […]
Potassium Permanganate (Condy’s Crystals) has numerous uses in gardening as well as in other areas. I remember as a boy that if one had a sore throat a mild tincture of Condy’s Crystals would be made up to use as a gargle. This would hopefully kill the bacteria which was causing the sore throat. It […]
We’ve all heard how dark green leafy vege are packed with nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron, calcium and fibre. The even better news is – they’re delicious in soups, healthy smoothies or as a side dish. If you haven’t got some sivlerbeet, spinach, coloured chard or kale ready to pick […]
Leeks are a fantastic winter vegetable. Milder and sweeter than onions, they are great in soups, quiches, or the odd naughty pie! This is real comfort food – serve with steamed broccoli, sauteed spinach/silverbeet or a salad to turn this treat into a hearty family meal. Thanks to foodlovers.co.nz for this classic recipe. Chicken And […]
I’ve spent lots of time during May preparing my vege garden for winter. If you use an irrigation system, don’t forget to decrease the frequency or turn it off all together in preparation for the rainy months. I’ve tucked up all my plants with a good feed and a thick layer of mulch, and finally, […]
May is one of my favourite times of the year when the days are still warm, the evenings a tad chilly but most importantly all my berry bushes are producing at an astounding rate. I had great ambitions to make jams and jellies and cute little cup cakes filled with berries. So what went wrong? […]
Autumn is a great time for planting out gardens. Besides the planting of vegetables and flowering plants, there is also a wide range of shrubs and trees you can add to your garden.or different parts of the garden, depending on what you are planting. It is still a bit early for new seasons deciduous fruit, […]
It is Easter Saturday as I write this column, (I normally always write them on a Saturday morning each week) and for the last 3 days I have not watered any of my gardens or container plants – including those in my glasshouse. This is not because we have had lots of rain, in fact […]
