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 […]
It’s a wonderful time in the vege patch just now, with all that sunshine really helping you to reap the rewards of your hard work. My prize plant this year is a Rockmelon that is coming along nicely. I have put an old brick underneath it to keep it warm and encourage it to grow. […]
Hawke’s Bay to host New Zealand Soil Carbon Conference The international spotlight will be on Hawke’s Bay when the NZ Soil Carbon Conference is held in Napier in June. Featuring international experts, renowned scientists and industry leaders, the three day conference will focus on the reality of climate change, biological farming and the huge global […]
Sustainability is a buzzword which permeates flower shows these days – and this year’s Ellerslie International Flower Show is no exception. Waterwise planting, water recycling, intelligent use of water, low-energy gardens and restoring soil nutrients are all key international garden trends and many of these concepts will be seen in two exhibition gardens at […]
This month we discuss what to plant in January, how to save seeds, offer tips on saving water and tell you why you shouldn’t worry about slaters in your garden. Seedlings to plant in January Beetroot, Carrot, Celery, Climbing beans, Cucumber, Dwarf beans, Lettuce, Leeks, Kumara, Parsnip, Pepper, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet Saving seeds Seed saving is the […]
Worms are the most efficient method of recycling household waste into high value nutrients for the garden. Having your own worm farm is a great way to turn your kitchen scraps into liquid plant food and worm casts (virmicasts) which can then be incorporated into your gardens or containers.
Conservation groups are reporting that 2009 is set to be a pivotal year in New Zealand’s sustainable revolution. Green living has now gone mainstream, and it’s everyday people that are leading it. 2008 was a sobering year for environmental news. In October, WWF’s Living Planet Report found that our use of natural resources per person […]
A senior researcher at GNS Science is using a novel test that can verify if vegetables in the supermarket have been grown organically. Karyne Rogers of GNS Science’s Stable Isotope Laboratory in Lower Hutt said the method was an inexpensive way to verify the organic status of vegetables by distinguishing between vegetables grown with organic […]
