I can feel spring in the air and the daffodils are a welcome sight! The dream house is wonderful but the number of slugs and snails in the garden is astounding. Anyway, I am having to make do with the vege beds that are already here for this season until I have time to really […]
The met service has reported that we had the warmest August ever since records began with about 1.5 degrees above average, which does not seem a much on those odd cold days, but for a lot of insect pests it means an early arrival. A good hard, cold winter takes its toll on insect populations […]
Last season a number of gardeners lost potato and tomato crops to an insect called the potato psyllid which releases a toxin into the plants and causes the young potatoes or tomatoes not to grow much larger than a marble. My suggested treatment is a combination of Neem Tree Granules and sprays of Neem Tree […]
We’re on the count down to spring folks, on hindsight, winter doesn’t seem to have been that bad this year. Maybe it just that I’m on an uncontrollable high at the moment. We’ve just moved into our dream home, hence the lateness of the newsletter being sent out, sorry. The garden comes complete with a […]
The weather may not be the best but each day the daylight hours increase by a few more minutes and our plants and gardens respond to this increasing amount of light. We are only about 6 weeks away from the beginning of spring and there is much to do in this time so that you […]
Native to South America, Tamarillos (or tree-tomatoes as my grandmother called them), were introduced to NZ in the late 1800’s. The small, large-leafed trees thrive in moderate NZ conditions – and need shelter and light, well-drained soil. The fruit have remained a popular seasonal treat due to their unique flavour, nutritional qualities and attractive colour. […]
I have to admit I’ve never been that crazy about parsnips. I must have been put off these beige, carrot-shaped veg as a child, along with swedes and turnips – all boiled to death and criminally unseasoned. (Not my mother’s cooking by the way!). I do try to be good and eat all my veggies […]
It is likely at this time that the roses are in an in-between state of losing foliage as they go into dormancy for the winter months. Some may still have flowers and buds, and if you have not removed them, they will have seed pods which are called ‘rose hips’. These rose hips will contain […]
