When there is a drought it is a reminder of the importance of water conservation in the garden. Finishing off every planting project with a layer of organic mulch is the best investment you can make towards the future drought tolerance of your garden. A blanket of slowly decaying organic matter both protects the soil […]
Like one fabulous fling before we settle down to winter, autumn is the season for colour. Deciduous trees radiate fiery reds and golds, while late blooming perennials and hibiscus turn up the heat. After a long hot summer, perfect planting weather will soon be upon us and we’ll be inspired to get creative outdoors. When […]
Stress in plants is very similar to stress in people. When we are under stress our immune systems are weakened and we are more likely to catch colds and have other health issues. Stress in humans comes with side effects, such as being unable to get a good night’s sleep; rushed meals or fast foods […]
Gardening, or more to the point, growing as many of your own fruit and vegetables as you can, is one way to off-set the times when your dollar has to stretch further. Most readers aged around their sixties will remember growing up at a time when our parents were very conscious of hard times. In […]
March 1st is officially the beginning of autumn and a signal to vege gardeners that we are moving onto the next season. No no no! I’m not ready to start thinking about soups and stews yet! Hopefully it will be a long summer like last year. Have you noticed little brown moths on your beans […]
Now is the time to re-invent native planting. The 1980s saw what I like to call the ‘early period’ of native planting design. It was based on the ‘DoC Visitor Centre’ idiom – a bushy thicket of mixed vigorous shrubs and trees with a scattering of sedges or grasses at the edges – oh, and […]
March is the first calendar month of autumn and a great time to garden. We are about two months past the longest day and just about four months before the shortest day, and one can certainly notice the shortening hours of daylight. This time of the year brings the autumn rain which a number of areas […]
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. […]
