Can you have a garden without plants? – a good question indeed. Many people’s idea of a garden is somewhere to grow flowers, vegetables and fruit. Indeed one definition of a garden is ‘a place set aside from the wilderness where the hand of the gardener works in harmony with nature to cultivate for use […]
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 […]
I have been surprised this week about the number of gardeners who have called me in regards to problems they are having with potatoes, tomatoes, beans and roses. Generally the problems have all been along the lines of distorted or unusual new growths on otherwise very healthy looking plants. The cause, in all cases, has […]
New season tomato plants are now becoming available from your garden centre and now is a good time to start off an early tomato plant or two. The best advise is to plant out, or pot up, a couple of tomato plants every month for the next six or seven months. By doing this you […]
August may be a slow time in the vege patch in some respects, but there are a few things you can get on with now that will put you in good stead for some bumper crops in the spring. What to plant in August: (seedlings only) Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Perpetual spinach Silverbeet Garlic Prepare now […]
It might seem ridiculous to be thinking about Christmas already, but if you want the freshest, juiciest homegrown strawberries this coming festive season, it’s time to start planning. Awapuni gardening guru, Tod Palenski, says in most parts of the country you can start planting strawberries from June, but if you’re in the cooler southern regions, […]
Winter for most of us is a time for staying indoors relishing the warmth of open fires and hot food. As the temperature drops, so does the desire to be outdoors in the garden…. But a garden in winter does not need to be dreary and bare. Although a winter garden lacks the joy of […]
Part 3 of a series on designing your garden By Nick Robinson www.nickrobinson.co.nz Autumn This week it seems timely to celebrate autumn and plan planting schemes for the winter. The summer recedes, but autumn can be one of the most beautiful and colourful seasons and the autumn leaf colours last an unusually long time in […]
