Winter is a great season – it just gets bad press! Winter rains replenish the water table, winter frosts kill the residual pests, and the frosts bring those brilliant crisp still sunny days. And winter snow on the mountains gives us a picture-postcard-perfect environment, and the snow entices the skiers from Australia for our tourist …
Read more »MAY ALL ABOUT GARDENING With Michael Coulter How’s your autumn ? It’s a funny season …. the end of the growing season. It’s time to think about what we did in the previous twelve months. What worked and what didn’t. Chrysanthemums are looking good this year. It’s not easy to get colour in your gardens …
Read more »APRIL ALL ABOUT GARDENING With Michael Coulter It’s been a great month so far. Above average. But so far, we’re 40 sunshine hours behind the average for the year. We haven’t had any extremes of temperatures and no sign of early frosts. Now is a good time to clean up your gardens before the weather …
Read more »MARCH ALL ABOUT GARDENING With Michael Coulter ‘Autumn has come a bit early’, said Michael. Rainfall has been above average BUT sunshine hours are about 45 hours below average. Temperatures have been between 18 and 22 degrees. ‘Things have been growing pretty well considering the imposed water restrictions’ ‘Now is harvesting time and time to …
Read more »FEBRUARY ALL ABOUT GARDENING With Michael Coulter Michael opened February’s meeting with the introduction of a ‘special’ table and problem board that would be available for those members who often wanted to ask a question but did not feel comfortable speaking in an open forum. They would be able to place their questions on the …
Read more »All About Gardening, December 2011 with Michael Coulter On checking the rain gauge, it was found that we had 25 mms of rainfall last night. Michael asked whether everybody had seen the cabbage trees this season. It was the most prolific flowering he had ever seen. Maori legend has it that if the cabbage trees …
Read more »With water restrictions in force much of this months talk was again about ways of making hand watering more effective. The use of lengths of nova flow drainage pipes put in the ground near trees and shrubs that can be filled with water on permitted days will direct the water into the root zone of …
Read more »Spring is here and while it’s a busy time for planting it pays to proceed with caution. Don’t plant anything that may still be tender or likes warm growing conditions as late frosts or cold temperatures may prove fatal. Preparing the ground for planting and sowing is the most important task at this time of …
Read more »Hope Springs Eternal Once again it’s that exciting time of year again when our primeval instinct to get planting nudges us out into the garden. Spring is particularly welcome for 2011 in the light of this past year. So many people tell us that their gardens have kept them sane as they face the challenges …
Read more »Tips Tasks & Your Questions with Michael Coulter All About Gardening – August 2011 In the Flower Garden To get the best out of daffodils give them plenty of water now and up to flowering. Now is a good time to start dividing up hostas and many other perennials. The first plantings of gladiolas can now be …
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