Edible Flowers With spring blooms starting to colour our gardens after winter, and many of us planting seeds for the coming season, I am excited to propagate a very special set of edibles in my garden – flowers. Edible flowers have seen a revival in interest in recent years as celebrity chefs and home cooks … Read More
It is that time when overwintering pests are starting to venture out. One pest that is not affected by seasons is the common indoor plant annoyance, the sciarid fly or more commonly known as, a fungus gnat.
A bouquet garni, which is French for a “garnished bouquet”; is a bundle of more pungent or “robust” herbs which release their flavor during a slow cooking process. It is mainly used to flavour soup, stews and stock. In contrast, “fines herbes” are a combination of fresh chopped fragrant herbs, such as, parsley, chervil, tarragon, and chives. Fine … Read More
Although I have all ready started some early spring work in the garden, this month really is the start of the busy time as the days get longer and warmer. Plants are beginning to grow out of their winter dormancy with fruit trees in full bloom along with spring bulbs and many ornamental trees and … Read More
Special General Meeting Notice is hereby given that a Special General Meeting of the Canterbury Horticultural Society Inc., (CHS) will be held in The Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens on Thursday 12 August 2021 at 2.30pm. The reason being to present an updated constitution for Members’ approval. Please find the documents for consideration below CHS Constitution … Read More
August, is it spring or still winter… the annual debate! Most of the work in the garden this month is about completing the winter pruning and spray programme. Later in the month is preparation for early spring work. For gardeners who have a green house with a heat pad early seed sowing may be started. … Read More
At our July 2021 meeting, we had a very informative talk by local Naturopath, Rachael Stott. Rachael was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her mid-30’s. As a means to better her health she studied Naturopathy and became a Naturopath and medical herbalist . Rachael lives in Temuka and travels once a month to Christchurch and … Read More
One of the more interesting aspects of gardening is the identification of areas in the garden which have different climates. In these locations, we can grow plants that may be different from those of our neighbours and friends. Identifying microclimates also allows gardeners to plan their garden for the best results. To understand microclimates is to understand your garden, its orientation, soils, slope (if any), shelter, setting of the house, buildings, and anything else that directly effects the site. Gardeners also need to understand the microclimates of rainfall, sunshine hours, prevailing winds, wind types, temperature variation and the like. It is the combination of these factors which creates microclimates in the garden. Every garden has microclimates. Here is a description of some of the factors.
July is better spent indoors and is certainly not the time to undertake any big outdoor projects! The recent rain will recharge the ground water, hopefully we’ll continue to get more before the spring work starts.
As the ground is now very wet it’s important to avoid digging or planting until the moisture in the soil dries out a little. This prevents damaging the structure of the soil.
Traditionally, garlic (Allium sativum Liliaceae) should be planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest day of the year. It is not the only time to plant it, but it is a good time to do it. Allium includes garlic, onions, leeks, chives and shallots. Gillian Polson (a founder member of … Read More