We are having a very wet Winter so far so this will restrict much of what we can do in the garden during this month. It will be better to wait for improved weather so that we will not do any harm in and around the garden. Most of the work needed to be done … Read More
Flower Garden Carry on with bulb planting. Remember many bulbs do just as well in pots. Plant Spring flowering plants such as polyanthus, primulas, pansies, poppies and forget-me-nots. Lift dahlias and begonias after frosts, cut back the tops and store in a cool dark place. Cut back by about 1/3 chrysanthemums as the flowers finish. … Read More
Flower Garden As summer flowers pass their best remove them and prepare the ground for planting for Winter/Spring flowers like pansy, wall flowers, polyanthus and violas. Now is bulb planting time. Choose good firm unblemished bulbs and plant as soon as possible so they get a good start. Sow sweet peas now in good deep … Read More
Mother of Herbs (Plectranthus amboinicus) Common Names: Indian borage, Spanish thyme or Cuban oregano. This is an exciting new herb to add to our already extensive range and is used in traditional Indian medicine for its soporific qualities among other things. If you have trouble sleeping try adding one leaf to a cup of boiling … Read More
AUGUST – ALL ABOUT GARDENING With Michael Coulter N.I.W.A said, ‘Mild winter – outbreaks of southerlies’…They were exactly right. It was the 4th – warmest July on record for N.Z… Very warm in the South, dry in the North. A very warm July was experienced in the South Island. Mean temperatures for July were well … Read More
It’s been a darn good summer and tested us as gardeners. Extremely sunny across New Zealand. The combination of northwest winds and the ‘blocking high’ resulted in record January sunshine across the eastern South Island. Temperatures were above average. Of the six main centres in January 2013, Auckland was the warmest, Dunedin the coolest, Wellington … Read More
Each spring the first Magnolia to flower is Magnolia campbelli. It is a stately tree suitable for slightly larger gardens and well worth growing. This deciduous Himalayan species eventually grows 24 m tall with a 12 m wide crown in the right conditions and there are few this size in NZ, usually they are a … Read More
One of the most interesting and popular plants for Winter colour is Heleborus orientalis or Lenton Rose. In recent years both in New Zealand and overseas plant breeding programmes have created new and named cultures of beautiful plants. Flowering in later in winter they send upright stems up through the old leaves. The slightly nodding … Read More
Spring would not be spring without Forsythia. Forsythias grow well in almost any garden soil and are very hardy. They do need a lot of sun to ensure they flower well in spring. Each spring the Forsythia is one of the first and most colour flowering shrubs to welcome the new growing season. Its bright … Read More