www.tumbleweed.net.nz
A garden centre that is more like a garden. Plant displays are unstructured and visitors can wander informally among meandering pathways and enjoy the display of original garden sculpture and pots mingling with plants gaining inspiration and ideas along the way.
2012
After the final autumn harvest in the vegetable garden many of us don’t feel that inspired to plant up winter vegetables. On the other hand, this is an ideal time to give the garden a rest and sow with a green manure crop.
Certain fruits evoke childhood memories and among these is the feijoa. The aroma and flavour of fresh feijoas is unbeatable, biting them in half and squeezing out the pulp straight into your mouth, yum!
Growing spring bulbs is one of the easiest ways to have colour in the garden in late winter and spring. Even if you don’t have a garden, bulbs grow very happily in pots. Spring flowering bulbs can be planted any time from March to the end of May.
In addition to its usefulness as a climber, Trachelospermum jasminoides also makes an incredibly good ground cover.
Lycopene is what gives tomatoes, watermelon, chillies, apricots and other red fruits and vegetables their colour. This pigment also acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body.
2011
No room? No problem. Growing edibles in hanging baskets means that no matter how small your outdoor space is, you can have a summer supply of tasty fruit, veges and herbs at your fingertips.
Bees are on the decline worldwide. Every garden needs pollinators and bees are among the best. Without them there would be limited flowers and far fewer fruits and vegetables.
Spring is such a beautiful time of the year and certainly one of the most exciting as far as gardening goes.
When I was younger (just a few years ago) and went to the school dental nurse, I invariably needed fillings.
It’s hard to think about and plan summer flowering plants in the midst of winter, however, this is when we need to start planning.
Now is the time to prune to keep established rose bushes vigorous and healthy.
Many people don’t think about planting a particular fruit tree in their garden until it is in season. However, winter is the optimum season for planting all fruit trees.
We are so fortunate to live in a country that has an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables at any given time of the year. We are now in the midst of harvesting apples, pears, feijoas, persimmon and citrus, giving plenty of choice for winter.
There is nothing quite like the taste and satisfaction of eating the fruits of your own labour. So this month I thought I’d talk about citrus and all you need to know to grow your own.
This autumn is very exciting as it is predicted to be one of our best planting seasons in years. The effect of the warmer ‘La Nina’ temperatures, combined with early seasonal rain, have provided perfect conditions.
What a welcome relief to have some rain last month. Not so fortunate for all as it was such a torrential downpour creating major slips and flooding in most areas.
December was an exceptionally hot and humid month which certainly has its downside; pests and mildew have been flourishing.
2010
Preparing for the dry - December
If last year is anything to go by, we are going to need to get our gardens prepared. It doesn’t matter when you mulch your garden, however the earlier in the season it is applied the less chance there will be for plants to dry out and get stressed.
Back to basics - October
There are a number of things to take into consideration for implementing a successful garden project.
Planting for summer - September
It is such a nice feeling knowing that spring is here – I have always admired the fresh vibrant green of new spring growth on oak and maple trees, bringing such a contrast to the starkness of the bare branches that we have endured throughout winter.
Splash of colour - August
I am writing this mid-July and am amazed to see a Prunus campanulata, the flowering cheery commonly called "the tui tree", in flower in Sandspit.
Happy gardening - July
Winter is generally regarded as a boring, quiet time in the garden, how wrong could we be. This is when a number of nurseries are at their busiest.
Chores aplenty - June
At last the long-awaited rain has finally come (unfortunately in some parts of the country too much) I don’t suppose it will be too long before we are all complaining about when it is going to stop. However, I for one was very pleased to see it arrive.
Pretty as a pansy - May
It's pansy time! Plant pansies now, for a carpet of winter colour. Grown pansies in full sun or part shade, liquid feed them every two to three weeks and trim off the spent flowers heads to keep them flowering continuously.
Planting for colour - April
Autumn is the time to prepare your garden for winter and spring. There are a number of shrubs that will provide colour during the dull, grey months of winter and by fertilising them now you will be assured of a wonderful display.
It's autumn – March
Autumn is nature’s natural planting time, the warmer soil temperature allows the roots to start new growth immediately and we can usually rely on frequent intervals of rain to water them in.
Time to mulch – February
At long last! Wonderful rain, (at the time of writing). Water tanks should be full and the gardens are moist, making for easy digging and weeding.
Natural pest control – January
With so much interest in growing our own vegetables and more public awareness in what we are eating, possibly one of the most frequently asked questions in the garden centre would be “Is there something natural we can spray our plants with?”
