Great
design ideas!!
Although winter is the season where the garden
rests, there’s certainly no rest for
the gardener!! We love this time of year.
It’s cooler and it’s a great time
to give the garden a really good tidy up.
By clearing the garden of debris and weeds,
you’ll help keep the pest population
down, including slugs and snails. And, if
you do need to get rid of unwanted pests,
we have really efficient products... come
in and talk to us.
Winter in your garden doesn’t have
to be drab and colourless. We have some great
design ideas about ways to improve the look
of your existing garden or create a completely
new-look garden from scratch. Come in and
talk to us about our garden
consultation service.
We’ve also got some wonderful ideas
for Mother’s Day gifts including colourful,
fun, designer gumboots which just have to
be seen to be believed... check
them out.
We also feature pots for use either outdoors
and indoors. We’ve a great selection,
anything from large to small and in between,
with a range of colours, ideal for setting
off areas in the garden or brightening up
your deck or balcony. Call in to see what
we have...
WHAT'S
GROWING ON...
Garden Consultation
service...
- Want to design your new garden?
- Tired of your current garden and want
to redesign it?
- Need ideas for a winter garden?
We can help you to achieve your dream garden.
Our Consultancy Service is available now!
Most site visits are attended by us both sharing
our collected knowledge of plants, design
aspects and cultivation aspects. Visit us
(we’re open 7 days) or email us to discuss
your garden problems and we will work with
you to solve them.
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MOTHER'S
DAY HOT SHOPPING LIST
With Mother’s Day fast approaching
we thought some gift ideas might come in handy.
- Potted bulbs –
already done for you in pots from our stunning
new collection and full of the promise of
spring
- Classic Camellias –
choose a pretty sasanqua variety that is
flowering now. (And remember each year it’ll
flower for Mum around Mothers’ Day).
- Hortus ornamenti –
new range of handmade pumice korus, our
classic pukekos are back and brand new glazed
birdbaths
- Funky Wellies –
gorgeous flowers and stripes will make Mum
the ‘glam girl’ this winter
(and keep her feet dry) in the garden, or
on the sports field.
- Tuff Trugs – we
harp on about these trugs because they are
both useful and decorative and come in a
great range of colours and sizes.
- Sheep – ornamental
of course and absolutely delightful!
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GONE
POTTY!
We’ve unpacked a brand
new collection of awesome pots! Here are our
thoughts on pot style at the moment...
Pots and the way we use them have undertaken
a few changes over the past 5 years in terms
of shape and colour and how we use them;
What’s out: Groups
of small pots dotted around the place –
very untidy.
What’s in: Big bold
pots on their own or paired interpret the
minimalist look more.
Out: Bun shaped pots or heavy
rims have been overtaken by:
In: A taller more streamlined
look – squares or rounds tapered in
towards the base.
Colours are following fashion
more than ever before; glaze colours include
black, black/brown and gunmetal, red (orange
toned as opposed to blue/red) and chartreuse.
Planting:
Always choose the pot and
the plant together as it is very important
to get the proportions right.
Consider all aspects of the plant –
is the foliage the right colour tone to match
or contrast with the pot.
Great plants to use:
Astelia nervosa ‘Westerland’
Camellia ‘Quintessence’
Chionochloa flavicans
Corokia ‘Silver Ghost’
topiary spheres
Phormium ‘Jester’
Cordyline 'Albertii'
Just a few of the many plants that can create
a striking effect in your garden!
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AUTUMN
WORK AND TIPS TO KEEP YOUR GARDEN IN SHAPE
Now is a great time to get
the garden in shape! As winter comes on and
growth slows down you can catch up on all
those things that you have been meaning to
do including:
- Trim and feed topiary and hedges. Use
Osmocote for Native Gardens on
NZ plants or Debcote for exotics.
Both fertilisers release slowly and can
be used on plants in pots.
- Dig compost and Garden Galore into your
soil to nourish it and improve the texture.
Very heavy clay soils will benefit from
an application of gypsum.
- Do rake up the leaves that falling on
lawns and over plants at this time of the
year. Soggy leaf litter causes moss in lawns!
Store leaves from deciduous trees in big
plastic bags with a bit of blood and bone
and you’ll have a wonderful mulch
for spring.
- Treat citrus with copper spray as a preventative
against verrucosis.
- Mulch your garden; at this time of the
year it acts like a ‘blanket’
for your plants.
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QUESTION CORNER
Q.
How can I make my hanging Baskets
look bright in winter?
A.
As hanging baskets are often displayed
in prominent positions, it is important they
always look their best - the areas you usually
find these are those you visit often, either
with guests or just to enjoy time in your
garden.
So, Some Simple
Rules
Never wait until the plants
are looking limp and dead! Refresh them just
as they are going off their peak blooming,
generally twice a year.
Always water regularly,
unless the baskets are out in the open and
receiving plenty of natural rainwater. This
is a confined environment and the plants use
the water stored in the soil and water storage
granules quickly.
Liquid Feed often. This
supplies extra nutrients which may have been
present in the potting mix originally but
are used up more quickly than if the plant
were in a bigger container or in the ground.
Use the best quality potting mix
available. You get what you pay for and the
better mixes have more goodies (fertiliser
and water storage agents).
Winter Baskets
Ideas
We feel the best winter colour comes from
a combination of coloured foliage and reliable
winter flowering annuals. Try the following
groupings (don’t forget to add some
dwarf spring flowering bulbs
for a surprise!)
Blue/ silver: Dwarf blue cinerarias, blue
polyanthus, Cineraria ‘Silver Lace or
‘Dusty Miller’, Ivy ‘Glacier’,
Hyacinth ‘King of the Blues’
Red Red Red! Red Polyanthus, red pansies,
Carex testacea or dwarf red flax, red beetroot,
red Anemones
Icy White: White primula, white polyanthus,
Hellebore ‘White Magic, small leafed
green ivy, parsley, short growing white tulips.
Tips
Place a plastic saucer or cut off supermarket
bag in the base of the basket before adding
the mix – it helps to retain moisture
for the plants to use. Liquid feed at base
after planting – this helps the roots
establish quickly. Add some dried
blood for the primulas, polyanthus
and pansies to use – it’s the
secret to good winter flowering!
Pot up and enjoy! We’ll
be back in spring with our spring Hanging
Basket combinations!
Till next time...
Regards
Anne
