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March 2019 in the garden
March in the garden Well autumn has officially arrived, but we are still getting summery days, but cooler nights. I have just been to Nelson where the drought is the worse it has been since records began. Fortunately we all got some soaking rain recently which helped to reduce the water stress on plants. In…
Read MoreA successful inner city garden makeover
Problem: This inner city property had a backyard which was overgrown with weeds and grass and was not usable. The ground level was higher than the house floor level, causing drainage issues. The existing gardens were overgrown and the trees were in poor condition. The client wanted a usable outdoor entertainment area that was at…
Read MoreHow to have a great lawn
Lawns Lawns are an important component of any landscape as they provide a great green backdrop and usable space to utilise. It is common to want a nice lawn for children to play sport on, or dogs to run around on, or just having the feel of green cool grass underfoot. As with any component…
Read MoreHow to grow edible plants in your garden
Edible plants are very popular at the moment. My two latest books have been on this subject – The Edible Garden Planner and Fruit Growers Handbook. I was lucky enough to co author them with Diana Anthony from Australia, who is a mine of information on the subject. Growing edible plants: Growing your own…
Read MoreWinter in the garden
What to do in the garden: We have had some wintry weather in the last week after a very balmy autumn. As it is now officially winter, it will be a good idea to look at what to do in the garden. Frosts: Now we are starting to have frosts, your frost tender plants will…
Read MoreWhat to do with steep banks
Using native plants on a bank Recently we completed a garden with a steep bank behind it, part of which was crumbling. We excavated back the overhanging part of the bank and used rock anchors and mesh to hold the newly cut back bank. You can use sprayed concrete over the mesh, but in this…
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