The Latest from Home and Garden https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/ NZME 2024-03-29T02:28:55.754Z en Pretty but toxic: Watch toddlers around these houseplants https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/pretty-but-toxic-watch-toddlers-around-these-houseplants/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/pretty-but-toxic-watch-toddlers-around-these-houseplants/ When visiting friends or family who have both houseplants and young children, I've been compared to "Aunt Bonnie" from the Geico commercial "Aunt Infestation." In it, a young couple who just moved into a new home complains of having pests — not ants but overbearing "aunts." Like the one who declares the condiments in their refrigerator to be "Expired! Expired! Expired!," I invariably invade room after room of my hosts' homes exclaiming, "Toxic! Toxic! Toxic!" I'm pointing out houseplants that should be kept out of kids' mouths. And I don't mind dashing friends' hopes of an Instagram-worthy indoor jungle if it means potentially preventing harm. "We get an average of 33,000 calls a year from people whose kids put different plants in their mouths," said Kaitlyn Brown, clinical managing director of America's Poison Centers in Arlington, Virginia. "It's primarily toddlers crawling around who get in trouble with household plants because they explore their environment and they put everything in their mouths." Most accidental exposures aren't serious, she said, "but in some cases the irritant effect becomes severe enough to affect breathing, and also some plants can cause burns to the skin or eyes." Recently, I spotted a beautiful, mature Diffenbachia in the kitchen of a cousin's home. She said her son, who had just begun crawling, had shown interest in its foliage. So it fell to me to tell her the plant earned its common name, dumb cane, from the archaic term for mute. Chewing a portion of its stem can render someone temporarily but painfully speechless, as the calcium oxalate crystals in it can cause throat and mouth swelling. Exposure to its sap can lead to nose, eye and skin irritation. Caladium, flamingo flower (Anthurium), Swiss cheese plant (Monstera), peace lily (Spathiphyllum), ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), philodendron and pothos (Epipremnum) also contain oxalate crystals. The latter two are vining plants, which require more vigilance because they can grow downward from what was considered a safe, out-of-reach spot. Amaryllis and its relatives, including clivia and daffodil, contain lycorine, a toxic alkaloid that can cause varying degrees of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. If you suspect your child has nibbled a stem, leaf, flower, root or bulb, call the national poison control center (1-800-222-1222) for guidance. "It's always best to call so we can advise about what symptoms to watch for or help decide if they need to go to the hospital," Brown said. Teach children not to put non-food plant parts into their mouths. Educate yourself, too, by researching whether your plants are safe to grow around kids. Learn their botanical names so you can provide them to a poison specialist or medical personnel in the event of an incident. Keep the plant tag handy or write each plant's name under its pot for quick reference. Not all houseplants are problematic, of course. Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are not only nontoxic, but are among the most prolific and easiest indoor plants to grow. African violets (Saintpaulia), Boston ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata), Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), waxplants (Hoya), parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans), radiator plants (Peperomia), prayer plants (Maranta leuconeura) and baby's tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) are other safe options. So are culinary herbs. Yet even though nontoxic plants probably won't make you seriously ill, they aren't meant to be eaten and could cause stomach irritation and other unpleasant symptoms. Start your research on potential risks at PoisonHelp.org or on the website of your local poison control center. And err on the side of caution; you'll make Aunt Bonnie proud. ___ -JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. Sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. 2023-01-24T21:28:27.000Z Jo McCarroll: Gardening tips for 2020 https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-gardening-tips-for-2020/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-gardening-tips-for-2020/ People are heading back to work, but as the weather stabilises and summer really begins, there's still plenty of time to get stuck into your garden. NZ Gardening editor Jo McCarroll joined Tim Beveridge to share garden advice and answer listener's questions. LISTEN ABOVE 2020-01-12T02:26:41.000Z How growing demand of almond milk is killing billions of bees https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/how-growing-demand-of-almond-milk-is-killing-billions-of-bees/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/how-growing-demand-of-almond-milk-is-killing-billions-of-bees/ A University of Maryland survey has found that just last winter in the United States, 50 billion bees were wiped out and of the main reasons is the high demand for almond milk. Bees are essential to the almond milk growing process, but the high demand for the milk is placing strain on the hives, causing these billions of bees to die of exhaustion. Ecology professor at Canterbury University Jason Tylianakis joins Tim Dower to explain further. LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW ABOVE 2020-01-10T03:26:32.000Z Peter Wolfkamp: Summer DIY and what work requires consent https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/peter-wolfkamp-summer-diy-and-what-work-requires-consent/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/peter-wolfkamp-summer-diy-and-what-work-requires-consent/ With much of the country taking time over summer, that means there is more time for people to get stuck into their DIY projects. ZB's Resident Builder Peter Wolfkamp joined Francesca Rudkin to share his advice and answer listeners calls on their building woes, including what work they do and don't need to get consent for. LISTEN ABOVE 2019-12-28T02:51:59.000Z Ruud Kleinpaste: Gardening tips for your summer break https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/ruud-kleinpaste-gardening-tips-for-your-summer-break/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/ruud-kleinpaste-gardening-tips-for-your-summer-break/ Summer is upon us, and for many, the warm weather and sunny skies means it is the perfect time to head into the garden. Newstalk ZB's resident gardening expert Ruud Kleinpaste joined Francesca Rudkin to share his summer gardening tips and take listeners calls in order to answer all their gardening needs.  LISTEN ABOVE 2019-12-28T02:16:05.000Z Jo McCarroll: Labour Day gardening tips https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-labour-day-gardening-tips/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-labour-day-gardening-tips/ As the weather continues to heat up, it's the perfect time to get stuck into your garden after a long, cold weather. NZ Gardening editor Jo McCarroll joined Francesca Rudkin to share her gardening tips, what she's been doing with her garden, and answered calls from listeners about what to do. LISTEN ABOVE 2019-10-28T01:52:00.000Z Jo McCarroll: Innovative ways to garden this summer https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-innovative-ways-to-garden-this-summer/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-innovative-ways-to-garden-this-summer/ The summer break is coming to an end for many around the country, but that doesn't mean there isn't time to get into the garden. With sunshine set for much of the country over the next week, the conditions are perfect to get into your garden and get cracking. And, with the year still fairly new, why not try something more adventurous? Editor of NZ Gardening Jo McCarroll joined Tim Beveridge to field phone calls from listeners seeking advice on what to do with their garden.  She also spoke about the booming hops industry in New Zealand, and whether more Kiwis should be getting on board. LISTEN TO JO MCCARROLL TALK WITH TIM BEVERIDGE ABOVE 2019-01-05T21:47:14.000Z Jo McCarroll on summer gardening tips https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-on-summer-gardening-tips/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jo-mccarroll-on-summer-gardening-tips/ Summer is a great time to tuck into your garden. With plenty of heat to help things grow, and all that time to give it the love it deserves,  So how do you make the most of this time? NZ Gardening magazine editor Jo McCarroll joined Tim Beveridge to answer caller's questions and give them all the advice they'd need. LISTEN TO THE TALKBACK ABOVE  2018-12-29T22:33:33.000Z Gardening tips for the Christmas break https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/gardening-tips-for-the-christmas-break/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/gardening-tips-for-the-christmas-break/ It's the time of year where everyone is spending time in their garden. With Christmas holidays combined with summer heat, lots of people across the country are getting stuck in to their garden.  Here with all the tips of how to make the most of summer, as well as what to do to keep your garden alive while you're on holiday, editor of New Zealand Gardner magazine Jo McCarroll joined Tim Beveridge to field callers questions. LISTEN TO THE TALK ABOVE 2018-12-22T22:09:47.000Z Jacque Tucker: A salute to bees https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-a-salute-to-bees/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-a-salute-to-bees/ September is NZ Bee Aware month, so today it's a salute to bees! HOW TO KEEP BEES HAPPY…. There are loads of plants that bees love and they look great in the garden - including salvia, catmint, echium, lavender, roses, rosemary, citrus, and natives like cabbage trees, pohutukawa, rewarewa and manuka. Pip fruit and stone fruit trees, flowering herbs - there are heaps.  A good rule of thumb is to look for plants with blue flowers - but they're also fond of yellow, white and purple too. And they love wildflowers! Don’t forget about bumblebees either, they are even better pollinators than honeybees. Here are some tips from the National Beekeepers Association of NZ Bee Friendly Garden Tips: Don’t use pesticides – particularly avoid any containing Neonicotinoids, which have been linked with bee decline Bees like blue yellow, white or purple flowers – chooses several colours Use local and native plants Plant flowers in groups together. These patches also attract butterflies. Include different sized and shaped flowers Try to have flowers for each season Favour sunny spots over shade with shelter from wind Avoid spraying when flowers are in bloom. Spray early morning or at sunset if necessary. Provide fresh, pesticide free drinking water for bees. Do not plant prohibited or controlled weeds – www.biosecurity.govt.nz/nppa Check out www.apinz.org.nz for more bee friendly plants to grow, plus tips on how to have a hive of your own. 2017-09-16T20:38:17.000Z Jacque Tucker: Top tips to deal with a shady garden https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-top-tips-to-deal-with-a-shady-garden/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-top-tips-to-deal-with-a-shady-garden/ Got a tricky shady spot? No problem! As sections grow smaller we're bound to have shadier gardens created by neighbouring buildings, fences and large overhanging trees and shrubs. The trick is learning how to deal with it. First things first - lighten up Thin out the canopy of large trees and shrubs, or limb them up (which means taking off some of the lower branches).  You’ll let more light in and more rain gets to the ground, increasing the number of plants you can grow – without losing too much privacy. Bounce a bit more light around those gloomy shady areas Choose plants with glossy foliage, like Ligularia reniformis, Camellias, Choisya ternata, griselinias and some of the shiny coprosmas are excellent for reflecting light. Plants with light foliage and bright flowers can help lighten up the gloom, like white hydrangeas, Choisya ternata 'Sundance' with lime green new foliage and metallic silver Astelia chatamica 'Silver Spear', Japanese anemones, renga rengas, abutilons and clivias with their bright flowers and berries. And shade is one area where variegated plants can really look good. A glossy pot or stainless steel sculpture will help bounce a bit of light around, also consider light coloured furniture and shell or pale gravel paths. WHAT TO PLANT -  there are many to choose from, like hellabores, Japanese maples, tree ferns underplanted with clivias and hen and chicken fern, liriope and mondo grass as groundcovers. If your soil holds a bit of moisture - hydrangeas, ferns like Asplenium bulbiferum and Blechnum discolor, tree ferns, Astelia nervosa,  hostas, busy lizzies,  Carex secta,  rainbow grass (Anemanthele lessoniana), rhodos, vireyas, heucheras and loads more DRY SHADE is trickier, particularly if you have large evergreen trees. Add lots of compost and plant the toughies - renga rengas, Lomandra ‘Tanika’, Anemanthele lessoniana,  Clivias, Alchemilla mollis, groundcovers like Pachysandra terminalis or native Meulenbeckia axillaris,  Astelia 'Silver Spear', puka (Meryta sinclairii), kawakawa (Macripiper melchior), and the shiny native fern Asplenium oblongifolium – a lot of our natives are really tough!   2017-08-06T01:07:15.000Z Jacque Tucker: Tips for gardening newbies https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-tips-for-gardening-newbies/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-tips-for-gardening-newbies/ New to gardening? You’ve just taken up a hobby that may become an addiction, plus it’s really good for you and it helps makes the world a nicer place.  It can be a bit overwhelming though, so here are some of my top tips for beginner gardeners. 7 TOP TIPS  It doesn’t have to be brilliant straight away. Pinterest and websites are great for inspiration, but those gardens aren’t always achievable from the get go.  Start small, grow a couple of things from seed or some flower punnets from the garden centre. Let your ambitions grow with your experience! Read LOTS! There are some really good gardening blogs around, garden magazines and websites full of information, but nothing beats a good book filled with advice. I’ve found googling can turn up contradictory and dodgy advice whereas books tend to be on the money….something about the published word maybe.  The library, TradeMe and second hand book stores are awesome. It will never be perfect. Because not everything blooms or harvests at the same time there will generally be parts of your garden that look average to rubbish. And that’s OK. It may not be dead. Or it may not be your fault, at least! Plants have seasons, and some just die back for a bit. Check the label and see what sort of plant it is, or google it – annual plants grown from seed bloom, set seed and die. Not your fault, it’s what they do. Biennials do it over two years, and some perennials will die back for a spell but carry on. If you think it’s really, really dead – gently check the roots. If they look white (or coloured) and healthy, the plant is still alive.  Which leads us on to number 5… Things dies – embrace your failures! Don’t be disheartened, even the best most experienced gardeners have plants die on them. Do some investigation - if you can figure out what killed it you’ve just learned heaps, and you’ll get it right next time. You’re probably overwatering it. It’s easier to kill a plant by overwatering than by underwatering. Push your finger into the soil, if it feels moist you generally don’t need to water. Other signs are mouldy soil, mushrooms and a dank smell. Little green shoots are awesome! Seeing new growth pop out of the soil, new leaves or the first flower bud on something you’ve planted – it is such a buzz.  Nothing beats wandering around the garden checking out all the new things that have happened….and I highly recommend doing it with a glass of wine in hand! 2017-07-22T23:06:18.000Z Jacque Tucker: The Queens Birthday Honours list https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-the-queens-birthday-honours-list/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-the-queens-birthday-honours-list/ Seeing as it’s Queens Birthday Weekend, seems only right and fitting to dish out a few awards in the garden, on behalf of her majesty of course… A Knighthood to: Sir Kowhai (Sophora).  You have to love a tree that smothers itself in gorgeous gold flowers, and there’s one for every part of NZ - in fact it’s our national flower. Flowers in August and September and is a sign that spring is coming, losing its leaves right before flowering. Kowhai fix nitrogen in the soil creating their own fertiliser. They’re tough, drought tolerant and there’s one to suit any size garden, even dwarf ones (Sophora prostrata). A Knighthood for Gallantry and Bravery - the Pohutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa. Any tree that can cling tenaciously to cliff faces and rocky outcrops and not only survive but grow really big, deserves a  knighthood!  If it dies back it has the ability to resprout, and has some amazing adaptations to help it survive.  If you’d love to grow one in the garden choose one of the smaller growing cultivars like Metrosideros ‘Maori Princess’ or ‘Vibrance’.  It deserves a medal as it faces off against its worst adversary yet – Myrtle rust.  A Queens Service Order – the silver fern, Cyathea dealbata. Easy to grow, tolerates drier conditions than most ferns. Grows in sun or light shade.  Also Astelia banksii and Astelia ‘Silver Spear’. Tough and shiny silver! The NZ Order of Merit - Cordyline australis, ti kouka, the Cabbage tree. Literally grows from Cape Reinga to the bluff. You’ll find in rich soils, damp soils, wet areas, open hilly dry sites, poor soils.... everywhere. Even jammed in your lawnmower blades (nobody’s perfect!) For services to Gardens in NZ and around the world: Nikau –  NZ’s well behaved native palm. The Chatham Island nikau is a good form. Macropiper Melchior – Three Kings kawakawa with glossy heart shaped leaves, lovely in a subtropical garden. Hebes – because they play so nicely with others, suiting lots of different garden styles.  Poor Knights lily (Xeronema callistemon) with giant red toothbush flowers, thriving on neglect. We breed ‘em tough!         2017-06-04T01:47:47.000Z Jacque Tucker: Camellias https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-camellias/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-camellias/ Just when you think nothing much is going on in the garden, along come the camellias! The ones you see flowering first are the autumn Sasanquas - which are more sun hardy and drought resistant, and make really good hedges. Camellias fit into just about any style of garden, and their glossy green foliage looks good all year round...as a hedge, as a shrub, as screening, as a tree – you name it. There are several different types to choose from (Sasanquas, Japonicas, Reticulatas and species) so read the label and pick the one that works for your garden. The main thing to know is that they need a slightly acidic soil (similar conditions to magnolias), mulching round the base to keep moisture in, a bit of shade/filtered light and well drained soil. Now is a great time to visit the garden centre and admire camellias in bloom – there are loads to choose from! Here are some of my favourites: For hedging  – good whites include ‘Setsugekka, ‘Mine-no-yuki’, ‘Paradise Helen’ ‘Early Pearly’, ‘Silver Dollar’, ‘Silver Column’ (good for narrow spots). ‘Fairy Blush’ is gorgeous, with red buds and pinky white flowers and it’s scented. Instead of box hedging –  try Camellia ‘Itty Bitty’, C. microphylla, C. brevistyla For groundcover – Camellia ‘Quintessence’, scented pure white blooms. For containers – ‘Nicky Crisp’, ‘Quintessence’, ‘Transnokoensis’, ‘Bonzai Baby’ For general gorgeousness – ‘Night Rider’ has stunning small blood red flowers and new foliage. Also makes a great hedge. ‘Cinammon Cindy’ looks like little peonies, pale pink with a white center. ‘Tamzin Coull’ – a japonica hybrid, stunning pink blooms. ‘Yuletide’ is a good red. The Paradise range has some lovely pinks. 2017-05-27T23:11:11.000Z Jacque Tucker: How to have your own Feijoa grove at home https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-how-to-have-your-own-feijoa-grove-at-home/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-how-to-have-your-own-feijoa-grove-at-home/ I’m going to risk public condemnation, and just come out with it. I DO NOT like Feijoas.  It’s almost un-kiwi to admit it.  I wasn’t even going to talk about them until I chatted with Andrew [Dickens]’s producer Alex, who says he adores them so much that he eats them skin and all. No time for scooping or peeling for our Alex, he just cannot wait to shove that perfumy green lump in his gob.  He absolutely LOVES them, as do most people it would seem.   It’s a tough time of year for us feijoa haters, because the fruit are everywhere – and the good news (for you lot anyway), is that they are really easy to grow. Luckily the trees are really good looking and tough as old boots, with the same coastal and salt spray tolerance as pohutukawas (they are related).   They can be grown pretty much anywhere in NZ, and make a great feature tree or hedge. Here’s how to have your own Feijoa grove at home – if you must… HOW TO GROW Give them plenty of water while they're in the fruiting season, mulch around their shallow roots. Drought tolerant once established. WHICH ONE TO PLANT? If you want them for fruit, don't buy un-named seedlings because they may not fruit very well. Fine for a hedge though – just trim it after flowering. Lots of different cultivars to choose from, but some aren't self-fertile so you'll need to plant two or more for cross pollination. 'Unique' is self-fertile so you only need one, good for right round the country. ' Anatoki' and 'Kaitere' are highly recommended, but not self-fertile. If you live somewhere warm, 'Apollo' and 'Wiki Tu' have good, big fruit. Teeny ‘Feijoa bambina’ has miniature fruit and edible skin – very cute. IF YOU REALLY LOVE THEM... Plant early season 'Kaiteri', followed by mid-season 'Wiki Tu' (dwarf), then late season 'Triumph.  You’ll have feijoas from March until June. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO PICK THEM? Don't pick them! When they're ripe or near ripe they fall from the tree and are best collected from the ground rather than picked.  The downside is, once the fruit is ripe it doesn't hold for long before decaying. 2017-04-29T23:02:23.000Z Jacque Tucker: Chocolate and marshmallow garden https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-chocolate-and-marshmallow-garden/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-chocolate-and-marshmallow-garden/ Who needs the Easter bunny? If you’re truly chocolate obsessed (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), then why not try growing chocolate in the garden. NZ is too cold to grow actual cacao trees, but you can grow carob. It gets around 10m tall, and has long sweet pods you can eat raw or grind up for carob powder. Or how about the Chocolate Pudding tree – also known as the black sapote tree. The fruit is chocolatey looking and tasting. For my money you can’t beat A CHOCOLATE SCENTED GARDEN. Here are some of the best… Chocolate cosmos. (Cosmos astrosanguineus) - it really does smell like chocolate, and it looks like it too with beautiful deep burgundy chocolate velvety flowers. Available at garden centres, just cut them down in winter and protect them from frost with some mulch. Calycanthus ‘Hartlage Wine’ – a shrub or small tree with a spicy, slightly chocolaty smell, with reddish brown flowers a bit like star magnolia flowers. From magnoliagrove.co.nz and a4dibbleplants.co.nz on line. For an orchid that smells like chocolate and vanilla – you want Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’.  Available at Tuckers Orchid Nursery in Auckland. Clematis Montana var. Wisonii smells a bit like hot chocolate – gets to around 10m though so it’s a biggie. From Yaku Nursery, www.mrclematis.co.nz. CHOCOLATE LOOKING PLANTS Corokia ‘Frosted Chocolate’, Phormium ‘Chocomint’ and ‘Chocolate Fingers’, Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’, Coprosma ‘Yvonne’, Rose ‘Hot Chocolate’ and ‘Colour Break’. Add in some Mentha piperta, the peppermint plant, and go for an after dinner mint stroll round the garden! MARSHMALLOW (Althaea officinalis) Yes, you can grow your own marshmallow too! Get the seeds of true marshmallow from Kings Seeds on line. The flowers are a pretty pinky purple, and the whole plant is used for medicinal purposes…and marshmallow used to be made from the ground up roots. It prefers a moist spot. Sounds good enough to eat! 2017-04-15T21:56:16.000Z Jacque Tucker: See ya Daylight Savings, hello Autumn https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-see-ya-daylight-savings-hello-autumn/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-see-ya-daylight-savings-hello-autumn/ As soon as the clocks go back you know summer is over for real. But on the upside, it kicks off a really productive time in garden.  They don’t call Autumn nature’s planting time for nothing!  Here are some garden jobs to kick of the brand-new season and get you outside. JOBS YOU COULD DO THIS WEEKEND Pull out the mangy looking veg that are past their use-by date and add some lovely fresh compost, blood and bone and sheep’s pellets, all ready for a new crop of winter veges. You can plant broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage and Chinese cabbages, beetroot, silverbeet and members of the onion family like leeks, onions and spring onions. You can plant carrots in the north, but South Island gardeners need to wait until Aug/Sept. If you aren’t ready to rip out your summer crops you can start your winter crops off as seeds now so they’re ready to plant out later. And you can still plant the faster growing lettuce varieties and keep the salads going. Give your lemon tree a feed. Now is a good time to feed all citrus as long as there’s no frost danger. Start planning – new season’s fruit and ornamental trees are arriving in garden centres, and autumn is the best time to get them planted. Pick the perfect spot now and go shopping!  Slugs and snails are busy breeding – protect your seedlings with slug bait. Refresh your tired looking pots with some new season’s potted colour. Lots are cold tolerant and look great for months, like pansies, polyanthus and violas. You can do a bit of hedge trimming, climber cutback and deadheading now too, which gives the garden a good tidy up. Just a light trim though, as you don’t want to encourage too much new growth that might get knocked back by frost. Shop for new plants – buy healthy looking ones and be careful of bargain bin plants. They may have been sitting around getting stressed in their pots all summer and struggle to recover. Also, check they aren’t root bound or diseased.   2017-04-01T20:49:16.000Z Jacque Tucker: Designing with herbs https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-designing-with-herbs/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-designing-with-herbs/ We normally confine our herbs to little raised beds near the kitchen or vege patch, or in pots, but why not integrate them into your garden? Lots of herbs make great garden plants as well. For structure, rosemary makes a great edible hedge for screening, or you can keep it low and clipped in place of box. 'Tuscan Blue' is a good cultivar for hedging. Even the flowers are edible. Bay trees (Laurus nobilis) are great as topiaried standards, or you can grow them as a hedge for screening - just watch for suckers. They can be grown as larger trees too. One of the best in the garden border - sage (Salvia officinalis). It becomes a beautiful mound of grey green edible foliage, but my favourite is 'Purpurea' - it is gorgeous! Variegated salvias include 'Tri-colour' and 'Golden'. Chives work really well as an edging plant (dead head them after flowering), and curly parsley makes a really good border as well. Thyme is an excellent low growing groundcover for a warm sunny spot with good drainage. Looks, smells and tastes great and the bees love it.  Bronze fennel can grow to over a metre with purply ferny foliage, looks amazing next to pink and apricot roses. Oregano has pretty purple flowers and purply stems, grows to around knee height. Chervil also known as French parsley, has gorgeous ferny foliage and a delicate taste. In terms of shade, most herbs like a bit of sun, but mint, coriander, chervil, chives, lemon balm, parsley and angelica will all tolerate a bit of shade. And mint? Lots to choose from (pineapple mint is really pretty!) but keep it in a pot! Keep your mint well watered to avoid rust. Lavender - you can't eat them all, but Lavender angustifolia 'Rosea', 'Hidcote' and 'Egerton Blue' can all be used in cooking.   2017-03-18T23:31:02.000Z Jacque Tucker: Time for a (Light) Bulb moment https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-time-for-a-light-bulb-moment/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-time-for-a-light-bulb-moment/ Bulbs....they love the element of surprise. Plant them now, you forget all about them until spring then Whammy!  Gorgeous flowers everywhere.  Now is the time to plant bulbs, so I've attached some notes plus a pic of me at Keukenhof in Amsterdam pretty much drowning in tulips.  Forget the Auckland housing market - tulips caused the word's first financial bubble in the Netherlands back in the 1600's, where one bulb would go for the price of a house. It actually had a name - Tulipmania. (LIGHT) BULB MOMENT Bulbs are great - you plant them this time of year and then generally forget where you put them, and they'll pop up in spring or summer, looking fantastic while you're waiting for your spring and summer plants to do their stuff. They have the element of surprise! BULBS TO PLANT NOW Lots in store - crocus, dutch iris, anemones, bluebells, ranunculus, grape muscari and freesias. And of course the world's easiest bulb - the daffodil.  Plant from now until the end of autumn. BEST TIPS Make sure your soil is free draining - add lots of compost and grit/pumice. If you have really gluggy soil, plant in a raised bed or in pots. Choose firm, fat, healthy looking bulbs - avoid anything squishy or mouldy. Plant twice as deep as the height of the bulb, with the nose (pointy end) pointing up and the flat bit (basal plate) on the bottom. If you don't want to lose them, plant them in a bulb basket in the ground. Let your bulbs die down naturally - even if they look ugly. It's when the leaves are storing up energy for next year.  THE TRUTH ABOUT TULIPS Tulips come from cold climates, but if you live somewhere warm you can trick them by putting them in the fridge for 6 weeks so they get a fake winter - put them in a labelled paper bag away from fruit.  Then plant them out a little deeper than usual. BUT  if that sounds like a hassle, just buy new tulip bulbs every year. Easy! GREAT PLACES TO BUY BULBS - Your local garden centre, nzbulbs.co.nz, bulbsdirect.co.nz, hadstockfarm.co.nz, lilyfields.co.nz, pleasantvalleydaffodils.co.nz, gardenpost.co.nz, davidbelldaffodils.co.nz, Foxtail.co.nz for alliums , Trade Me... 2017-03-11T19:44:05.000Z Jacque Tucker: The soundtrack of Summer https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-the-soundtrack-of-summer/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-the-soundtrack-of-summer/ Jacque Tucker talks to Andrew Dickens about her love/hate relationship with Cicadas.  CICADAS The ultimate summer soundtrack! Some of the NZ native cicadas get well over 90 decibels, others can reach 120.  It’s only the males who make all that racket – they do it when they’re out looking for a partner.   So what impact do they have in the garden? While they live underground they’re sucking away at your plant roots and as adults they drink plant sap, but the real damage is caused when the female lays her eggs in the branches and stems of your trees and shrubs.  They leave a long narrow split along the branch, which weakens it to the point where it may break off. Not much you can do about it -  just enjoy the summer song and hope one doesn’t chirp right next to your ear! BLACK CRICKETS Black crickets are a pain in the neck for gardeners. During the day they hide in cracks in your soil then at night they pop out to find a mate and chew your lawn to bits.  Encourage them to come out during a sunny day where the sun can fry their black bodies – you can hose water into the cracks, or Ruud Kleinpaste recommends water with some dishwashing liquid poured down the cracks. MOSQUITOES It’s only the females you can hear, and who want to sink their mouthparts into you. Not a lot of planting you can do to deter them, but you can reduce the population by getting rid of sources of water nearby.  Saucers under pot plants, leaves in guttering, old containers – all breeding grounds. Even bromeliad centres, which you can regularly hose out to help clear away the wrigglers. Got a pond? Let some goldfish dine of any potential biters. You could try a thin layer of vegetable oil on top of a still pond to try and deter them. LAWNMOWERS What would 7am on a Sunday morning in summer be without the sound of a neighbour cranking up their lawnmower?! This time of year raise your lawnmower blades and leave the grass a little longer. Cut it too short and you could allow a few adventitious weeds to set seed amongst your turf. Leaving it longer will also help your lawn retain moisture – something we all need a little of this time of year! 2017-02-25T22:00:53.000Z Jacque Tucker: Edible flowers https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-edible-flowers/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-edible-flowers/   Nothing glams up a salad or meal like a colourful mix of edible flowers, so  why not fill your garden with flowers that not only look great but you can harvest as well? Growing edible flowers in your garden bed saves space in the veg patch, or use them to pretty up your productive garden and bring in the beneficial insects and pollinators  as well – it’s a win win! Just because the crop is edible doesn’t mean the flower is – tomato flowers are a good example. Also, don’t eat any flowers that might have been sprayed. HERE ARE SOME OF THE PRETTIEST AND THE TASTIEST… BORAGE – pretty blue star shaped flowers that taste like cucumber. Use it in water jugs, on salads, fish and cheese dishes, and you can crystallise them with sugar for cake decorations. CHIVE FLOWERS – little purple fluffy pom poms that taste oniony. DAY LILIES (Hemerocallis)– not to be confused with regular lilies (which are poisonous!) The unopened buds taste nutty and minty – sautée in butter, or chop into salads and stir fries. NASTURTIUM – both flowers and the leaves are mildly peppery and spicy. ROSEMARY – we all know about the leaves, but the flowers are edible too! HOLLYHOCKS - a cottage garden staple, only eat the petals, not the stigma. A bit bland but look pretty in a fruit salad. CALENDULA – also known as pot marigolds, the petals have a tangy, peppery taste. Good in salads and savoury dishes and will add a yellow tinge to soups and spreads. VIOLAS – also known as Johnny Jump ups, they look like mini pansies. Taste kind of carroty, gorgeous in salads, also on top of cakes and biscuits. ROSE PETALS – choose a rose with smaller petals as they don’t bruise as easily. You can coat them in egg white and sugar them for cake decoration, add them to jams and jellies. A strawberry/vanilla-y taste. LAVENDER – just use the flowers, but not all lavenders taste good. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ and ‘Rosea’ are good ones for cooking. Have a nibble and see if you like the taste! MARIGOLD – botanical name is tagetes. The orange and yellow petals are pretty sprinkled on salads and taste a bit like saffron….turns your food orange too. BEGONIAS – taste citrusy apparently VEGETABLE FLOWERS – you can eat courgette, bean, pea and radish flowers WHAT NOT TO EAT: definitely steer clear of hydrangeas, daffodils, azaleas, oleander, lantana, foxgloves, lily of the valley, morning glory, wisteria, lilies and calla lily flowers. 2017-02-18T21:53:06.000Z Jacque Tucker: Design tips for a sporty garden https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-design-tips-for-a-sporty-garden/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-design-tips-for-a-sporty-garden/ * Keep your borders narrow (.5 to 1m) so plants don't get stomped on to retrieve the ball.  Straight borders make for a better pitch shape. * Keep planting simple with only 2 or 3 different plants - eg.  a row of the same tree, a shrub and then a groundcover border in front...looks great and can take a hit * Avoid hunting for cricket balls in the undergrowth - limb up the lower branches of your hedge to give you clear space, then underplant with a low growing groundcover like liriope.   * Mass planting looks tidy, and if plants get knocked out of shape there are others to fill the gap.  Narrow plants are harder to hit! * Avoid plants that attract a lot of bees around the main zones of play. * Low groundcovers make finding stray balls easy – try Selliera radicans, Pratia angulata or green Dichondra…natives that can take being stomped on occasionally. * Buy larger grade plants - they're less likely to be crushed to death. * Grasses are tough enough to take a falling tackle, but are also soft to land on - Lomandra 'Tanika', Anemanthele lessoniana, Carex virgata, Carex testacea are good choices. * Site your productive garden out of harm's way, or behind a hedge.   TOUGH PLANTS FOR SPORTY GARDENS Tough natives include titoki, puka, karaka, hoheria,  kowhai and pohutukawa cultivars. Olive trees, Mexican alder, bangalow and queen palms... Hedges - Pittosporum 'Screenmaster', Photinia, Laurus nobilis (bay tree), Prunus lusitanica, Griselinia, karo, michelia figo, clumping bamboo... Shrubs - Choisya ternata, Griselinia, flaxes, Muehlenbeckia astonii, Corokia, Coprosma, Artemisia, hebes, Spirea, Osmanthus, Pseudopanax, Brachyglottis greyii... Flowers/groundcovers - dwarf agapanthus, lavender, daylilies, thyme, Verbenia bonariensis,  Dianella 'Little Jess' and 'Little Rev', mondo grass, liriope, libertia, Ajuga (shady spots), Osteospermum, Arctotis, cranesbill geraniums,  Pimelea prostrata, Parahebe... 2017-01-28T20:20:50.000Z Jacque Tucker: Canna Power https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-canna-power/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-canna-power/ If there’s one group of flowers that knows how to throw a summer party, it’s the Canna lily! Right now they are hitting their straps, and nowhere are they more gorgeous than at the Auckland Botanic Gardens when I went for a visit last weekend. These members of the ginger family range from knee high to 2m tall, flower in pastels through to hot shades and have foliage from subtle grey green right through to orange, green and chocolate stripes…and they are so easy to grow! They generally like a rich moist soil but will also cope with bone dry conditions. They can handle sun or shade, and some cannas thrive in wet, boggy conditions. Cannas are heavy feeders - feed at the start of spring and again in summer for a good display. Prune cannas right to the ground in winter to get rid of all the tatty foliage – they will resprout again in spring. Put slugbait down early to avoid leaf damage. BIG TIP - Don’t prune canna flower stems until the dead of winter –the new flowering shoot comes up where the dead flower was, and a month or so later will produce more flowers. Some flower stems will produce four lots of flowers, so put the secateurs away until the first frost! Lift and divide your canna clumps roughly every three years – plant in new fresh soil to keep them healthy and to stop the clumps from getting too big. SOME GOODIES…Canna ‘Gabriel’ – dwarf peachy apricot, super prettyCanna ‘Tropicanna Black’ – stunning purple black foliage and intense orange red flowers in a tidy clump. Canna ‘Panache’ – at home in any garden scheme, mid-height with apricot, pink and yellow petals. Canna ‘Tropical White’ – beautiful dwarf with white flowersCanna ‘Endeavour’ – tall with lance shaped leaves and orangy-red flowers, will cope in moist or dry soilsCanna iridiflora ‘Ehemanii’ – tall, with gorgeous deep pink pendulous flowers. A showstopper in the subtropical garden! 2017-01-21T22:09:53.000Z Jacque Tucker: Cheap tricks for Christmas https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-cheap-tricks-for-christmas/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-cheap-tricks-for-christmas/ If your garden is embarrassing and you have visitors coming over Christmas, it’s time to get sneaky... Take a quick pic of your garden - it’ll help you spot the gaps. Then head to the garden centre for an instant fix – if you don’t have time to plant, just tuck the bigger potted stuff between the shrubs and keep them well watered.  Look out for Alstromerias, Impatiens and Sun Patiens (Impatiens for sunny spots) and Marguerite daisies - great gap fillers.  Your greatest weapons are pots! They can help you master the art of distraction, drawing the eye away from the ugly bits. Producer Tania was telling me about some gorgeous edible ones she’d seen using lettuces, which is a great idea.  Try these Christmas-y combos: white allysum round the edge, then a ring of lettuces, then some bright red chard in the middle giving you some height and colour. a cute shrub tomato (Red Robin is a good one) in the middle with curly parsley and sage around the edges. You could throw in some red lettuces too. Chillis in the middle surrounded by little rosettes of Buttercrunch lettuce, and white flowering thyme and strawberries dangling over the edges Endless possibilities, but super quick, fun to do and really impressive looking. Empty pots? Pop in some lavender or white petunias for instant impact. Deadhead your roses and perennials, mow the lawn and trim your lawn edges – the garden equivalent of a good haircut. Give everything a really good watering, and if you have the time, get some mulch down. Sometimes there's junk lying around that's been there so long you don't even notice it anymore. Cast a critical eye – then stuff it all behind the shed, sweep the deck or patio, put a potted poinsettia on the outdoor table and you're good to go! 2016-12-10T23:01:48.000Z Jacque Tucker: In praise of pohutukawas https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-in-praise-of-pohutukawas/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-in-praise-of-pohutukawas/ In praise of Pohutukawas – NZ’s own Christmas tree! Ask any ex-pat kiwi living overseas what they miss most at Christmas time, and chances are they’ll say ‘seeing the pohutukawas in bloom’. Metrosideros excelsa are starting to flower now in many northern parts of NZ, and get later the further south you go, with pohutukawas in Dunedin usually flowering in February and March. Which one to choose for your garden? Here are some well-behaved ones! • Metrosideros ‘Vibrance’ –Compact, with bright orange-red flowers a bit like the southern rata. • Metrosideros 'Scarlet Pimpernel' – frost tolerant once established, and small at 3-4m. It’ll flower its socks off, great in a large container.• Metrosideros ‘Maori Princess’ – gorgeous deep crimson flowers, an upright tree or shelter belt to around 7m.• Metrosideros ‘Tahiti’ – a fantastic shrubby pohutukawa to 1.5m that would also look great in a tub. Flowers at various times during the year. Likes a sunny spot with some shelter and good drainage. • Metrosideros ‘Mistral’ - a small tree, or get the shrub form, only a few metres high. Actually a cross between a pohutukawa and a rata.• Metrosideros carminea ‘Red Carpet’– forms a low shrub to around 50cm high and a metre wide. Flowers from late winter to spring, gorgeous in a tub or hanging over retaining walls. • Metrosideros perforata – a white flowering shrub or climber with glossy green leaves and small white flowers. By choosing a smaller cultivar for a tub you can make the NZ Christmas tree your Christmas tree as well, and wheel it in for the festive season. You could also make a fantastic wreath by cutting a few pohutukawa stems and wiring them together with twist ties. Not long lasting, but an awesome thing to have on your front door for Christmas Eve! 2016-12-03T22:09:39.000Z Jacque Tucker: Beastly bugs and where to find them https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-beastly-bugs-and-where-to-find-them/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-beastly-bugs-and-where-to-find-them/ This is the time of year when hordes of insects come to feast on juicy new growth. Here are some you might be seeing at your place… SPITBUGS - A garden bug with a nasty habit, Spitbugs (or spittlebugs) hide in bubbly balls of spit they blow out of their bums while they suck the life out of your plants.  They spread by jumping from plant to plant - get rid of them using digital control (your fingers), spraying with a strong jet of water to expose them to predators, or by using an insecticide like Natures Way Pyrethrum. LEAF ROLLER CATERPILLARS - They use silk to make a tent out of your leaves then eat their way out, like the worst kind of campers. If you disturb them they drop to the ground and escape.  Do lots of damage to new growth on plants. Squash their little tents with your fingers and pull it apart.  Or you can spray with something like Yates Success Naturalite, which has low residue and is fine for food crops. PASSION VINE HOPPERS - Move like little aeroplanes – juvenile nymphs are referred to as fluffy bums. A good control method is to prune off the little egg filled twigs in autumn, which is no help to you now. You need to nail the fluffy bums because they are more vulnerable to a misted spray insecticide. You could also try a systemic spray like Confidor.   I have used household flyspray just to knock down big populations - not very green, and I wouldn’t use it on food crops but it does work! GREEN VEGETABLE BUGS - Or stink bugs...they smell truly awful. Check the undersides of leaves for clusters of pale coloured geometric eggs...cut the leaves off and get rid of them. The bugs go through several stages before they become green - small and brown, black with yellow dots, then green and black with red and yellow dots then finally green. Squash one, because the smell is a warning  - more will jump off the plant. Then pick them up and throw them in a bucket of water. APHIDS – this is their favourite time of year! Aphids distort new growth, weaken your plants, transmit viruses, and sooty mould grows on the honeydew they excrete, so they have to go. Your best line of defence is to knock them back early, because they reproduce at a truly alarming rate – one female can produce 5 new aphids a day. And they don’t even need a male! Squish with your fingers or pinch out the infested growing tips and dispose of.  Spray the aphids directly with soap spray ( 1 Tablespoon liquid soap/litre of water) on a regular basis, use an insecticide like Yates Success Ultra, Neem or Pyrethrum. Plant to attract beneficial insects like lacewings and hoverflies – good choices include phacelia, Queen Anne’s Lace, marigolds, dill and sweet allysum. 2016-11-19T19:39:42.000Z Jacque Tucker: Eat Small https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-eat-small/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-eat-small/ Sometimes I long for a bigger vege garden, but truth is you don’t actually need a lot of space to have a productive patch. This week I’ve got tips on how to grow more with less, even if you only have a balcony. My space to grow edibles is roughly 2m x 2m, plus I have a concrete patio space. I’m currently growing: raspberries, rhubarb, runner beans, four different kinds of tomatoes, spinach, over a dozen ‘cut and come again’ lettuces, mesclun, tomatillo, broccoflower, courgette, cucumber, chives, borage, coriander, rosemary, sorrel, sugar snap peas, thyme, nastursiums, allysum, echinops and honeywort to bring in the bees, basil, kumara, capsicum and chillis.   So if you only have a small space, don’t be put off! SMALL SPACE TIPS FOR EDIBLE GARDENS Extend your space with pots. Most veges are happy in a pot with good quality growing mix (with water retention crystals and fertiliser) and regular watering.  You can also move them around to the sunniest spot. Big pots are best and will accommodate stakes. Analyse your site – with a small space you often don’t get to choose where you plant, and conditions aren’t always ideal. TIP - lettuce, chives, mint, silverbeet, coriander, rhubarb and spinach will all tolerate some shade.  Put heat lovers like tomatoes and chillies in your sunniest spot. Go up – use walls, posts, trellises and mesh for cucumbers, pumpkins, beans and tomatoes. Double duty – plant basil around the base of your potted tomatoes, and put ‘cut and come again’ lettuces around any bare pot space. Pots dry out quickly (especially black ones), and the foliage will help prevent soil moisture loss. Plus they look pretty! Use mulch where you can and check your plants regularly for wilting. Pea or barley straw is light, clean and easy to use. Pamper your plants - to ensure a good harvest feed regularly with a liquid fertiliser.  Dig loads of organic matter in to your garden soil, it DOES make a difference! A few deep waterings a week are better than a daily sprinkle. It’s tempting to cram plants up against each other in a small space. Try and allow good air circulation to discourage fungal diseases. Grow overhead - sling wires across a pergola or between structures and grow grapes or rampant cherry tomatoes! Choose cultivars that are compact such as ‘Red Robin’ tomatoes and Cucumber ‘Snacker’. Position your tall plants and climbing supports so they don’t block the sun for other crops. Plant flowers in the gaps to bring in the pollinators. Grow what you eat most often – you can’t go wrong with salad greens.   2016-11-12T22:24:33.000Z Jacque Tucker: Top tomato tips https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-top-tomato-tips/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-top-tomato-tips/ Yes, every Labour weekend I get excited because it’s tomato planting time. For most of us the danger of frost has passed, soil and air temperatures are warmer and there are more sunshine hours. Tomatoes like it hot, and it’s a sure sign summer is on the way! MY TOP TOMATO TIPS My number one tip – bury your plants deep, at least up to the first set of leaves. Remove any leaves and stems that might get buried.  Tomatoes will form roots right along the stem and more roots means more tomatoes! But don’t do this to grafted toms. Stake your tomatoes really well, and use big stakes – as in 2 metres out of the ground. Get stonky wooden ones, use a wire frame or your fence. Have some bamboo stakes handy for extra support.  If you can’t be bothered there are plenty of dwarf/bush tomatoes that don’t need staking. Use soft ties, and tie the stem to the stakes in a figure 8 so they don’t rub. Pinch off any leaves touching the soil, and pinch out the laterals. Make sure you plant your tomatoes in a sunny well-drained spot with at least 6 hours of sun a day. Tomatoes are happy in big pots – in fact they tend to ripen sooner as the soil is warmer. And you can put them in the perfect spot without a lot of digging! Give them a good deep watering several times a week to encourage deep rooting. Try to keep water off the foliage. Feed regularly – I like the Jobes tomato food spikes because they’re easy! Put a spoonful of milk powder under each plant to help keep fungal disease at bay. I haven’t tried this  – but If you want your tomatoes to grow big and strong you could try weeing on them. It’s been fully researched - Urine is full of nitrogen and potassium ( just don’t let the neighbours see).   TOMATO NAMES TO SNIGGER AT… The superhero tomatoes...Marvel Stripe, Goliath, Superson , Black Krim. The Fairy Tale tomatoes… Scoresby dwarf, Mexico Midget, Grape Jolly Elf, Snow White, Sugar Plum, Tigerella.   And then there’s Banana Legs, Mr. Stripey, Charlie Scotts Wartime Italian, Matts Wild Cherry, Burpee Delicious, Kellogs Breakfast, Broad Ripple Yellow Current, Bloody Butcher and Cream Sausage.  Heh. 2016-10-22T23:01:30.000Z Jacque Tucker: Put some Spring in your step https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-put-some-spring-in-your-step/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-put-some-spring-in-your-step/ If you really want to get a taste of spring, nothing beats visiting a garden where it’s in full swing. There’s bound to be an inspiring spring garden or two right around the corner from you! YOUR OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD - The bright pink cherry blossoms you see blooming are Prunus campanulata, the Taiwan cherry, with other Prunus to come over the next couple of months. A great one for mild climate gardens. Look out for 'Felix Jury' at your garden centre, also Prunus campanulata 'Mimosa', 'Pink Clouds', and 'Petite Pink' which only gets to around 2.5m. Old cemeteries are great places to see spring flowers. In fact Waikumete Cemetery in Glen Eden, Auckland has one of the best collections of South African wildflowers in New Zealand. EDEN GARDENS - there’s something to see all year round in this former quarry site on the slopes of Mount Eden. Tulips are still blooming and the Taiwan cherries are driving the tuis crazy.  The clivias are coming out, as well as bluebells, rhodos and loads of spring bulbs. And the Chinese Toon trees are a must-see if you love pink!  24 Omana Ave. in Epsom HAMILTON GARDENS – mad about spring, with bulbs galore and events on nearly every other day. Coming up - a talk on Hemp growing on Thursday and the Hispanic Spring Festival on Saturday! All the themed gardens feature quite different plants, so every space will hold new spring surprises. The rhodos are an absolute treat, as are the maples, magnolias and dogwoods. Cobham Drive Hamilton. CROMWELL BLOSSOMS - nobody does blossom like the South Island, and seeing the apricots, cherries and apples in bloom in early spring in Central is a sight to behold…particularly with a bright blue sky behind them. Take the drive from Queenstown to Wanaka through Cromwell and soak it all in. The sight of the blossoms with long pink icicles dangling off them (for frost control) is pretty spectacular. AUCKLAND BOTANIC GARDENS has a Spring Blossom Valley with ornamental cherries and daffodils, HAGLEY PARK is awash with daffodils and bluebells and WELLINGTON BOTANIC GARDENS Spring Festival happens next weekend with a tulip celebration. And CORNWALL PARK in Auckland is famous for its daffodils and spring lambs. TARANAKI GARDEN SPECTACULAR – what sort of ‘naki girl would I be if I didn’t mention my home province’s massive 10-day garden festival, one of the absolute highlights of the garden calendar at the end of October. 45 gardens to visit, 40 of them are private gardens open only for the festival. I can highly recommend the Oakley Garden in Manaia, Jenny Oakley’s garden will inspire even the most hardened non-gardener! There are SO many gardens to visit – head out and put a little spring in your step! 2016-09-17T21:10:55.000Z Jacque Tucker: How to make your garden smell great https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-how-to-make-your-garden-smell-great/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle/home-and-garden/jacque-tucker-how-to-make-your-garden-smell-great/ A couple of sunny days under our belts and suddenly we’re thinking about sitting outside again. Now is the time to add a whole new layer to your outdoor living areas with fragrance – it can elevate an ordinary space into somewhere quite special. DESIGN TIPS AND TRICKS Fragrant plants are great around entertaining areas, but also along paths you use a lot, and near windows that get opened wide in summer. Consider where your prevailing wind comes from – no point in planting in a spot that only benefits the neighbours! A confined space like a sheltered courtyard is perfect for trapping fragrance. Plant small fragrant plants like honey scented alyssum between paving stones. Put fragrant plants like Heliotrope (cherry pie) in pots so that they’re at nose level when you sit down. Cover bare walls with a scented climber like star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) or  Stephanotis . Want scent en masse? Plant a hedge!  Great options include Michelia figo (port wine magnolia), Murraya paniculata (mock orange), Osmanthus delavayi ‘Pearly Gates’, Michelias like the ‘Fairy Magnolia’ range and Michelia yunnanensis (with a lemony vanilla smell).  Rosemary and lavender are perfect near the veges or herbs and in a Mediterranean style garden. Plant something fragrant that reminds you of someone special – your Nana’s favourite sweetpeas for example… SOME OF THE SMELLY BEST… SHRUBS:  Daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance’ - sun or shade and flowers four times a year. Daphne bholua is large and spindly but its fragrance will stop you in your tracks from metres away. Others include Philadelphus, lilac, Choisya and Edgworthia….and of course Gardenia. ‘Crown Jewels’ is a new cultivar that grows like a groundcover. ROSES:  the David Austens combine old fashioned flower power with great fragrance. ‘Abraham Darby’ and ‘Jude the Obscure’ are favourites. TREES – Citrus are underrated for fragrance, and for warmer areas try the Australian frangipani tree (Hymenosporum flavum) with pretty yellow and white flowers. Backhousia citradora has lemony leaves when crushed. ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS – too many to name, just have a sniff around the garden centre! 2016-09-10T22:06:33.000Z