FREE ISSUE
Spring Scoop 2020
Little GROWERS DIY bug hotel
Know your TOMATOES
Planting tips & top varieties
Indoor PLANTS
Easy spring tips & care
Delicious
Planting
Grow Your Own
With freshly harvested ingredients
How to create a bee-friendly garden
Thirst quenching cocktails made at home
SPRING RECIPES
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Contents Spring 2020
Features
Every Issue
14 Creating a Beautiful Flower Garden
4
Gardeners’ Mail
Celebrating your garden success stories
6
Spring Checklists
What to plant and tend to this spring
Growing the best seasonal colour including edible and dried flowers
24 Grow Organically
Better for us and the environment
28 Cocktail Garden
18 Kids Corner
Grow your own ingredients for delicious homemade cocktails
20 Indoor Plants
32 Growing Tomatoes
Tips for spring care
All you need to know
22 Garden to Plate
36 Beautiful Blooming Roses
DIY bug hotel
Our top varieties and planting advice
Use your harvested produce in these tasty spring recipies
38 Plant Doctor
Your questions, our expert advice
Connect with us /kingsplantbarn
@kingsplantbarnnz
kings.co.nz
Gardeners’ Mail Celebrating Our Gardeners
The True Value of Plants Plants and gardens are my whole world and have been since I was old enough to help pull weeds in my grandparents’ veggie garden. I love growing organic food and teaching my four children how to give back to Mother Nature. To me plants of all kinds aren’t just a trend or novelty, they have played a huge role in my life with natural therapy. My indoor plants have helped me with working through my depressions and anxieties, while my outdoor gardens helped with natural home remedies of healing and healthy eating. My family of six recently moved back to NZ and thanks to Kings Plant Barn I have slowly been able to rebuild my collection of indoor plants with my absolute favourites. - Candz, Flat Bush
Apple Pitting I am extremely grateful for your terrific advice regarding the problem I had with apple fruit pitting. It had been an ongoing issue for literally years, and I could not seem to ever find a solution. I was at a loss before you successfully identified what was happening to the fruit and finally provided an answer! The suggestion to use gypsum last season definitely improved the fruit – there were fewer affected fruit, and those that still had the pitting were much less damaged – and this year, your suggestion of using the Eco-Flo product sounds like it will help make the calcium uptake even better, and should hopefully correct the problem. I have really appreciated your competent and professional advice over the past year. - Jo, Otago
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Hierloom Lettuce My garden story starts in the early 1940s. My friend Nancy used to help her mother in the garden when she was a young girl; they were self-sustainable in those days due to the war and a shortage of food. Her job was to weed the lettuce patch. The years rolled by and Nancy got married and planted her own garden, including lettuce grown using seeds from the plants in her mother’s garden. Nancy then gave her lettuce seeds to family and friends, and I was lucky enough to receive some. Since then I have grown lettuces from this seed, and have given seedlings away too. When the COVID-19 lockdown occurred, people walking past would stop and talk to me when I was in the garden. We kept apart, but I offered them Nancy’s lettuce leaves to pick for their lunch, as well as rocket from Kings, where I am a regular visitor. - Bev, Forrest Hill
Winter with Hellebores I was out with a friend for a birthday lunch at Kings café (our favourite spot) when we noticed this hybrid hellebore. This ‘winter rose’ was new to me, and I fell in love with the stunning plant. My special friend gifted it to me (I always appreciate ‘living’ gifts), and now it’s planted outside my kitchen window, bringing me joy every day. I’m amazed at the length of time the flowers last, and the foliage is beautiful as well. Flowering in winter in a shady spot . . . perfect. I’ve already bought another small one and am eagerly watching its progress as well. So thank you Kings for providing quality plants in a relaxing environment, with friendly helpful workers always on hand for advice. - Lynn, Te Atatu Peninsula
WIN Send us your stories and be in to
a Kings $50 Voucher
Every published story wins, so send us your gardening success stories! Post: PO BOX 31002, Milford, 0741 email: info@kings.co.nz or message us on Facebook or Instagram 5
Your
September Checklist Plant Now
It’s finally time to spring into action. Life has once again emerged from the damp and mild winter. The garden is again ready for planting, and it’s best to get in quick before the weeds take off.
Vegetables Seed Sowing Sow carrot and parsnip seeds directly into weed-free beds. Sow tomato, zucchini, cucumber, basil, and capsicum seeds into seedling trays. Planting Plant grafted tomato and basil (in a warm spot, stake well and keep them protected from cold weather). Plant potato seeds once they have started to sprout. It’s a great time to plant seedlings of coriander, parsley, and silverbeet into the garden now.
Fruit Fruit Trees Plant deciduous fruit trees (plums, nectarines, peaches, apples, pears) as well as citrus trees now to get them settled in before summer. Berries Grow delicious berries in your backyard! Plant strawberry plants now to ensure you have fresh fruit for Christmas. Blueberries fruit better if you plant two varieties together (for pollination), and prefer acidic soil rich in organic matter (Kings Organic Compost, Kings Sheep Pellets).
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Trees & Shrubs Roses Get them in quick to ensure they get settled before summer. Plant in full sun and mix in Kings Sheep Pellets and feed with Kings Slow Release Rose food. Hydrangeas Auckland’s favourite flower shrub. While still small instore, they will soon start to look stunning. Several varieties are now in, with more to follow over the next few months. Other You can find choisya, gardenia, mandevilla, hybrid clematis & fuchsias instore now.
Plant perennials such as tropical impatiens, lavender and petunias now for colourful displays year after year.
Flowers & Perennials Potted Colour Add a delightful dash of instant colour. There are heaps of flowers to choose from this month, including petunias, marigolds, and snapdragons. Lavender A favourite for any Auckland garden and a wonderful bee attractant, September is a great month to plant lavender in pots or directly in the garden for their lovely scent and striking colour. Perennials We have a huge range of gorgeous prolonged flowering perennials now in. For something really special, look for the Kings Colour Your Garden range, which includes some stunning, easy-care tropical impatiens, petunias, dianthus, argyranthemum daisies, bacopa, geranium and much more.
Tend
Veggie Garden Keep on top of weeds in beds that have already been planted. Prepare new beds and improve your soil by forking the soil and adding Kings Organic Compost, Kings Sheep Pellets and Kings Natures Organic Fertiliser. Roses & Fruit Trees Feed citrus trees with Kings Citrus and Fruit Tree Fertiliser, or for an organic option liquid feed with Aqauticus Organic Garden Booster. Keep an eye out for codling moth and guava moth. They both lay their eggs on young fruit, which then hatch out, burrow into and spoil your fruit. Monitor numbers with indicator traps. If you’re concerned, pop in store and talk to our Plant Doctors.
Lawns Sow grass seed now to create new lawns or repair existing ones. When fertilising recently sown lawn, be careful to use a fertiliser that won’t damage the new grass seedlings, such as Burnet’s Ezy Start. Trees & Shrubs Mulch around trees with Living Earth More Than Mulch. This will help retain water in the soil and save you having to water as much while water restrictions are in place. Feed the whole garden with Kings Garden Booster or for a natural option, Aqauticus Organic Garden Booster. English Lavender
Essentials for all your spring needs
Codling Moth Traps
Kings Citrus & Fruit Tree Fertiliser
Kings Organic Compost
Use Easy Trap codling moth traps to moniter numbers in your area. These traps will control the problem for small present numbers.
Feed all you fruit trees in the ground once every six months for optimal plant health.
Add to any soil in the garden to add nutrients and help condition poorer soil.
3kg $14.99 8kg $21.99
$6.99 4 for $24
from $28.99
7
Your
October Checklist Plant Now
Conditions are now perfect to plant all your summer veggies, not to mention an abundance of stunning annual and perennial flowers. Get them in quick and stay on top of the weeds to ensure you get to enjoy your plants to the fullest.
Vegetables
Fruit
Prepare new beds by forking the soil and adding Kings Organic Compost, Sheep Pellets and Natures Organic Fertiliser.
Passionfruit Plant in a warm sunny spot in well draining soil, with a structure behind them to support the vines as they grow. Mix in Compost and Sheep Pellets before planting for added nutrients.
Seedlings A full range of seedlings are now available, including tomatoes, basil, beans, eggplants and capsicum. Plant herbs like coriander and parsley in part shade to protect them from the afternoon sun. Doing this will mean they don’t ‘bolt’ to flower and seed as quickly, meaning you can enjoy them for longer. Seed Sowing There’s still plenty of time to sow your summer veggie seeds. Make sure they are planted with plenty of space between them and are located in a sunny position. Germinate tomato, eggplant and melon seeds in punnets before moving out into the veggie patch.
Citrus Plant into free draining soil and mix in Compost and Kings Slow Release Citrus Fertiliser. Dwarf varieties which grow to only 2 meters tall, are also available, and are the best for container growing. Berries If you want homegrown summer berries, now’s the time to plant strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries and blueberries. For a bountiful harvest plant more than one variety.
Trees & Shrubs Roses Plant now in a sunny position to enjoy their delightful blooms this spring and summer. Hydrangeas An old-fashioned flower that is coming back in style! With huge gorgeous blooms, hydrangea are happy being in full sun or part shade. They make great cut flowers and now is the best time to plant them.
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Hedges and Screening Getting hedges and large screening trees into the soil now gives them time to get settled in before summer. Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well-watered (with a watering can) and feed with Kings 24+.
Flowers & Perennials Instant Colour Add a delightful dash of colour instantly to your pots and garden beds. Choose from petunias, lobelias, alyssum, gazania, marigolds, snapdragons and heaps more in our Seedling Punnets, Potted Colour and King Size Colour ranges instore now. Perennials There are loads of gorgeous long-flowering perennials now in, including petunias, calibrachoa, lavender, nemesia, geraniums, and so many more. Plant in soil mixed with Compost and Sheep Pellets.
Plant coriander in part shade to protect from the afternoon sun and stop the plants from ‘bolting’ or ‘going to seed
Tend
Veggie Garden Protect newly planted seedlings from slugs and snails with Quash. Keep on top of any weeds emerging in newly planted beds. Regularly remove laterals from your tomato plants and feed them with Kings Tomato food. Feeding Keep plants happy and healthy by feeding your plants regularly over spring. Feed with our natural and organic fertiliser range including new products from Yates and Tui instore now.
Mulching Apply mulch around your garden to help suppress weeds and reduce your watering needs as it starts to heat up. Lawns Get your lawn sorted now to get it looking great for summer. Use Yates Weed N’ Feed to feed your lawn and kill off broadleaf weeds (remember to be careful around the edges and not spray your flowers, shrubs or veggies). Repair bare patches by sowing the area with patch pack lawn seed.
Essentials for all your spring needs
Quash The active ingredient in Quash has been made with a revolutionary low hazard formula which effectively controls slugs and snails and is safer to use around children and pets than most other slug and snail baits. 400gm $7.99
Kings 24+
Weed’n’Feed
Sprinkle into the bottom of a dug With an easy-to-use hose-on hole before planting your tree or attachment, spray your lawn to get shrub, Kings 24+ will slowly release rid of moss and broadleaf weeds, nutrients and feed your plant for and feed your grass to keep it up to 24 months! healthy and lush as it starts getting 700g $17.99 warmer this spring. 2L $19.99
9
Your
November Checklist Plant Now
Summer is on it’s way! Keep on top of those weeds, and get your garden ready now to ensure you have masses of veggies and flowers this coming season.
Vegetables Prepare new beds by forking the soil and adding Kings Organic Compost, Sheep Pellets and Natures Organic Fertiliser. Seedlings Stagger your planting to help spread out your harvest. Plant beans, tomatoes, chillies, capsicums, egg plant, courgettes, cucumbers, kumera shoots (tupu) and many more. Herb Garden Plant rocket and parsley in shade-part shade (to reduce the chance of bolting); basil in part to full sun as well as thyme, rosemary and oregano in full sun.
Fruit Passionfruit A must for every Kiwi garden! Choose a warm sunny fence to plant up against. As they grow, open them up occasionally to increase airflow and reduce the chance of diseases.
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Rhubarb So easy to grow and super delicious. Best planted in part shade. Dig in lots of Sheep Pellets and Compost when planting. Citrus Short of space? Dwarf citrus only grow 1.5-2m tall, will produce masse of fruit when they’re mature, and can even be grown in pots with Kings Container Mix.
Trees & Shrubs Roses Most are now in flower and looking truly stunning instore. Come in and feast your eyes on their delightful blooms. Climbers Beautiful flowering climbers will be in store this month including sweet smelling star jasmine, tropical bougainvillea and mandevilla. Hibiscus Add a spectacular tropical touch to your garden with some of the eye-catching hibiscus, now available instore.
Flowers & Perennials Instant Colour Transform your garden with the addition of some instant colour. There are loads of plants to choose from, including, asters, alyssum, petunias, dianthus, dahlias, salivia, zinnias, snapdragons and verbenas. Perennials This year we have a huge range of bold and delightful perennial plants including an incredible array of nemesias, lavenders, petunias, calibrachoa, fuchsias, verbena, osteospermums and geraniums.
Perennials are flowering plants that produce beautiful blooms year after year. Annuals only produce flowers for one season and then need to be replaced.
Tend
Veggie Garden Water, weed, feed, and mulch. Make sure you stay on top of the weeds before they take over, and feed your plants regularly to keep them happy and healthy. Natural fertilisers, like Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster, help improve soil health and feeds your plants. Mulch with Peastraw and Lucerne to help suppress weeds and reduce your watering needs.
Fruit Trees Keep newly planted fruit trees well fed and watered as it starts to get drier. Water plants deeply every 1-2 weeks. Where possible, use grey water or catch rainwater to help with deep watering to reduce the need for hosing while restrictions are still in place. Mulch with More Than Mulch to help roots retain water and reduce need for more watering.
Lawns It’s not too late to sow a new lawn or refresh an existing one. Make sure that as your garden gets drier this summer, you water new lawns regularly to give them a good start.
Essentials for all your spring needs
Organic Garden Booster Feed all your seedlings, trees and shrubs with an organic fertiliser containing trace elements as well as Trichoderma. 500ml $14.99
Living Earth More than Mulch Mulch around trees, shrubs, woody perennials and hedges, especially griselinia, to help suppress weeds and improve moisture retention. 40L $13.99 2 for $27
Kings Container Mix Use this mix in any outdoor pots to help retain water, as well as help feed plants for up to six months with added slow-release fertiliser. 40L $14.99
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Our Top
Spring Plants Lavender Major
Lavender Delightfully scented, calming, and great for bees. Lavender is drought tolerant making it easy to grow even in the summer heat, and looks great in the garden, producing an abundance of blooms over an extended season.
Top Varieties Major Also known as Lavender stoechas or ‘bunny ears’, Major is one of the most popular lavenders in New Zealand. This particular flower has bracts or ‘wings’ on the top of the buds. Grows to 60cm x 60cm. Dentata Known as ‘French lavender’, Dentata has small ‘toothed’ leaves and grows up to 1m x 1m, making it perfect for a garden border or small hedge with a long flowering season.
Lavender can be used in soaps, made into essential oils, or even used in recipes.
Bee Brilliant An early flowering variety of ‘Major’, this has a prolific flowering habit with deep purple flowers appearing from early spring to late summer. Grows to 50cm x 50cm. Great for pots. The Princess Famed for it’s vivid colour with deep pink ‘bunny ear’ flowers and a very long flowering time from mid-spring to mid-autumn. Grows to 70cm x 70cm.
Care Plant lavender in free-draining soil in a position that gets full sun – otherwise your plant will stretch for light and get leggy quickly. Once established lavender is much more drought tolerant. Feed with Kings Fast Food while flowering, and cut back dead flowers when finished to keep an attractive shape.
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Lavender The Princess
Basil
An extremely versatile herb, best known in pasta and pizza dishes, as well as the main ingredient for delicious homemade pesto.
Top Varieties Sweet Genovese Sweet basil is the most popular variety, the basil traditionally used for pesto and sauces. Easy to grow and enjoyed by many, it can also be used on top of pizzas or in pasta dishes. Lettuce Leaf If you are wanting to try something a little different, Lettuce Leaf basil has huge crinkled leaves that grow on a short, wide plant. Best used in salads, stuffing for chicken or wrapping fish.
Basil Fusion
Pinch back the tips to encourage bushing, and save the seed after they flower to grow again the following year.
Sacred/Holy Holy basil (or Tulsi) is used for traditional or religious purposes, in the form of essential oil or leaves for tea. For centuries the dried leaves were also mixed with grains to help repel insects.
Care Once the temperature warms up, sow seed into pots in full sun with free-draining soil. Water once every day to every second day. Feed once every three weeks with Organic Garden Booster and keep an eye out for caterpillars and slugs.
Passionfruit
Delicious, tangy and best enjoyed fresh, loved in desserts or in preserves, passionfruit are enjoyed by many. Plant your own at home to enjoy them between June to December, depending on variety.
Top Varieties Black Beauty The most common passionfruit that is readily available in stores when in season. The Black Beauty’s fruit is small to medium sized, with deep purple skin and yellow flesh. Available instore from mid-spring to mid-summer. Panama Red A hybrid passionfruit that is more tropical than the Black Beauty. These vines carry much larger, red-skinned fruit with orangey-yellow flesh. Usually available in summer, order instore to secure a plant.
Care Plant in free-draining soil that gets full sun. Water well, and liquid feed with Kings fast food, especially over fruiting periods. Use Kings Sheep Pellets for an extra feed in spring, summer and autumn. Not enough watering can result in fruit drop. Keep an eye out for passionvine hoppers, and if necessary spray with Bugtrol when not flowering. Protect from frost and winds when young. Passionfruit Black Beauty
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Creating a beautiful
Flower Garden
Now is the best time to plan and plant that flower garden you have always wanted. There are many different types of flower gardens, from old English cottage gardens, to fragrance and sensory gardens. Here are our top floral picks and tips on how to get started.
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Calendula
Edible Flowers An edible flower garden is perfect for any keen cook! These are easy to grow and great for a beginner gardener. Make sure you only use organic products, and always rinse your flowers before use.
Top Varieties
Viola
Lavender
Nasturtiums
Not to be confused with its larger cousin the pansy, viola is an easy-togrow annual all year round. These plants are happy in shadier areas, but will still need around 4 hours of sunlight a day. Use the flower in salads, crystallised with sugar on top of biscuits and cakes, or as a beautiful garnish.
Easy to grow and drought-tolerant once established, get lavender into the garden quickly so you can enjoy their blooms until late summer. A beautifully fragranced flower, lavender is best suited for sweeter dishes such as cakes, and used in drinks.
Grow nasturtiums easily from seed, or buy from the Kings Herb section instore. Plant in well-draining soil and water until established. Nasturtium are vigorous growers, so it’s best to give it its own raised bed or large pot. The plant’s flowers can be used in salads, and the leaves can be used as small bite-sized wraps.
Dianthus
Calendula
A beautiful flower that likes rich organic, free-draining soil. The flower presents a clove-like taste, which is delicious when steeped in wine or used as a dessert garnish. Also use in ice creams or fruit salad, or for something different, try in a stirfry!
Also known as ‘winter marigold’, calendula can withstand cooler temperatures and can be grown in part shade. With a peppery taste, calendula petals pair well with salsas, omelettes and frittatas.
Other edible flowers include rose petals, chive blooms, anise hyssop, angelica, beebalm, borage, dill, fennel, scented geraniums, hyssop, pineapple sage, and sunflower petals. Chives
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Dried Flowers Dried flowers last for years in a beautiful, delicate bouquet. These bouquettes are easy to create and are coming back in fashion, especially for those who want to enjoy plants inside without the extra care!
Top Varieties
Hydrangeas
Roses
Gypsophilia
Hydrangeas bloom over summer and die back in winter – cut old branches back by two thirds for new growth the following season. Flowers come in a range of colours including white, blue, pink, purple, and even soft red.
Best planted in the ground instead of pots. Roses perform best in spaces with full sun. Roses will need maintenance during the winter including a spray to protect it from pests and diseases and a good trim to encourage healthy new growth and blooms. Single stem (or ‘Hybrid Tea’) are best for floral arrangements. Pick when flowers are still tightly closed.
Also known as baby’s breath. Best in well-draining soil rich in organic matter; happiest in full sun to part shade. Gypsophilia are used in bouquets and are well sought after for their dainty white flowers in beautiful ‘sprays’, especially in wedding floral arrangements.
How to dry your flowers
16
Strawflowers
Statice
An easy flower to grow from seed, sow in well-draining soil in a sunny spot. Strawflowers don’t need rich soil to grow, and are drought tolerant once established. These are perfect for flower-growing beginners and are long lasting once dried.
Another flower that grows well in almost any well-draining soil. Sow seed in spring. These are annuals and will die off in winter, but are gorgeous when they are both in the garden blooming or as dried flowers inside.
Air-drying is the simplest way to preserve flowers, which works well for many field flowers as well. Make sure to choose and pick your blooms at their flowering peak, when they are open on a sunny day at around noon, once any dew has evaporated. Strip them of their leaves and gather into bunches, wrapping them with elastic bands, or tightly with string. Hang these bunches upside down in a dark, dry area with good airflow for two to three weeks. Be careful when unwrapping the bunches, as these flowers will be much more fragile once dried.
Bee Garden Planting these plants next to your veggie bed or fruit trees can entice more pollinators to visit your other flowers, which can mean more veggie and fruit developement.
Top Varieties
Lavender
Echinacea
Borage
A favourite especially for honey, and bumble bees! This fragrant, dry-tolerant shrub is great for garden edging or in pots and will flower in spring and summer. Trim back dead flowers once finished to encourage bushier growth.
Echinacea, also known as ‘cone flowers’, are a well sought-after flower in the garden for not only bees, but butterflies as well. They have large landing pads which are great for flying insects, and the flowers have a large amount of both pollen and nectar, making the trip worthwhile for them.
Very easy to grow from seed, borage has beautiful dainty blue flowers that are highly attractive to bees. Plant near fruit trees in spring to encourage better pollination. Borage will self-seed, so you will never run out, and you can give unwanted plants away to neighbours and friends. Borage flowers are also edible, but don’t use too many, so bees can enjoy them too.
Aster
Beebalm
A type of daisy that not only looks great in the garden, but will be visited by pollinating insects, as well as creating shelter for predatory insects like ladybugs and praying mantis.
It’s in the name! A type of mint, beebalm (or bergamot) is a perennial plant that comes back year after year, making it quite hardy. It flowers over the summer period and is easy to grow. This will attract bees as well as pollinating insects and butterflies.
Other bee friendly plants include thyme, chives, yarrow, pineapple sage, sedum, and single-petalled roses. Cornflower
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Little Growers
Kids corner DIY bug hotel
Build your own Bug hotel to entice solitary insects to live in your backyard! Weta, spiders, beetles and solitary bees, are all good bugs for your garden and will love their new home.
step 1
step 3
Get an old drawer or put a wooden box on its side. Get an adult to help make the top of it waterproof by recycling an old Kings soil bag.
Collect your hotel filling. Some ideas are straw, firewood, hollow bamboo sticks, pine cones and pine needles.
step 2 Find a good spot for your insect hotel. A warm sunny spot under a tree is perfect for insects, especially if it’s sheltered.
step 4 Pack filling tightly into the box or shelf.
step 5 Visit your local Kings to collect a free bee tattoo
Finally, give your hotel a good name.
step 6
Visit your insect hotel often to see if any new insect friends have moved in! Share you pics with us on our facebook page.
Join the Little Growers Club! 18
Join the Little Growers Club for monthly colouring competitions, school holiday events and more!
SPRING FLOWERING
GUIDE FOR BEES SNAPDRAGON
STRAWBERRIES ASTER
PL
E
B
HYSSOP
THE CHANG EE
AN BEE
MANUKA
BORAGE LAVENDER
PLUM/PEACH/ APPLE
MORE FLOWERS = MORE BEES
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Indoor Plants Spring and summer are the most exciting months for indoor plant lovers. New growth, shoots, pups and flowers start appearing, and new varieties start coming into stores too. Here are some basic tips for indoor plant care in spring.
Spring care tips Watering
Light
Spring means more watering. Test the soil with your finger to see how much moisture the mix is still holding. September may still be a little cool, but by the end of the month you should be making sure your plants are getting more moisture than they have been over winter. Make sure not to overwater cacti, and always tip out excess water from saucers so that plants don’t sit in water.
Indirect light is best for most indoor plants: only heat-loving plants such as cacti can withstand the sun’s harsh rays. Always double-check care guidelines before letting direct sun on your plants leaves, as they can easily be burnt. A well-lit room is best if you aren’t sure.
Re-potting
October is the best time to repot indoor plants as your plants roots will be easier to grow and become reestablished due to the warmer weather. Most indoor plants need potting mix, or a free-draining mix that can hold some moisture.
NEW
Kings House Plant Liquid Food 500ml $12.99
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Feed
Now that spring is here you can start feeding your plants once again. Use Kings Liquid House Plant Food once every four to six weeks to encourage new growth and flowers.
African violets and begonias like to be watered from the saucer. Fill a saucer up when the soil is dry. Your plant will slowly absorb this without being susceptible to crown rot.
Pinch back leggy tips from plants such as fittonia, polka dot plants or callisia to encourage bushier growth
Peace Lily Spathiphyllum
Lucky Bamboo Ficus Benjamina
Philodendron Sun Red Begonia Rex
Satin Pothos Scindapsus Trebi
Garden to Plate Try one of our tasty new spring recipes
Rosemary Berry Galette This galette can be made with almost any fruit you have to hand, but is particularly delicious with the berries we begin to see fruiting in spring, such as strawberries and boysenberries. Serves 4. Ingredients 2–3 cups Berries (cut Strawberries into quarters) leaves from 3 sprigs Rosemary, chopped 1 Tbsp Caster Sugar (or more to taste), plus extra for crust 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 block Butter Puff Pastry - defrosted 1 Tbsp melted Butter or Cream
Method 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 2. Combine Berries, Rosemary, Sugar to taste and Lemon Juice in a bowl and leave to marinate slightly. 3. Dust the bench with flour and roll Pastry into a rough circle around 5mm thick. Transfer to lined baking tray. 4. Mound berries on top of Pastry, leaving a 5cm border around the edge. Fold pastry up over edges of fruit layer and in towards the centre, pleating as needed. You will end up with a pastry border framing a pop of berry colour in the centre. Brush pastry border with Butter or Cream and sprinkle with Sugar. 5. Bake in centre of oven for about 45 minutes or until Berries are soft and juicy and pastry is golden. 6. Cool and serve as is, or with Cream or Ice cream.
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Spring Risotto This spring Risotto makes the most of the fresh green colours of spring – it packs a nutritional punch and is a great way of feeding a crowd. Any Herb Oil leftover will keep in the fridge for a week or so; best used with meats or stirred through Pasta. Serves 4. Ingredients Herb Oil (optional) 1 big handful Italian Parsley or Basil, or a mix 3 Tbsp olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste Risotto 2 Tbsp Oilve Oil or Butter 1 Leek, green part roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 2 cups Arborio or Carnoroli Rice 1½ cups White Wine 7 cups hot stock of choice (vegetable or chicken works well) salt and pepper to taste 15 lengths Asparagus, woody ends removed 2 cups Peas (fresh or defrosted frozen), pureed 1 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra to garnish zest and juice of 1 Lemon
Method 1. If making the Herb Oil, whizz Herbs, Oil and Salt and Pepper in a blender until you have a flavoured Oil consistency. Put aside until ready to serve. 2. Heat oil or butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add Leek and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add Garlic and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Do not let it brown. 3. Add rice and stir to coat in oil or butter. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until lightly toasted. 4. Add Wine, stir and cook until liquid has evaporated. Add Stock and Salt and Pepper and stir to combine. Turn temperature down to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring often, until rice is creamy and tender, for 20 minutes (it should still have a little al dente ‘bite’). If mixture looks dry while cooking, add a little more stock or water. Consistancy should be creamy and slightly saucy. 5. While Risotto is cooking, chop green tips off the Asparagus, and then finely slice lengths into rounds. Add tips and rounds to Risotto near the end of cooking time and stir to combine and lightly cook. 6. When Risotto is cooked, add pureed Peas, Parmesan and Lemon zest and juice, reserving some zest for garnish. Stir to combine. Check seasoning and adjust to taste. 7. Divide Risotto among bowls and drizzle with herb oil, if using, and sprinkle with extra Parmesan and lemon zest.
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Grow Organically Growing organically is something that many people aspire to do. It is better for us, better for the environment, and when done well, is sure to keep us inundated with masses of utterly delicious seasonal food all year round.
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Healthy Soil While dealing with pests or outbreaks of invasive weeds organically may be more difficult, the trick with organic gardening is to pre-empt the problems, and work with the ecological systems within your garden to ensure that your plants stay healthy. And it all starts with healthy soil. All too often we forget about how incredible healthy garden soil is. It’s a vibrant ecosystem, and in really healthy soil there can be as many as 1 billion helpful bacteria in a single teaspoon of soil, along with thousands of protozoa and metres of beneficial fungal strands.
Sheep pellets, blood and bone, and seaweed-based fertilisers are all great natural options for garden fertiliser
Kings Sheep Pellets 5kg $10.99
The benefits of having a rich and varied ecosystem beneath your feet are massive. Beneficial fungi often form symbiotic relationships with your plants. In exchange for sugars, fungi will help provide minerals and moisture, while some will even help protect plants from a variety of diseases. A vibrant ecosystem is also harder to disrupt. There are checks and balances in place that make it harder for soil diseases to get established. Soil structure is also greatly improved. Various compounds that help bind
the soil are created by the various soil dwelling animals. There is more for worms to eat, which ensures that more of them are worming around, opening up space and aerating the soil. All of which helps improve the drought resistance of your plants, as the soil can hold more moisture. How do you improve your soil? Add lots of organic matter. Adding Compost and Sheep Pellets to your soil introduces nutrients and humus, providing more food for your plants and the beneficial microbes nestled throughout your soil.
Some people swear by companion planting to improve the garden naturally. Some plants replenish nutrients lost by, and some combinations are said to help keep pests away.
Improving Your Soil Add lots of organic matter
Start a worm farm
Adding compost and sheep pellets to your soil adds nutrients and humus providing more food for your plants and the beneficial microbes nestled throughout your soil.
Worm farms are a great way to process your food scraps and turn them into highly nutritious substances full of beneficial microbes, perfect for adding a bit of life to your soil.
Add decomposed worm matter (Vermicompost, or worm castings) when planting new trees and shrubs, or to old garden beds that need that breath of new life.
Living Earth Organic Compost 40L $13.99 3 for $39 Tui Worm Tower $44.99
Protect plants with fungus
Compost on site
Keep the soil moist
Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster contains a beneficial Trichoderma, a fungus that lives around plant roots in the soil, helps protect from soil borne diseases and stimulates root growth.
Add compost to your soil when adding plants to your garden. Either use Kings Organic Compost, or your decomposed matter from your own compost, 1:2 compost to soil ratio. Compost will help condition your soil and encourage the growth of your plants roots and microorganisms in the area.
Mulch and water your garden beds regularly throughout summer to ensure that your plants and beneficial microbes in your soil thrive.
Another product, Rootmate, also contains Trichoderma and can be used to help prevent and protect plants such as griselinias, buxus and avocados from root rot (Phytophthoras).
Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster 500ml $14.99 Egmont Rootmate 100g $14.99 Kings Organic Compost $6.99 4 for $24 Living Earth More than Mulch 40L $13.99
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Pest Insects The best way to deal with pests is to prevent them appearing in the first place. First, always make sure your plants are healthy. Water well throughout spring and summer and mulch around woody perennials, trees, shrubs and hedges. Start feeding now in spring through to mid-autumn. If you have a plant that will be flowering and fruiting, make sure you use a heavy potassium feed when the buds and flowers begin to show. Veggies can be protected from birds, insects and children (!) with bug netting. Once installed properly, you can have safe organic veggies for every season – just make sure to peg it down to the ground in case of strong winds. Planting a sacrificial crop will encourage pest insects to eat these plants instead of your desired plants. It may also
be a good idea to plant beneficial insect plants around these crops (or generally dotted around your garden) to encourage predator insects. Plant hyssop, borage, echinacea, oregano, thyme, roses, phacelia yarrow and sage to attract ladybirds, praying mantus, spiders and hoverflies. Spraying for pest insects can be safe and organic as long as precautions are taken. Many plants outside with aphids, white fly and euginia psyllids can be sprayed with Bugtrol, NEEM or organic oil sprays that only affect pest insects when sprayed directly on them. For certain insects indoors you can use either DEEM or Debug, and edibles both indoor and out can be sprayed with Nature’s Way vegie, citrus and ornamental spray, and Derris Dust or
Bactur for caterpillars. Always spray in the evening, and never spray on beefriendly plants when they are in flower.
Weeds Weeds can be managed by prevention, spray methods or by pure physical elimination! If you are looking at having trees or shrubs in your garden, don’t use weed mat, as this tends to dry out the soil underneath. Instead use a spread of compost (taking care that it doesn’t touch the trunk of the plants) or mulch. This will supress many weeds. Maintain control over your veggie garden by pulling out a few weeds every few days to keep on top of them – otherwise you will need
to spend a whole afternoon taking them out! Try using Japanese Niwashi tools to remove weeds; they are traditionally made with japanese steel, and if well looked will last a lifetime. Make sure you remove the roots as well as the leaves. Some weeds can be removed with organic weed killers. Try Slashers Organic Weedkiller, an organic herbicide that uses fatty acids to kill the tops of weeds and weaken the root system underneath.
Small space organic gardening If you are in a small flat in urban Auckland and don’t have room for a compost bin or worms, try using a bokashi bin. This is sort of like a minicompost bin under your sink that doesn’t smell. Using ‘zing’ in your bin, the leftovers will decompose four times as fast, and you can use the liquid to feed your plants! For more organic tips and suggestions, ask our friendly staff instore!
Don’t expect unblemished fruit when gardening organically. Fruit may look a bit lumpy and bumpy, but will taste great!
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Creating your own
Cocktail Garden
A cocktail garden is exactly what it sounds like: planting out a special edible garden with fruit, veggies and herbs that can be used in fancy cocktails, to impress your friends and family! Of course, your cocktail garden can also be used to make delicious mocktails for those who prefer their drinks alcohol-free.
What do I need?
Half the fun is figuring out what you will put in your cocktail garden. Think of your favourite cocktails, along with similar drinks, to narrow down what you will plant in your cocktail garden. Go on – be a little bit adventurous and try something new. You will need a spot that gets full sun, and either a garden with well-draining soil, or a large deck or sheltered balcony with large containers for your plants.
Suggestions for your garden Citrus Not just for baking, there is nothing like a tangy, refreshing citrus cocktail on a summer evening. Plant citrus in free-draining soil in full sunlight in the ground, or plant dwarf citrus in pots of at least 50 litres. Potted citrus need consistent watering over summer. Lemons Use lemons in cocktails such as Lemon Drop, Bootleg, Whisky Smash, SouthSide, Lemon Mojito and Kentucky Lemonade. Oranges Plant for cocktails including Orange Crush, Mimosa, Screwdriver, Orange Blossom, Blood Orange French 75 and Orange Martini. Limes Use in cocktails such as Bootleg, G&Ts, Daiquiri, Gimlet, Lime Sour, Moscow Mule, Cosmopolitan, Gin Rickey, Mai Thai and Margarita.
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Herbs Easy to grow, herbs need full sun and well-draining soil. Pinching out growth tips will encourage bushing. Basil and mint need a generous amount of water and a little more shade in the hot summer sun, whereas established rosemary and sage are happy in hotter, drier areas. A bonus: most herb flowers are great for bees!
Mint
Rosemary
Basil
Sage
Essential in G&Ts, Whisky Smash, Southside, Mojito, Kentucky Lemonade, Orange Crush, Mint Collins and Mint Julep.
Use in Lemon and Rosemary Bourbon Sour, Rosemary Bee’s Knees and Rosemary Old Fashioned.
Great in Cucumber, Basil and Lime Gimlet, Gin Basil Smash, Green Gin Giant & Lime and Basil Margaritas.
Use in a Sage Gin, as well as muddled into Tequila Smash and the Bee’s Knees.
Fruit and Veggies Don’t forget delicious fruit and veg for your cocktails! Tomatoes As well as being amazing fresh in salads and fantastic in sauces, soups and grilled, tomatoes are perfect for Bloody Marys! Grow green or yellow tomatoes for something a little more interesting. Grow in large pots or in the garden in full sun. Stake, water well, and feed once every two weeks.
Blackberries & Raspberries Compliment any of the citrus drinks above with fresh or frozen berries, as well as creating The Bramble, Blackberry Malt, The Floradora, Muddled Rebuttal and Raspberry Snakebite. Grow in large containers in full sun with container mix and liquid feed once a month.
Strawberries Super easy to grow, strawberries can be added to most sweet cocktails including Daiquiris, Strawberry Berryoska, Kentucky Kiss and Cherub’s Cup. Grow in a pot or raised garden bed in full sun, and mulch with straw. Planting them as early as possible (from mid-winter onwards) means you will get an extended harvest from early spring to mid-summer. Feed once every three weeks.
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Cocktails Try one of our delicious, thirst quenching cocktails, made using ingredients grown in your own cocktail garden!
Before garnishing your cocktail with mint, gently press the leaves to release that delicious minty aroma.
Tom Collins Ingredients 45ml The Botanist Gin 30ml Lemon Juice 15ml Sugar Syrup** 100ml Soda/Sparkling Water
Method Pour the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into you glass. Fill the glass with lots of ice and add soda water. Stir. Garnish with a mint sprig. **To make sugar syrup, simply mix equal amount of boiling water and sugar Add your favourite cocktail garden berries for a flavour punch, press the berries to release the flavour, but remove the fruit chunks before finishing the cocktail.
If you don’t have liquid honey, simply dilute your honey by mixing equal amounts of honey and boiling water.
Cold Toddy Ingredients 30ml Scapegrace Gin 150ml Hot or Cold Water 20ml Liquid Honey 30ml Lemon Juice Cocktail Garden Herbs
Method Pour the Scapegrace, honey, and lemon juice into your glass. Choose which herbs you want to use to add a little flavour to your cocktail (sage & rosemary are fantastic options). Gently press the herbs to release the flavour. Add your hot or cold water and then stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel. 30
Rum Sour Ingredients 60ml Mount Gay Rum 40ml Lemon Juice 20ml Sugar Syrup 1 Egg White
Method Pour all of the ingredients into a shaking vessel. Put the top/lid on and shake vigorously without ice for 10 seconds. Open the shaker, add ice and then shake really well again. Double strain (through a sieve) into your glass. It is important to shake the cocktail without and with ice to emulsify the egg white. Garnish with some freshly picked herbs from your cocktail garden.
If you don’t want to use egg white, you can replace this with 30ml chickpea brine. Try swapping the sugar syrup for sweet fresh berries or fruit syrup.
If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can also use a jar with a lid. 31
Growing
Tomatoes There is nothing better than growing your own tomatoes. They are fast growing, with bushy growth and bright colourful fruit, not to mention the divine smell and delicious taste of the tomato themselves. Here is all you need to know about growing tomatoes at home.
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Seeds, Seedlings or Established Plants? First you need to look at choosing how you will grow your tomatoes. It can be a little confusing when to sow seed, when to choose a seedling or when you are able to get established plants Sowing Seeds
Established Plants
Because Auckland is warmer for an extended season, the earliest you can start sowing your tomato seed is mid- to late August. Use seed-raising mix and plant your seeds about 5cm apart, then gently spray the soil with water. Keep the seeds in a warm place inside until they germinate, then move them to a full sunny position when they start sprouting, making sure that the soil is slightly moist at all times. Once the plant has two to three pairs of true leaves, plant out into larger pots, or in the garden once temperatures have risen in early spring.
These are more mature plants that have stronger stems, multiple leaves and some can even be found with flowers or fruit later in the season. They start to arrive in stores from midSeptember and there are plenty of varieties to choose from. The advantage of buying mature plants is that they are generally faster growing; their roots will establish quickly and they’ll produce fruit faster. Grafted tomatoes will grow larger than your average tomato, having the capacity to be able to hold much more fruit. There are large tomato plants for every type of garden!
Growing Seedlings If you haven’t had much luck with growing from seeds, or want to get a head start, you can plant tomato seedlings instead. This way you don’t need to worry about cold damaging tiny seedlings, but they are still much cheaper than the larger established plants. Seedlings come in punnets of six, and we recommend getting the super punnets as these are slightly more mature than the value seedlings, and their roots don’t get tangled with each other. They start to appear instore at the start of September.
Kings Liquid Tomato Food 5OOml $11.99 Tui Tomato Mix 30L $16.99 Tui Vegetable Mix 40L $15.99
Putting Blood and Bone around your tomato plants in the garden will encourage larger trusses of flowers.
Top Varieties
Beefsteak
Sweet 100
Tumbler
Named for it’s thick, large, fleshy fruit, the beefsteak tomato is perfect for slicing and using in sandwiches and burgers. Give it a good 1.5m width to grow.
Small, sweet cherry tomatoes they are perfect for salads, kids’ lunches and eating right off the vine. They produce an abundance of fruit from late spring through to late autumn.
Tumblers come in a range of red or yellow fruit that are almost as sweet as the Sweet 100’s. They are perfect for small gardens and patios, and happy in smaller containers and hanging baskets.
Money Maker
Roma
Grosse Lisse
Your classic medium-sized tomato with juicy fruit. This is a prolific cropper and perfect for using in salads and in fresh dishes. The plant also has good resistance to disease.
Perfect for soups and pastes, Roma fruit are oblong instead of the classic round shape. Roma tomatoes ripen all at once, rather than throughout the season. They have good disease resistance and are considered less acidic than classic tomatoes.
Medium to large sweet-tasting fruit with an excellent tomato flavour, these are perfect for cooking and using in preserves. Being an heirloom variety, the Grosse Lisse seeds are true to their parent plant and can be collected year after year.
To encourage fruit to ripen faster on a truss, remove the leaves below it. This will let in more air and light. Once the bottom truss has ripened and been removed, move to the next truss and remove the leaves below it, & continue until the end of the harvest. 34
Harvesting
Tomatoes are generally ready to eat when they have turned red on the vine, or depending on the variety, orange to yellow. Harvest green tomato varieties such as Aunt Ruby’s German Green when the tomato is just starting to show a hint of colour at the base of the fruit. You can leave these out on the bench for a couple more days from harvest before eating. Red, orange and yellow tomatoes can also be harvested when they have
reached their full size but are still green. Tomatoes produce a gas that starts to emit once they have reached this size and they will continue to ripen even after they have been harvested from the plant. Leave at least a small stalk on the fruit, and leave the fruit out in a sunny window to help them ripen. Store with the stalk attached. If you have a surplus of tomatoes, freeze them to enjoy year-round.
Care
Companion plant tomatoes with basil plants, as this is said to improve the taste of tomatoes, as well as the vigour of the plants. It helps repels some insects as well.
Position
In the Garden
Feeding
To grow to its full potential and have fruit that ripens quickly, your plant will need to get full sun, or at least six hours of full sunlight a day. Rotate your crops each year, making sure you don’t plant them in the same place you had Solanum plants (tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants) the year before; this will lower the chances of getting blight or other diseases that stay in the soil. Tomato vines do get top heavy and need to be staked, held up by string if grown in green houses, or tied to a trellis. Make sure your plants are out of harsh windy places, but still get a good amount of airflow.
After choosing the right planting position, make sure your garden soil is full of nutrients. If you didn’t use Compost Crops over the winter period, you can dig some Kings Organic Compost into the soil. When planting your tomato in the ground, you will need to dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as the pot it comes in. Add a handful of Nature’s Organic Fertiliser or a cup of sheep pellets, and a mixture of Kings Organic Compost and top soil. Backfill the rest of the hole around the plant, making sure you don’t cover the stalk with soil. Firm the soil and water deeply. Make sure to give tomato plants at least a meter between each plant.
Tomatoes are heavy feeders and once they have established themselves (four weeks or so after planting) you can start feeding them once every two weeks with Kings Liquid Tomato Food. Feed until the last fruit have been harvested in autumn.
In a Pot When growing in a pot use either Kings Container Mix or Tui Tomato Mix, as these have water crystals that will retain moisture for longer, as well as slow-release fertiliser to help feed your plants. Make sure you choose a large container for your tomato plants: at least 40L for a mature plant, as tomato roots need a good amount of space. Make sure your pot has drainage holes in the bottom, and if able keep a saucer under the pot so the plant can absorb the excess water in the summer months. The only downside to pots is that you will need to water them once a day in hot weather.
In a Greenhouse If you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse set up for tomato growing, there are a few things you will want to consider. Remember to rotate your crop, and if you are unable to do this, you should take the top 50cm of old soil out and replace it with Tui Veggie Mix.
Watering Only water around the roots, avoiding the leaves. This will mean your plant gets the maximum amount of water, and it will stop the leaves burning from magnified water in the summer heat. It will also help prevent future foliage diseases. Pruning To help channel energy into fruit and flower production rather than into extra foliage, you will need to remove side shoots or ‘lateral’ branches. These are found sprouting at any angle between the main stem and an alreadyformed branch.
The advantage to having a greenhouse is that you can stop insects from attacking your ripening tomatoes, and it’s easy to tie them up using string from the roof, so they don’t need staking. Plus, you can start planting out your seedlings earlier than you would in an outside garden. However, you will need to make sure there is enough airflow to prevent fungal disease.
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Beautiful Blooming
Roses
A classic flowering shrub that never goes out of style. Fill your garden with stunning rose blooms from spring to autumn. November is when we get our new season roses instore, and with most in bloom, it’s a beautiful time to visit the garden centre, even if just to stop and smell the roses. After a rose that looks superb as a cut flower? Try the hybrid tea variety, which display long stems with neat, single flowers. Or perhaps a David Austin rose, bred by one of the most famous rose breeders of our time, these roses are oldfashioned English roses, many with incredible fragrances and prolonged flowering habits. There is also the impressive climbing roses, compact bush roses and beautiful multi-petaled floribundas.
Our Top Varieties
Blackberry Nip
Graham Thomas
Blue Moon
Named after the liqueur and bred in New Zealand, the Blackberry Nip has a gorgeous deep-purple, seductively scented bloom, with gorgeous, healthy and disease-resistant foliage.
Rich, golden, medium-sized blooms with a light tea fragrance, this David Austin rose excels in both beauty and performance. Lovely bushy compact growth gets to 130cm x 130cm and is a fantastic repeat bloomer.
One of the best ‘blue’ roses available. Blue Moon has highly fragrant, gorgeous lilac blooms on tall single stems, perfect for floral arrangements. Grows to 70cm x 70cm
FRIESIA
Tranquility
Friesia
ROSES:
Dublin Bay
Light tinged buds that open to pureOne of the best yellow roses available, One of the best climbing red roses that’s white blooms accompanied by a light the Friesia rose has a unique citrus bred right here in New Zealand. An apple fragrance. With perfectly formed fragrance that intensifies in the evening. easy-to-grow climber with a prolonged petals on delicate flowers and healthy Earliest to flower, with medium lemonflowering season with dark-red blooms light-green foliage, this David Austin yellow blooms that smother the plant. on healthy stems and foliage. Floribunda. One of the most admired yellow roses, which holds rose grows to 130cm x 130cm. Excellent disease resistance.
FRIESIA
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both its shape and its clear bright colour. Reliable flowers over a long period and a nice strong fragrance. If you like yellow you will love this multi-award winning rose. Feed with Kings Rose Fertiliser during the summer months.
Planting and Positioning Most roses require full sun (or at least six hours a day) and like free-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. Choose a spot that has a good amount of airflow to help reduce the risk of fungal diseases. Planting
Care
Roses are best when planted in the ground. Dig a hole at least twice the height and width of your pot. In heavy clay soils it can be worth digging a slightly bigger hole. Backfill with a mix of soil, compost, and sheep pellets. In heavier soils, break up the edges of the hole as you backfill to improve drainage and add a handful of gypsum. Fill around your rose with the remaining mix, and make sure you press the soil down until it is firm. Fertilise using Kings Slow Release Rose Food or for an organic option try Natures Organic Fertiliser. Mulch to finish to help lock in moisture.
Regularly water your roses deeply in summer, once to twice a week. Avoid wetting the foliage. Deeply watering your plants is far more effective than giving a light watering every day. Only prune your rose back hard in June to July. Regularly mulch your roses, aswell as adding a sprinkle of sheep pellets. These will provide organic fertiliser and help keep moisture around the roots for longer. When deadheading, make sure that you cut back to a major leaf. If you only cut the spent flowers off, the rose will look untidy and not flower as well in the future.
Essentials for all your spring needs
Kings Rose Food
Yates Super Shield
Tui Rose & Shrub Mix
Make sure your roses are well fed in spring and summer while flowering with Kings Rose Food.
Keep on top on pests and diseases with Yates Super Shield. This is affective against aphids, scale, and rose black spot.
Don’t forget to plant your roses with Tui’s Rose and Shrub Mix. This will help retain moisture, as well as feed your newly planted shrub for the first six months.
3kg $10.99 8kg $21.99
200ml $32.99
30L $16.99
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Ask the
Plant Doctor Giving you expert advice for your seasonal gardening woes
Dear Plant Doctor, I had some very happy broccoli seedlings growing in a seedraising tray, and came out one morning to find them completely crumpled and dead. I thought I had done everything right – I used new seedling mix and watered them well and they were in full sun. Why has this happened? - Gill, Silverdale
Hi Gill, This sounds like damping off. This is a disease that can affect all plants, but is most commonly seen in seedlings. It is an incurable plant disease that makes seedlings suddenly collapse, stop germination or roots to die back. To prevent this from happening again, clean all of your gardening equipment regularly, including trays, trowels, gloves and garden hose ends. Make sure future seedlings don’t get too cold, have good airflow (aren’t planted too close to each other) and aren’t overwatered. I recommend sterilising your seedlings trays before use. Dispose of the affected plants and soil offsite. 38
Hi Kings, I have a tree in my backyard that’s only been there a few years, but it grew extremely fast. It has fuzzy leaves with small purple flowers and yellow berries. I have been told it’s poisonous – can you please confirm this? - Anita, Papatoetoe
Hi Anita, This sounds like a Woolly Nightshade plant, also known as ‘Tobacco Weed’. This is one of the most rampant weeds in New Zealand, and produce toxins that poison the soil, causing low regeneration in the area for neighbouring plants. They are dispersed easily by seed from birds that eat the berries. Cut ‘n’ Paste Picloram Gel 450ml $36.99
Wearing gloves, cut down the mature plant and immediately apply Cut ‘N’ Paste Picloram Gel to the stump. Note that this may affect neighbouring plants, so relocate anything precious beforehand.
Hi Plant Doctor, I am having some trouble with the leafy greens in my garden. Strange white lines keep appearing on the leaves of many of my salad plants, as well as my cabbages and even tomatoes. What is this? - Luke, New Lynn
Hi Luke, This damage is done by various larvae insects that are referred to as leaf miners. They live and feed within the leaves. As they burrow and feed inside the leaves they form a distinctive white trail. A little leaf miner on a plant at the end of the growing season is fine, but more severe infestations can affect the health and vigour of your plants. I recommend using Neem Oil on affected leaves, with multiple sprays to get rid of the larvae. Aquaticus Bugtrol will help kill the eggs and adults insects, but won’t help with the burrowing larvae.
Aquaticus Organic Bugtrol 200ml $19.99
Ask the Kings Plant Doctor Got a plant problem you need help with? Visit www.plantdoctor.co.nz for free expert advice or look out for the red shirts instore.
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Grow with
Confidence EXPERT ADVICE
Our knowledgeable team is passionate about gardening. They can help you find landscape inspiration, choose the right plants for your home, garden or patio and give you tips on care and maintenance so you can grow with confidence!
PLANT DOCTOR
If your plants aren’t feeling 100%, bring in a photo or sample and the Plant Doctor will prescribe a solution. Look for the red shirt instore or go online to plantdoctor.co.nz
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