On this website you will be able to find just about everything you need to be successful in your garden. Throughout our modern retail centres we offer an extensive range of plants, gardening products, giftware, garden art, water features and landscaping products.
Garden problem solving is our business. Send your questions to us by info@nicholsgroup.co.nz.
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Nichols Dishes up the goods Review What's on offer: My Choice: Although the $6 price tag may seem slightly expensive for fries, they were well worth it, as they were those yummy thick-cut fries that seem to have been replaced everywhere by those skinny shoestring fries. Absolutely delicious. Next time I want a fries fix, I know where to go! We finished our meal with a brownie ($4) and slice of ginger crunch ($3.50). which were both fine, but nothing particularly special. Service: Atmosphere and decor: The last word: |
| SPRING! SPRING! SPRING! By Rose Bradley Spring time, its here again, and along with spring comes one of the busiest times on the gardening calendar. Robin Williams summed up spring beautifully when he said ‘spring is nature’s way of saying “Let’s party”’. I have spoken before about the revolution going on in the back garden, and it is still happening. The humble vege garden is becoming the new fashion around New Zealand. There are many reasons for this including people becoming more environmentally aware, keeping fit and healthy, cost savings, tastier produce and controlling what chemicals go onto our produce, and looking towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, Nichols has established a new Home Harvest department to help make home vegetable gardening an easier task. We have on offer an extensive range of vegetable seedlings, including old favourites as well as some exciting new introductions, also mixed punnets to cater for smaller gardens. For those with limited garden space we have an extensive range of raised garden beds and tiered planters, as well as a great range of cloches, and very cost effective greenhouses. Our Home harvest department is the ideal place to help with any home vegetable and fruit gardening needs. This is backed up with sound and knowledgeable advice from the experienced staff at Nichols. Whats new in Plant World  Fruit TreesStories and traditions about man’s origins connect him to a garden of paradise filled with fruit trees. No matter which tradition man’s idea of paradise centers on an abundance of cultivated fruit, and its sensual irresistibility. The apple we eat today has its origins dating back to 8,000B.C. in the Tien Shan mountain region of Kazakhastan. With the arrival of our fruit trees for this season you can create your own slice of paradise or Garden of Eden at home! The selection and grade of plants we have this year is fantastic. Included are many varieties of apples and pears in the pip fruit. While the stone fruit include: Apricot, Cherry, Nectarine, peach and Plum. These are available in single, double or triple grafted specimens. Our nut tree collection includes Walnut, Almond and Hazelnut. As well as the above selection we have available Feijoa, Citrus, Fig, and a great range of berry fruit including raspberries. |
Deciduous trees and shrubs  Also new is a huge selection of deciduous trees and shrubs including: Flowering Cherry, Magnolias, maples, Cornus, Robinia Lacey lady and Mop Top, Betulas, Malus, Salix and Hawthorne.Roses  We have a wonderful selection of Roses to choose from. Our roses are high health, quick to establish, sprayed, trimmed and fed to our exact standards. Tips: • As well as encouraging birds into the garden, in the spring time they can be a nuisance eating germinating seeds or dining on young lettuce and spinach seedlings. Try tying old CD’s to a string and hanging them. The CD’s reflect light and therefore helps to deter birds. • Cats can also be a nuisance in the garden, especially at this time of year in freshly worked up soil. A great method I saw recently to keep them off the garden was by simply placing kebab sticks around the area to be protected. • When sowing seeds from a packet, tip out what you want to use into an old saucer and expose to light for 24 hours before sowing. This triggers the germination process. Coming Events Kids – its Storytime 2009 with the Gardener Storyteller! Fun and stories for FREE! Where: Nichols Dunedin: corner of Timaru and Teviot street. Saturday and Sunday 12th and 13th September 11am, 1pm and 2pm each day. Nichols Invercargill: 200 North Road Saturday and Sunday 19th and 20th September 11am, 1pm and 2pm each day. Nichols Central: Junction of the Highways, Cromwell. Saturday and Sunday 26th and 27th September. 11am, 1pm and 2pm each day. The storyteller will be visiting local primary schools in your area and then again at our stores at the dates above. Come along to the store and receive free gifts as well as parents getting their own free offers! GARDEN QUOTES  • “Gardening is medicine that does not need a prescription….and with no limit on dosage.” - Author unknown • “Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil” – Reginald Heber. • “I love spring anywhere but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” – Ruth Stout. . |
NICHOL’S KIDS Children love dirt! Children love to dig and the garden is a great place for children to learn, work, play and explore. Children have a natural affinity with dirt, and creating a children’s garden is a wonderful opportunity for them to participate and learn about nature and the world around them. Start small…….. A garden 1 or 2 meters square is a good size. Choose plants and seeds that are appropriate for the season, and are hardy and quick maturing. Suggestions for spring: lettuce, parsley, radish, carrots, pansies and polyanthus and strawberries. There are many other fun activities associated with the garden that children can experiment with: Cloches Try making cloches to protect young plants. These act like mini glasshouses, heating up the air inside. Try using re-cycled material such as clear drink containers with their base cut off and placed over the plant. Recipe Cajun Potato Wedges This is a great recipe as a side dish to a variety of different meals, or they can be served on their own with sour cream. - 4 potatoes, unpeeled, cut into wedges - 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges - 8 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled - 4-5 bay leaves - 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice - 4 tbsp water - 1 tbsp tomato puree - ½ tsp black pepper - 1 tsp salt - 1 tsp paprika - ½ tsp cayeen - 1 tsp dried oregano - 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme - ½ tsp cumin - 4 tbsp olive oil Method Cook wedges in water for 3 minutes, drain and place in roasting pan with lemon, garlic, onion and bay leaves. Mix lemon juice, water tomato puree and spices then pour over potatoes and toss to mix. Drizzle over olive oil. Cook at 200 for 35-40 minutes. Trivia • The Daisy got its name because the yellow centre resembled the sun. It was commonly known as the “day’s eye” and over time, was eventually called Daisy. • The onion is a lily, botanically. Asparagus is also a member of the lily family. The name ‘asparagus’ comes from a Greek word meaning “sprout. • A snail can sleep for three years Check out our seasonal calendar page Find tips and ideas for gardening in the autumn months more . |
