by Norman Hunter
December Gardening
There is nothing better than being outside on a warm summers evening to make you feel glad that you have a great garden. It's the best time of the day especially if there is a slight breeze to stir the scents in the garden.
Watering Irrigation Systems
With summer holiday time just around the corner, this is the ideal time to do something about installing a watering system in your garden. Try by installing the simple 'Starter kit' and before you know it, you will be adding on and on until you have the entire garden covered by this system. It's simple to install and actually uses less water than you would if using just the hose.
A tap timer can be easily fitted to give you anywhere from 0 - 120 minutes of watering or you can go that one step further and install a fully automatic tap timer to turn on and off when required. Why not call today and save yourselves hours.
Tomato plants
By now you should be able to pick lovely juicy tomatoes from your plants daily. Just remember to still keep feeding them twice a week with 'Super crop'" Tomato food. Unfortunately this is possibly time when the aphid and whitefly start to appear. We all know what the aphid looks like... The Whitefly are tiny, white, moth like and are incredibly destructive sap-sucking insects causing similar damage to aphids.
There are several good sprays such as 'Target' or 'Eco-Pest' that can be used against these or by using a clean and simple to use 'Kiwicare Bug Bomb' you will achieve a clean pest free greenhouse, but in all cases make sure that you read and fully understand the instructions on the label before using.
Christmas time
I just find it hard to believe that time of the year is once more upon us. I can always remember my parents saying to me 'You just wait until you get older, you'll wonder where all the time has gone,'.... and I would think what a lot of rot, time only goes at one speed.... but oh boy... they were right again.
Several years ago husbands would come into the garden centre at christmas time and buy a ladies fork or spade to give to heir loving wife for christmas... but not today, Nichol's Giftware departments are absolutely overflowing with christmas gift ideas. The Giftware buyers have really excelled themselves in procuring the wide range of gifts suitable for both male and female shoppers.
On your next visit to Nichol's allow a little extra time to view the giftware section and surprise yourself at the number of gift ideas that can be solved by this visit.
There is a blaze of colour in the Garden Centre again this year with Poinsettia plants, Chrysanthemums in flower, African Violets, Ferns, Flamingo Plants and Impatiens (water fuchsia) in flower just to mention a few. Check the wide range of beautiful displays at the florist counter with delightful arrangements from easily affordable prices upwards or choose your own colour scheme and have it made up to your own desire.
Perhaps a lovely pottery pot or urn for inside the home with a new plant would be appreciated or a large urn to go beside the front door. Nichol's are expecting several large containers full of pots and urns in new shapes, sizes, colours and will be on display in good time for christmas.
Gift vouchers
Garden gift vouchers are the only vouchers that gives pleasure 3 times to the receiver:
1st time: When they receive them
2nd time: when they buy their new plants
3rd time: As they watch these plants flourish.
Nichol's gift vouchers are redeemed at any Garden Centre in New Zealand, have no expiry date and are available in denominations of $10 or $25.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL NICHOL'S CUSTOMERS
We thank you for your custom during 2009 and look forward to serving you all in 2010
From the Management & staff at Nichol's
January Gardening
WELCOME TO A NEW GARDENING YEAR WITH NICHOL'S
January with the arm sunny days and lovely still evenings makes a great time to enjoy the outdoor living. Great time to install that water feature near the barbecue area giving you just the right atmosphere for your family and friends to relax beside.
Lawns
Water lawns frequently to prevent grass burning off: this will help prevent invasion of weeds. Involve the kids and make a game of it, pay someone to do it or establish a reliable watering system like I suggested in last months notes. It is also recommended you raise the cutting height on the mower over the summer months.
Vegetables
Now is an excellent time to replenish your supplies of vegetables by the replanting of Beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, spring onions, parsnips, silverbeet and most of the herb family.
Last years Bulbs
By now all the leaves on last springs bulbs will have died down. Providing the soil and climate is suitable many bulbs can be left in the ground for several years at a time, some indefinitely.
There are some such as Tulips, Hyacinths, Anemone and Ranunculus which benefit from lifting and drying out. The rest period encourages greater vigour. After a few years Daffodils also benefit from lifting and spacing out.
Roses
Keep looking after your Roses. Yates 'Shield' or 'Rose Gun' gives good protection to most rose problems including aphids. If your roses are already badly affected by disease, cut them back hard, remove the pruning's and start spraying the new growth as soon as it appears. Remembering that all spraying and watering should be carried out in the cool part of the evening.
Gift Vouchers
What a great way to show your appreciation to those that have been kind to you over the Christmas period. Garden Gift vouchers are always greatfully received. Nichol's redeem all other recommended garden centre vouchers as well as their own.
February Gardening
February can be a tough, scorching month for the garden, but despite the heat, summer flowering plants still create some stunning displays.
Garden Mulch
Because of the February heat, add mulch to your garden to help combat weeds and retain moisture in the soil. In exposed situations use the larger size mulch of 'Chunky bark' or 'Bark Nuggets' and if in a sheltered situation you couldn't do much better than using 'Crinkle Bark' or 'Marvel Mulch.' After spreading your mulch always add a generous dressing of Blood and Bone to replenish Nitrogen into the soil. Just water it in well.
Don't mulch against the stem or trunks or your plants as this could cause drowning.
February 14th - Valentines Day
Valentines Day is now firmly established on our national calender. These days most of us happily embrace the annual celebration of love.
Nichol's have fresh flower arrangements in all price ranges as well as the popular single Red rose to accompany the traditional Valentine's card or you could present your loved one with a lovely fragrant plant that will give a long lasting moment of your devotion.
Hedges
This is the hedge cutting month. Hedges are often the most neglected plants in the garden. They are rarely fed, seldom watered and sometimes let grow that long between trimmings, then are cut back hard exposing dead wood that never regrows.
Always cut or trim on a regular basis, then when all cleaning up is complete give them a heavy feed of 'Blood and Bone' followed by a good deep watering.
Vegetable Plants
All the plant mentioned in Januarys notes can still be planted with the addition of onions and rhubarb. Don't forget that this is usually the driest month meaning you need to water more often to achieve good crops. They also enjoy to be fed with a good fertiliser.
Watering irrigation systems
For those of you who took my advise in December notes and invested in a watering system will be all smiles, and I wonder how many of you started small only to increase your system to have full coverage of the whole garden.
Spring Bulbs
I know it's not even Autumn yet, but all spring bulbs start arriving this month such as Anemone, Ranunculus, crocus,ixias, hyacinths, freesia, fritillaria etc, closely followed by tulips and all the narcissus family.
A small word of advise would be that even if you garden is not ready for them, buy early for the best selection, take them home, store them somewhere dry and cool or even in the fridge depending on the type of bulb (see on the reverse side of the packet for instructions) and then plant at a later date to insure spring flowering. Meantime prepare the soil digging in bulb fertiliser.
Happy Gardening!
