How to keep your garden thriving

Peanut seedling

Early birds and those who have been doing succession planting have already been harvesting lettuces, beans, brassicas and more. It's very exciting to see the spring blooms posted on social media! Now let's get ready for the many things to do this month.

Weed, weed, weed

Check greenhouse ventilation

Prepare for dry spells, water-saving techniques

Deadhead flowers

Feed roses

Watch out for slugs and snails.

There are so many more options now — tomatoes, chillies, capsicums, eggplants, beans, zucchinis, rock melon, cucumber and more!

You may want to use bamboo sticks to act as frames and stakes to guide your plants to grow upwards. This way, you have more space for other plants in your garden beds. Staking tomato plants earlier will prevent root damage as they grow. Plant basil, spring onions in between spaces.

Basil is a top plant to grow this month. It is a great pest deterrent. It produces a wonderful fragrance in your garden and you'll be spoiled with freshly made pesto-based dishes! This is the month to grow herbs that liven up the flavour of your meals. You may also want to try coriander and chives!

The flower season is here and all over New Zealand gardens are blooming with pride.

There are varieties of Petunia, single and double-petalled delights as well as colour-variegated blues and reds that are available. Petunias are low-maintenance flowers and great for borders, beddings and also hanging baskets.

We recommend planting flowers near your garden beds to encourage bees and beneficial insects to visit the vegetable garden. Marigolds, petunias, lavenders are available throughout the spring-summer season. It's important to have flowers around the time your veges are flowering for higher chances of pollination.

If you're thinking of growing something different, you may want to consider Celosia Kimono Mix. Large waxy green leaves frame celosia's spectacular flowers, which bloom in vibrant yellow, orange and reds.

Lastly, it's the month to start zinnias. Zinnias flower from summer through to early autumn. It's good for planting in bedding, edging or as cut flowers. Awapuni Nurseries have six zinnia varieties available at different times. If you see something you like, please add yourself to our notifications list and you'll get an email as soon as it becomes available.

Remember, summer is nearly here and gardeners need to watch out for dry spells. Start researching and listing your water conservation and storage ideas. Drip-irrigation systems may help with tomato plants as they require slow but deep watering.