NEW YEAR IN THE OLD GARDEN

As the new year begins, many people resolve to make positive changes, eating healthier, exercising more, learning more and spending more quality time with family. Gardening can help with all of these goals. In New Zealand, more families have invested in greenhouses, building garden beds in their backyards or containers.

Gardening can potentially save money on food costs and can ensure you have control over the quality of the produce. For many gardeners though, gardening brings them closer to nature — and a lot of joy.

January is a good time to tidy up the garden by harvesting, deadheading flowers, trimming hedges, and weeding. It is also a good time to plant annuals and perennials to add colour to the garden until autumn. These plants will need extra care and watering at this time. To keep plants healthy during the hot summer months, it is important to water regularly, use mulch, and remove weeds.

Harvest time!

Deadhead flowers to encourage more flowering.

Trim hedges and do some weeding.

Keep an eye out for veges/fruits that have blossom end rot, aphids and powdery mildew. Take off the affected fruits.

Annuals and perennial flowering plants can still be planted to bring your gardens a burst of colour until autumn.

It's a great time to plant marigolds, lobelias and gazanias.

Awapuni customers have shared many stories about sharing their produce with friends and family — tomatoes, broccolis, zucchinis, beans, capsicums, chillies, etc. If you have excess, you may want to try pickled relish or preserving garlic in oil. Chillies can be dried and preserved as well. Pick veges regularly to encourage more fruiting — especially tomatoes, zucchinis, eggplants. Trim away the lower leaves of your tomato plants to help conserve their resources and reduce the risk of disease.

Herbs — basil, thyme, coriander, chives, mint, etc.

Veges — broccolini, carrots, chillies, beetroot, pumpkin, radish, silverbeet, spinach, sweetcorn and lettuces to ensure supply throughout summer.

New Zealand natives can be planted throughout the year. If you are planning to create a minimalistic frontyard garden, you may want to consider established native carex grasses and hebes. Awapuni Nurseries has several hebe varieties that produce delightful purple, pink and lilac flowers. It is important to make sure the plants are well-watered during the establishment phase.

Water regularly — ideally early in the morning and/or towards early in the evening.

• See if you can form an arrangement with a neighbour, friend or family member to water your plants while you are on a holiday.

• Mulch to keep your plant roots cool and hydrated.

• Pull out weeds before you go.