Latest from Gardening

Green cloak can be put to work
Throw in longer days, warmer temperatures and regular rain, stir up the soil and you have the perfect recipe for a weed explosion. Fortunately, weeds come with benefits. If you're pulling out your hair and reaching for expensive herbicides, think again. I

Magnolias herald spring's arrival
When I arrived back in Auckland, the difference in temperature to Wellington was blatantly apparent.

A living room in your backyard
Make use of your outdoor space for entertaining, Carol Bucknell writes.

A larder for all creatures
A food forest is an orchard the way nature intended. Humans get the benefit of fruit, nuts, herbs, fibre (and sometimes firewood) and wildlife get a home.

DIY can save cash in the long run
Keeping chickens and growing your own veges is the first step to being self-sufficient.

Matariki - time for renewal
Let's make the most of our special New Year, writes Meg Liptrot.

Shrubs in the city
A homely touch in the form of a community garden set amid industrial surroundings is taking root at Wynyard Central.

Call to bring blooms back to Ellerslie
Local supporters of the Ellerslie International Flower Show have offered a home in Auckland for the event.

Ellerslie Flower Show canned
Next year's Ellerslie International Flower Show has been cancelled as the Christchurch City Council considers how to make the event financially viable in future.

Gardening: Big lessons outdoors
Learning about fruiting trees enthrals wee ones. Meg Liptrot reports on a winning kohanga reo that has gone green.

How to plan a winter garden
Although the summer garden is winding down, there's no time to rest on your laurels because right now it's action stations for serious gardeners.

Citizen science
In the parks, beaches, back gardens and forests of the country, non-scientists can help with with a raft of research projects.

Greg Dixon: Zen and the art of hedge trimming
Chores are not chores, Greg Dixon writes, they are opportunities to find inner peace.

Gardening: Seaside bounty for soil
Meg Liptrot praises Neptune's great gift for gardeners - seaweed.

Gardening: Follow the food crowd
Meg Liptrot dishes out the goods on community food growing.

Gardening: Water need never go to waste
Conservation 'wonder woman' shows Meg Liptrot how it's done.