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Kings Great Gardening Newsletter
I can hardly believe that next Wednesday spring will have officially sprung! It feels like only a few weeks ago that the summer sun left us and the rain and cold began. Time has flown and the spring and summer gardens are about to come into their own. Its an exciting time in the garden this month, we have new season veggies coming in store weekly, seeds need to be sown for summer harvests, bulbs are out and showing their pretty faces, and the beautiful Kowhai trees are coming into flower. August has been a great month for me, after several years together and a beautiful daughter, my lovely boyfriend proposed! And while you read this I will be seeing the sights of China for a few days! When I get back I am going to get stuck into soil prep and seedling sowing - and maybe a touch of wedding planning! I will keep you posted over the coming months on how I am going. So enjoy September, and Fathers Day, which is this weekend, and the coming warmer weather(hopefully!). We have several new release plants and seedlings in store this month and details are below, this is all very exciting! Make sure you check out our fantastic competition this month, its a gift that will give for years to come for the lucky winner. Veggie Garden Top Tips... ~ Its time to plant asparagus crowns, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, melons, onions, parsnip, peas, radish, shallots, silverbeet, spinach and zucchini.  ~ Sow tomato seeds if you have not started already. We have many varieties in our seed range. Come in and check out the selection. Use seed raising mix and plant in trays, or individual Jiffy Pots, which are made from peat and are able to be planted straight into the garden when the seedlings are the right size – and the weather warm enough! ~ To have tip top condition in your veggie garden this summer, pick up Kings Sheep Pellets, Dolomite Lime, Kings Organic Compost and Kings General Garden Fertiliser. Dig into your garden as needed. Lime and General Garden Fertiliser have directions for application on the packs. ~ This month I have suggestions of unique and interesting veggies to grow. These are all available over the coming months at Kings and might be something new for you to try this year! • Purplette Onions, sweet like a red onion and small like a shallot. Delicious and great eaten raw in summer salads. • Celeriac, a tasty root veggie with the taste of celery and has many uses. Mashed with potatoes or kumera,  grated or sliced and eaten raw in salads, roasted with the skin on then peeled to serve, or in soups and stews. A versatile veggie that can be used to get a tasty celery flavour.• Purple Haze carrots! These have amazing looking purple exteriors and taste so much sweeter than an  orange carrot. You may have seen them in farmers markets lately as the word is spreading about their flavour. Grow from either seedlings or packet seeds.• Kings Seeds ‘Chilli Pepper Cayenne Blend’. I love the colours these chillies go! They are a highly ornamental chilli and also edible, maturing to red, yellow, purple or orange! Why just grow red chillies when you can grow funky coloured ones! Fruit Garden Top Tips... ~ Enjoy the beauty of the spring blossoms that will be appearing on your stone fruit trees. My new dwarf nectarine is in full flower and my peach and apricot are sprouting new leaf buds and flowers. I am hoping to get a few fruit this year – if I am lucky! ~ Summer berries; there is nothing tastier and easier to grow. I am putting in my first raspberry plants this  year and will be looking forward to enjoying the fruit this summer. Choose from the traditional red coloured fruit, with ‘Raspberry Aspiring’, or try something a little different with the yellow/golden fruiting ‘Raspberry Ivory’. Yellow raspberries are a variation of red ones and have all the same characteristics. Ivory has its main crop from February to March, but does fruit from December to April.~ Plant a passionfruit vine now and you may get summer fruit this year! Passionfruit need good drainage and fertile soil, they are gross feeders, so remember to liquid feed regularly. A handful of sheep pellets, blood and bone or Kings General Garden Fertiliser dug in the hole when planting is also a top idea. Regularly feed with Kings Citrus Fertiliser from now until autumn. ~ Cape Gooseberries are an excellent choice for growing in pots or as a border plant. They fruit from  December to May (approx) and produce an abundance of small yellow fruit that have a tasty tang to them. Eat the fruit fresh, or use in jams, pies, on pavlovas or in fruit salads. They like a warm, sunny and well-drained spot and remember to keep watered over summer – especially if you choose to grow in pots.Flower Garden Top Tips...  ~ Clivias are a fantastic addition to a shady spot in your garden. The glossy foliage and their bright coloured flowers ranging from deep orange, through to red and even a pale yellow. Clivias make an eye-catching display when mass planted. Clivias can also be used in pots, as long as you keep them out of bright sun as this can change the colour of the leaves to a sickly yellow.  ~ Add a splash of blue and plant Chatham Island Forget-me-nots. Their pretty blue flowers that rise above the ground from the large and textured leaves make for an interesting ground level plant. They prefer a shady spot with good quality soil, plenty of organic matter and regular watering. As they are from the Chatham Islands and grow on the coast there, they can handle mild salty winds and are ideal for semi shaded beach gardens. ~ For an excellent foliage plant that is low growing and ideal for edging and borders, choose Heucheras. Great for shaded and damp areas, Heucheras will add colour and texture. Available in a huge range of colours, from deep burgundy, apricot shades to pale moss green. Another use is mass planting under trees in garden beds. Pictured is a mix of Heucheras. ~ Gladioli are in store now! These are available in a fantastic range of colours and are a must for anyone wanting a bright show in their flower garden. Remember when planting Gladioli, pop in a bamboo stake to support the flower stem and use bulb food in the hole.  ~ There have been no new Fuchsia varieties imported into New Zealand from 15 years, in fact only 3 other times in the last 25 years has there been any. Well this is all about to change! We have over 100 new varieties coming in over the coming months. These fuchsias have new colours - dark blackish pruples and great whites, pinks and blues too! Rohees New Millennium is a winner to look for as is Breevis Cleone, pictured, which has saucer shaped flowers for something very different. The first delivery will be arriving in the first weeks of September! Be in quick to check these beauties out!~ Another newbie to keep your eyes peeled for is the new range of Sweet Peas which are available in our super punnets. These are the Hammett Sweet Peas from New Zealand, from well known plant breeder Keith Hammett, and are always highly sought after. The new varieties available are 'Almost Black', 'Blue Shift', 'Vaudeville', 'Burlesque', 'Wild Swan' and my favourite of the bunch - 'Little Red Riding Hood'. If you are a Sweet Pea fan you will love these, especially the striking looking 'Almost Black'!.
Trees, Shrubs and Lawns
Top Tips...
~ Prune any shrubs that have finished flowering now. This will encourage new healthy spring growth. This includes Hibiscus. Take them back by up to a third to promote healthy and superior flowering.
 ~ Kowhai trees will be coming into flower this month and what a sight they are. Their yellow bell shaped flowers are a magnet for nectar loving birds. According to legend, the Maori knew it was time to plant potatoes when the Kowhais came into flower! Kowhai are not fussy on soil or climate, and can be grown in most areas. It is one of the few New Zealand native trees that loose its leaves in winter. Plant a beautiful native today and encourage the birds into your garden.~ Existing lawns can be fertilised, treated for moss and broadleaved weeds can be sprayed. Prickle weeds need spraying for now to avoid the nasty prickles in summer. Use Yates Prickle Weed Killer. Fertilise with Osmocote Lawn Builder for lush green, thick lawns. ~ For any ornamental shrubs, this is the time to prune. Shape as desired before the spring growth starts. This includes any topiary or sculpted hedges.  ~ Have you had Griselinias curl up and die over summer and autumn? This is due to a fungus called Phytophora. This attacks the root system of plants and kills them off. It has been especially noticeable this year. You can treat the plant at the first signs of brown leaves or sick looking plants with a product called ‘Aliette’ or ‘NO Root Rot’ that we stock. It’s a simple mix-and-water solution that can stop the fungus from taking hold and help cure at early affected stages. If you have a hedge with one sick plant, its best to treat the while lot. If your plants have died from Phytophora, then now is a great time to buy new ones and plant them. Do spray the soil and add new compost when planting your new plants.. Pots, Indoor Plants and Irrigation Top Tips... ~ With spring and then summer around the corner, now is a great time to think about your summer watering – and how to get the best use of water and the least time standing there with a hose! We have great starter irrigation packs, a great place to start for a basic system. You can then add to the system as needed. If you feel unsure about how to go about this task, draw a simple plan of your veggie garden, plus any other areas that you may want to water and bring it in store for advice. We can help you plan a system that suits your needs.  ~ Fresh herbs are essential for great flavours in your cooking. Plant herbs in containers, either indoors or outside. Most herbs grow well in pots, especially basil, coriander, chives, parsley, sage, or mint. Thyme is a woody herb that survives over winter outdoors so choose a sunny spot to place the thyme pot. Herbs in pots are ideal as they are always closer to the house – ready for harvesting with ease. Plant your potted herbs in Tui Herb Mix, the ideal growing medium for herbs, light and free draining, and rich in nitrogen which promotes green leafy growth and continuous harvesting! Pick up a pack today for only $7.99 for a 10L bag. ~ Fathers Day will be upon us this month, the 5th September for those that need to be reminded! Give dad a gift that he can use in the garden, a beautiful indoor plant or start his summer veggie gardening with an irrigation kit. If your father/husband/grandfather loves gardening, we are the perfect place to find that special gift. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist in any way, and there is always the ever popular gift vouchers for those dads that can be hard to buy for! Hot … ~ Remember our weekend talk this Saturday and Sunday, 10 am at all stores. This weekends topic is 'Starting your own veggie garden'. Click here for more info! ~ Fathers Day! Spoil dad this year. Remember our fantastic cafes that are open all weekend, shopping and coffee or lunch, the perfect mix! ~ Many seasoned gardeners use Jiffy compressed peat pellets to propagate their seeds. These are very simple to use, yet extremely effective. Just add water to the peat pellet and watch them expand. Once expanded, place seeds in the centre and wait for them to grow. Peat pellets help retain water and when the seedlings are ready for transplanting they can be planted straight in to the ground avoiding any transplantation shock. This means that seedlings don’t need time to adjust to their new growing environment and will produce fruit much sooner than a plant that has been transplanted from another container. Jiffy’s revamped range includes a new Giant Jiffy Peat Pellet as well as Jiffy pellets supplied in ready to use cover propagators.
Not …  ~ Blunt tools! It’s a mission to get anything done properly if your spade, secateurs, or pruning saw and loppers are not sharp! Get your tools sharpened now! Click here to see our branches that offer this service. It’s cheap and makes gardening that much easier! ~ Kathryn in our office is delighted that her Dendrobium Orchids, pictured, are flowering, and they are looking fantastic, although she is not such a fan of the dreaded snails that are having a feast! Snails are everywhere at the moment, so remember your snail bait when you are in store next time. For households with kids and pets, choose Quash for a safer alternative. We also sell these beautiful orchids in store! ~ Rain rain go away - come again another day! I have had enough of you for now thanks! Come visit us again later in the year, occasionally, maybe.... Giveaways… Enter the draw to win a complementary Design Your Own Garden course at The Garden Design School. These courses are held in central Auckland, one morning a week, and run for 8 weeks. On this course, you will be guided through the process of developing your own garden design by an award-winning landscape designer. The course has a value of $500, with the value of the plan you will prepare somewhere between $1500 and $3000, depending on the scope of the project. Click here to enter now! Conditions: • Entries close 30 September 2010 • Course date subject to availability • Course is held in central Auckland • Cost of getting to and from classes must be covered by winner. • There will be some course costs involved
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