Gardening in Waitaki July 22nd 2025

Sasanqua camellia.

We’re edging ever closer to spring. With another winter month nearly behind us, the garden is starting to stir—both above and below the ground—even as heavy frosts continue to blanket the mornings. I remember winters when the ground stayed frozen well into mid-season and my pond was sealed under thick ice. But in recent years, we’ve seen a shift: sharp frosts followed by unseasonably warm days. At this time around my past, expansive, ever-evolving garden, pruning, composting, and pea-strawing would have been in full swing.  While it may look like growth has slowed, coastal conditions and warmer soils mean there’s still plenty of nutrient uptake happening underground. Birds will be cold and hungry now, with very little for them to forage from nature, and they will soon be nest-building. I have been offering wild bird seed onto a lawn, and they did not take long to find it, and expect it each morning.  Late Winter Care & Feeding Now is a great time to give bulbs, hellebores (winter roses), polyanthus, violas, witch hazel, camellias, and rhododendrons a top dressing of compost. Even a sprinkle of blood and bone can be beneficial—especially if we get a shower of rain to help wash it in. Garden retailers are offering plenty of seasonal colour with sasanqua camellias in full flower, along with various hellebores and vibrant indoor cyclamen to brighten up homes and porches. Keep in mind that these flowering plants are often grown under protective conditions to get them looking their best, so let them harden gradually before planting them out in the garden. Roses: With the ground retaining dampness, mulch can go on to keep it there. Mulch also protects rose roots and allows the plant to focus on root development as it gears up for the growing season. Un-sprayed pea or barley straw, along with well-aged compost, make excellent mulch materials. As early spring approaches, a generous application of rose fertiliser will support strong, healthy growth. Look for fertilisers high in potassium to encourage large, vibrant blooms. For established roses, apply 200 g (about 1 cup) per square metre and water it in well. Fertilising just before the end of winter gives a valuable boost, especially as swelling buds begin to draw nutrients. Another application in mid-December will promote a lovely autumn flush. Have your fertiliser ready to go next month! Prunng should be done and dusted before bud burst. Fruit & Ornamental Trees There’s no better time than now to plant both ornamental and fruiting trees. Most come with detailed labels explaining exactly what you’re buying and how best to plant and care for them. Be sure to stake all tall grafted trees—any root movement caused by wind can really hinder their early growth. And remember: all fruit trees thrive best in open, sunny locations. Vegetable Garden If you’re dreaming of new potatoes for Christmas dinner, now’s the time to act! Seed potatoes are available in stores, and it’s important to know whether you’re choosing an early or late variety. Potatoes are not a one-type-fits-all vegetable anymore!Lay seed potatoes out in trays to begin “chitting,” allowing them to sprout in a cool, well-lit, dry area so they form sturdy buds for early planting.Continue sowing vegetable seeds in trays for transplanting later. If your garden gets good winter sun, you can start planting cauliflower and cabbage seedlings (be sure to protect them from birds), and even sow early peas. Asparagus crowns are also in stock now and should be planted in well-composted, fertilised beds (avoid using animal manure). Cheers, Linda.