Gardening in Waitaki Dec 9th 2025

A Christmas eve in my past garden.

Here we are at the end of another year, Christmas just around the corner, and gardens bursting with colour, fruit and summer growth. With so many overcast days earlier on, some plants have been slow to move—but that hasn’t always been a bad thing, especially when it comes to vegetables. Slow, steady growth helps prevent bolting, and everything will catch up once the hot summer we’ve been promised finally arrives. As the Christmas countdown begins, I’m sure most gardeners will be spending less time outside, just the basics of mowing lawns and keeping things watered. You all know by now that I am determined to get every gardener to soak and mulch. This truly is the time of year when mulch makes the biggest difference. Anywhere bare soil is left uncovered, weeds will take over. Mulch choices: Soft hedge trimmings, grass clippings, rotted leaf mulch, ornamental grass offcuts, decomposed pine needles, or forest-floor mulch will all help retain moisture and suppress weeds. I have almost finished planting out our new scaled-down town garden after three or four years of growing plants from cuttings taken from our former large formal garden. I chose plants that brought me the most pleasure. However, it is not easy; I am battling with very little soil on top of deep clay that holds water. The gathering of stones each time I visit Kakanui beach has given me a good supply to use at the bottom of each large planting hole to act as a draining sump. Then I add a good amount of compost before planting, so roots don't drown after heavy rainfalls. From now on, it will be the waiting and watching game for me. Roses & Perennials: Peony roses should have their seed heads removed as they interfere with future bloom performance; leave the foliage until it naturally browns off. Delphiniums often grow tall enough to topple their supports, and once they bend, it’s almost impossible to stand them back up without breaking stems. Cut them back to the bend point, and they will reward you with smaller, fresher flower heads. They respond extremely well to feeding, and compost with old stable manure encourages wonderful root growth. Deadheading roses begins now in earnest. For hybrid teas, remove the spent bloom and prune about a third of the stem back to an outward-facing bud. This ensures the next bloom grows to the right height and direction. For floribundas, remove the old blooms individually before pruning. With deep watering and mulch, they will be budding up again in a few weeks. I collect fragrant rose blooms to dry between sheets of newspaper—they make a lovely long-lasting basket of petals for the hall table. If you’re going away, gather all indoor plants into the bath with a little water. Place baskets and smaller pots on the shady side of the house. Deep water the garden, mulch well, deadhead what you can, and then let the garden look after itself while you enjoy a well-deserved break. Fruit in the Lead-Up to Christmas: Fruit always seems to ripen at the exact moment everyone is busiest. If you’re heading away, consider bribing children or neighbours to do a round of picking. Everything can be frozen until you return for jam-making or bottling. Blackcurrant branches laden with fruit can be cut and stripped in the cool of the evening—pruning and harvesting in one go. Gooseberries are prickly pickers, but if you lift the end of a branch with a gloved hand, you’ll find handfuls of fruit hanging underneath. Raspberries and strawberries are the most time-consuming to pick, but always worth it. If birds are an issue while you’re away, cover currants and raspberries with frost cloth, which still lets in light while hiding the fruit from birds. Vegetable Garden: So much is ready in the vegetable garden now. If you’re heading off for a few days, throw some shade cloth over crops to protect them from the sun and birds. Christmas tables will be laden with fresh produce, one of the joys of this season. As we reach the end of another year, I want to take a moment to thank you for being part of this gardening journey with me. The past twelve months would have brought challenges, growth, new connections, and many small joys that remind us what truly matters. Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2026. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki November 3rd 2025

After that lovely rain this week, November gardens are bursting with growth, colour and, inevitably, plenty of weeds. Bidibid, chickweed and especially convolvulus seem to appear as thickly every year as the last. Convolvulus is the real nuisance; the only sure way to eradicate it is to dig out its mass of white, rope-like roots. It’s very satisfying when a long piece comes out whole, but remember that even the smallest section left behind will regrow quickly. Hydrangeas: are fully leafed out with flower buds forming for their summer display. Mulch now with manure-enriched compost for stronger growth and better blooms. Rhododendrons, azaleas and peony roses are beginning to make seed. Remove spent blooms on rhododendrons, particularly younger plants, to direct energy into growth rather than seed. There’s a point where the old bloom snaps cleanly without disturbing the new leaf tips; once found, deadheading is quick and easy. remove seed pods on peony roses before too much energy is put into ripening the seed. Roses are budding and swelling. Keep an eye out for early greenflies or rust. If fungal spores survived the winter, a combined fungicide/pesticide spray every fortnight helps keep new growth clean. Spray on a dull day to avoid bees and the sun burning through moisture droplets. Dahlias: are racing along, ensure they’re in full sun with around 10 cm of soil covering the tubers. Perennials and daisy bushes benefit from trimming back their first flush of spent flowers. Regular deadheading keeps them compact and flowering continuously; if seed is allowed to form, plants become woody. Remove old flowers on hellebores before the seed ripens to drop. Box hedging should have produced a good stretch of new growth by now. Established hedges can be trimmed back to the previous cut, but on new plantings, just even the tops and allow side growth to knit together. Choose an overcast day for trimming to avoid sun scorching the fresh cuts. When planting buxus, use 5–7 small plants per metre. Other hedges may also be trimmed once their spring flush is complete. Elderflower is in full bloom, for those who fancy making elderflower cordial, I use the following recipe. 30–40 elderflower heads, Zest and juice of 3 large unwaxed lemons,1.25 litres boiling water, 4 cups (800g) white sugar 2 teaspoons citric acid (optional, helps preserve and balance sweetness) . Rinse elderflower heads in cold water, shake dry, and remove thick stems. Put elderflowers into a large heatproof bowl or jar with lemon zest and juice. Pour over boiling water, stir, cover, and infuse for 24 hours. Strain through muslin into a pot, add sugar and citric acid, then gently boil until the sugar dissolves. Bottle the hot cordial in sterilised jars, seal, cool, and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks or freeze for longer. Lawns: Warm spring soil has helped grass seed germinate well. Repair bare patches by raking, adding sifted soil and sowing seed. Cover small areas with shade or frost cloth to prevent birds from pulling it out. Keep mower blades higher while the grass is lush—longer grass shades its roots and benefits from nightly dew, helping preserve soil moisture. Soft, unsprayed grass clippings make excellent mulch: spread thinly around shrubs, trees and garden beds to suppress weeds and build humus. Vegetables: It has been perfect weather for getting vegetables established. Keep weeds pulled early to give young plants space. A no-dig garden is a simple, effective way to grow summer veg. Choose a sunny spot on soil (not concrete) and frame it with boards, sleepers, logs or Oamaru stone. If building over existing grass, lay thick, saturated newspaper or cardboard to smother it. Build up alternating soaked layers of manure, compost, leaf mulch, dried clippings, soil and straw. Add river sand, a little lime and general fertiliser through the layers. Top with straw to hold moisture and suppress weeds. Then, plant at this time of year, you can expect to harvest within six weeks. Corn grows sturdily when planted in a block rather than a row, and pumpkins are thriving in current conditions. Tomatoes will soon need staking; if you don’t have a greenhouse, grow cherry or Russian Red tomatoes in pots in a warm, sheltered spot. Fruit: Berry fruits are racing ahead with the warmth and good bee activity. Keep moisture levels up, especially after wind, by giving trees and bushes a deep soak when rain is scarce. Mulch well to retain soil moisture. Grapes will be flowering: only feed vines that need it. Overfeeding established vines results in excessive leaf growth instead of fruit. A little potash helps fruiting, and remember that birds are waiting for all fruit to ripen. Cheers, Linda.