Gardening in Waitaki January 16th 2026

A new gardening year lies ahead, and this changeable January weather continues to shape our gardens, with strong, warm days and spectacular cloud formations rolling through. In the garden, showers are a real gift, keeping everything fresh, supporting strong leaf growth, vibrant flowers, and healthy fruit development. Enjoy the richness of the garden, summer is still working hard for us. I tend to repeat myself, mentioning to cut back all early summer perennials and shrubs before they set seed. You can be especially hard on them now Shrubs, Hedges & Shelter: Now is an excellent time to reduce the height and width of hedges. Growth is rapid at this time of year, so any harsh cuts will quickly soften and fill in. Shelter trees and shrubs, such as pittosporum, laurels, and conifers, can also have their height controlled by removing the central leader back to a point where side branches will cover the cut. This keeps them as shrubs rather than allowing them to become unwanted trees. Always remember: growth removed from the top and sides will regenerate, but branches removed from the bottom rarely do. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas are shallow-rooted and really feel the heat. If they’ve outgrown their space, height and width can be reduced now before budding becomes too advanced. Removing spent flower heads will also help direct energy into new growth. Roses & Summer Flowers: Some roses will be showing rust, particularly those that struggle when soils dry out during warm winds. Remove affected leaves and destroy them. A feed of manure-enriched compost and a deep watering around the roots will help restore plant health. Drying Rose petals: Pick early in the morning when plump with dew and lay out to dry on newspaper in a dark, warm, very dry place. When completely dry, store in glass jars and add spices, citrus, lavender or rosemary for personalised potpourri. To enhance the scent, add 5-10 drops of fragrance oil or essential oil to the dried petals. Then, gently toss the mixture and arrange in glass jars or bowls. Hydrangeas are at their absolute best right now; they love damp conditions so water well and cover root area with compost. Lavender is ready for picking: Choose a hot, dry day, tie a string around the breadth of a lavender bush, then cut below the string so stems are contained in a bunch rather than requiring a messy clean up. If wanting to dry lavender, pick when stems are firm but before flowers open fully open. Bunch, then hang in a bone-dry place — any moisture will cause rot. Once dry, the flowers can be rubbed off and stored in paper bags for sachets, wheat bags, or potpourri. The stems are perfect for adding fragrance to the fire later in the year. Drying Rose petals: Pick early in the morning once dew has dried and lay out to dry on newspaper in a dark, warm, very dry place. When completely dry, store in glass jars or add spices, citrus, lavender or rosemary for personalised potpourri.To enhance the scent, add 5-10 drops of fragrance oil or essential oil to the dried petals. Herbs are also ideal for drying now. Pick, dry thoroughly, then rub from the stalks and store in glass jars. My own mix includes thyme, marjoram, mint, coriander, tarragon, dill, parsley, sage, rosemary and bay. Seed Collecting: Seed collecting is well under way. Warm days help pods ripen, and I like to store mature pods in paper envelopes or bags where they can pop in their own time. Aquilegia, poppies, dianthus, pansy, viola and polyanthus are ready now, with delphiniums, peony and iris still to come. Lawns scorch easily in this heat. Mow high, water early in the morning, and feed when rain is forecast. Spot spray weeds when bees are not active, and avoid blanket spraying to protect worms. Light mulch with untreated grass clippings or mowing now and then without the catcher helps keep grass roots cooler. Veg: It’s shaping up to be a bumper year. Corn, beans, cucumbers and pumpkins are taking off; tomatoes are ripening well. New potatoes love the warmth. I leave mine well covered in the ground until needed. Garlic is being lifted and hung to dry. Keep planting vegetables (apart from corn and pumpkins, they need a long ripening time). Rotate crops for best results. Fruit: Blackcurrants are still being picked for freezing, raspberries and strawberries seem plentiful, and apples will have been naturally thinned by recent winds. Cheers, Linda.

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