Gardening in Waitaki April 21st 2026

We’ve certainly had a sharp taste of winter temperatures this week, hardly inviting weather for long days in the garden. Still, autumn is putting on a magnificent

display, with colours deepening beautifully as the month progresses, more than making up for the chill in the air.Now is the time to begin bedding the garden down for winter. Cut back tired summer perennials and annuals that have become long and straggly, clearing space for a generous layer of compost around each plant, followed by perhaps pea straw mulch.  Soft green waste can go straight into the compost heap, while tougher, woody material is best shredded or discarded. The more organic matter you return to the soil, the more your garden will reward you in the seasons ahead. Hydrangeas are still putting on a splendid show—leave them be for now, but it’s an excellent time to take hardwood cuttings for future plants. Remember, patience is needed, as these take a few seasons to develop into substantial bushes. There is still time along the coast to sow seeds outdoors and grow them on to pricking-out size before growth slows. Seedlings potted up now and nurtured through winter will be far stronger than spring-bought alternatives. Outdoors, sow alyssum, aquilegia, calendula, cornflower, lupins, statice, stock, and sweet peas. Under cover, sow antirrhinums, dianthus, pansies, violas, poppies, scabious, sweet William, polyanthus, primrose, and primulas. Evergreen shrubs (excluding conifers) are best planted now or left until after winter, while deciduous trees and conifers cope better with colder conditions. Get hedges trimmed before frost arrives, as this will likely be the last cut until spring. Continue cutting back plants like large daisies and lavatera on the coast to encourage fresh flowering. Lift gladioli once the foliage dries off, dry the corms thoroughly, dust them with flowers of sulphur, and store in paper bags or old pantyhose, never plastic.  Leave peony roses undisturbed; simply cut back dead tops and dispose of them to avoid any carried-over disease. Spring is the time to divide if needed. Roses will benefit from a feed now, as garden soil is depleted of nutrients by autumn; unfed roses will weaken and lack the strength for lush flowering next year. Firstly, remove all dropped leaves under rose bushes, then apply aged stable manure, along with rose fertiliser for the best results. Lawns should begin to slow down. Apply lime now to improve soil condition by spring, and avoid walking on wet grass to prevent compaction. Watch for grass grub. If birds are pecking and patches are browning, treat promptly, as May is your last chance before grubs finish eating roots and burrow deep. vegetable garden, protect pumpkins from frost. Around Anzac Day is the traditional time to plant broad beans, if you haven’t yet. Sow spinach, snap peas, Brussels sprouts, and spring onions.  Grow veg seedlings on to a good size before planting, because many slugs will be active while the soil is wet. Protect seedlings from slugs with a coarse mulch layer that can deter slugs by making movement difficult. Slug Collars: Small collars made from plastic or metal placed around individual plants act as protective fences. Beer traps attract slugs to fermenting yeast: Bury shallow containers filled with beer so their rims are at soil level. Slugs crawl in and drown. Replace the beer every few days to avoid foul odours. Finish harvesting potatoes and store them in a cool, dry place. Fruit: Mature fruit can be harvested and ripened spread out in a warm, sunny spot befor storing. Cheers, Linda.