August is a good month to prepare for spring. With unpredictable late-winter weather, please allow for possible changes to shipment and dispatch schedules.
Garden Maintenance
Plan your spring flower garden—many gardeners are already planting their favourite flowers for early colour.
Plant native trees and mÄnuka seedlings.
Plant strawberries and garlic.
Chit or plant seed potatoes, depending on your region.
Add compost and prepare garden beds.
Keep weeding and replace tired plants.
Prune roses and trim hedges.
Edible Garden
August a good time to plant onions (California red onion, Pukekohe onions, spring onions). They grow best in friable soil and they are perfect companions to spinach. You may want to try planting onions in containers too, if you have limited garden space. Onions need to be planted 10cm apart and if you are planting them in rows, make the rows 20cm apart.
You may also still plant garlic. We have great bulk garlic deals available at the moment.
It’s a great time to plant cold-hardy vegetables like beetroot, brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower), spinach and peas.
Many gardeners consider planting seed potatoes at this time. Awapuni Nurseries now has the following potato varieties: agria, ilam hardy, cliffs kidney, rocket, jersey bennes and Waiporoporo (Maori potato).
Flower Garden
August is a good time to layout your flower garden. Have a plan to add flowers that continuously attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Mix and match annuals and perennials. More flowers present whilst your vegetable plants are flowering will help set the scene for more fruiting. Cornflowers, poppy peonies, pansies, violas, lupins, fragrant stock flowers - plant a mixture of flowers to encourage beneficial insects to visit your garden.
Save the Monarchs - Attract more monarch butterflies by planting the perennial swan plant. Monarch butterflies love laying their creamy, white eggs on the underside of the swan plant leaves. Monarch butterflies do not harm New Zealand's unique environment and they are not afraid of humans. They are usually seen flying around happily in flower gardens and delights many gardeners.
Cottage garden favourites
Awapuni Nurseries offer many flower seedlings that you may want to consider for your cottage garden: foxgloves, canterbury bells, catmint, cineraria, sweet peas, carnation, shasta daisy and geranium.
Flowers in Barrels
For a rustic look, we recommend planting stock, ornamental kale, pansies and violas together in a big barrel. These flowers love the winter chill and will bloom until the end of spring, and in some ideal conditions, even through the first few weeks of summer.
Herb Garden
You may now also plant more herbs all throughout your garden: mint oregano, parsley, sage, thyme and coriander.
Natives
Planting natives gives you flexibility because they are highly adaptable to the NZ environment. Cabbage tree, manuka, swamp ribbonwood, kanuka, pittosporum, griselinia, kowhai, pohutukawa, renga renga lily and native NZ flaxes provide food and shelter to native birds and insects.
Forestry
Awapuni Nurseries grows premium Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus—including NZDFI selections—Cypress (Development Group lines), Redwood and more, all suited to New Zealand conditions.
From lifestyle blocks to large-scale forestry projects, we supply high-performing seedlings and can grow under contract for plantings from 10 to 100 hectares.
Forestry clearance now on: all you can fill banana box with selected Eucalyptus and pine seedlings just for $25. In-store only, as these seedlings are too tall to transport. Available while stocks last.
For contract growing solutions, please contact Devin on 027 421 7535.
