Gardening Guides
Be a gardening legend with step-by-step instructions on how to grow a wide range of plants, what to plant when, how to combat pests and diseases, plus extra tips and tricks to get your garden flourishing.
Be a gardening legend with step-by-step instructions on how to grow a wide range of plants, what to plant when, how to combat pests and diseases, plus extra tips and tricks to get your garden flourishing.
A burst of colour for winter gardens
Autumn hanging baskets - plant now for colour through out autumn and winter
Companion Planting with Flowers
Get crafty with homegrown pansies
Get practical with parsley and pretty with pansies
Prune now for knockout roses this spring
Put some romance back in your garden with traditional spring
Tips for getting the best from your garden in the autumn
Why do my pansies always go 'leggy'?
Read full articleAutumn hanging baskets - plant now for colour through out autumn and winter
Awaken your garden with some autumn colour
Make your potted trees preen with polyanthus
Natives add a touch of spring to winter gardens
Polyanthus pack a punch in winter gardens
Pop some colour in your garden
Pretty polyanthus make popular choice
Say it with living flowers this Mother's Day
Snapdragons - the perfect companion
Tips for getting the best from your garden in the autumn
Read full articleThere are thousands of keen gardeners out there who don't have access to a garden. There are also many frustrated gardeners for whom the ongoing battle with their insubordinate wildernesses or infertile soil is just too much. Then there are those whose gardens consist simply of small balconies, pavers and courtyards.
There are thousands of keen gardeners out there who don't have access to a garden.There are also many frustrated gardeners for whom the ongoing battle with their insubordinate wildernesses or infertile soil is just too much. Then there are those whose gardens consist simply of small balconies, pavers and courtyards.
For all those who don't have a garden and for those who can't garden - we can share this trade secret with you - hanging baskets.
They are used by experienced gardeners and home decorators to add colour to entrance ways and to provide a special touch of décor to your homes. They soften the edges of verandas, doors, walls, pergolas, patios and decks, and add vibrant colour to your outside living areas.
For inner city gardeners and those who have given up the battle with their untameable backyard, hanging baskets will bring your garden to eye level and will brighten and warm up your balconies and courtyards.
"Hanging baskets are perfect for everyone. Whether you have a garden or a courtyard, they are an affordable and colourful way of bringing fragrant, vivid flowers and herbs into your home," says Tod Palenski of Awapuni Nurseries.
"And what's best, they are simple and easy to make."
Tod, who has over 20 years experience in the gardening industry and is an expert on home gardens and herbaceous perennials, has some tips for making the perfect hanging basket.
Before we start you will need to purchase a basket, plastic saucer and some sphagnum moss from your local garden centre.
Tod recommends using a wire basket with a diameter at least 350mm wide.
"The bigger the better! A large basket will retain more water which means it is less likely to dry out. And a wire basket means you can poke the flowers through the holes," says Tod.
If you are using a round bottomed basket a tip for easy handling is to place the basket on top of a bucket. Round bottoms mean the baskets often roll around when placed on flat ground -this makes for some tricky planting manoeuvres!
Before you begin planting it is a good idea to soak the sphagnum moss in a bucket of water.
"Sphagnum moss is crucial to growing a good basket. It is a natural sponge - which means it will soak up water and provide the plants with moisture.
"More importantly, it stops the soil falling out!" laughs Tod.
Now your moss is damp, place it along the bottom of the basket and approximately 50mm up the sides.
Next sit the plastic saucer on top of the moss and pour in potting mix until it reaches the same height as the moss. - approximately 50mm high.
Tod recommends using a top quality potting mix with a slow release fertiliser.
A slow release fertiliser will feed your plants for up to four months; until you re-do the baskets for winter.
Now for the fun part - choosing what to plant!
Awapuni has several seasonal flower mixes in their traditional value range which are perfect for hanging baskets.
The mixes have a fantastic range of flowers which work wonderfully together, perform well in baskets and are available from supermarkets, The Warehouse, Kmart and Bunnings stores.
No matter what you decide to grow in the top of your basket, Tod recommends planting cascading annuals around the sides.
"Lobelia and alyssum are great annuals because they provide amazing colour and will soften the sides of your basket," says Tod.
Simply lie the cascading annuals' roots across the potting mix and poke the flowers and leaves through the sides of the basket.
Then add another lay of moss over the top. This time place the moss 100mm up the insides of the basket.
Add another layer of potting mix and another layer of cascading annuals, put another layer of sphagnum moss down and take it all the way up the insides of the basket.
Fill the container to the top with potting mix and then decide what to plant at the top.
Petunias and impatients have wonderful bright coloured flowers which contrast nicely with the cascading annuals.
Or for something different, Tod suggests growing Awapuni's cherry tomato and basil combo.
"Strawberries are also perfectly suited to hanging baskets. They take up very little room and the basket allows them to stay clear of the ground - which makes it harder for pests to get them."
Remember to water regularly, dead head your flowers for a long flowering season and lastly, start experimenting now - let your imagination go wild!
Read full articleThis bundle contains a mix of seasonal plants that will help bring bees to your garden. Possible plants may include oregano, lavender, rosemary, borage, anise hyssop, basil, catnip, cat mint, lemon balm, alyssum, aster, cornflower, poppies, zinnia, lemon bergamot and more.
Alyssum
Basil
Cornflower
Catnip
We will keep adding pictures of the seedlings as they become available.
Read full articleAs most of us gardeners learn over time (often through trial and error!), some plants are suited to some purposes better than others.
Bedding, hanging baskets, pots, tubs, rock gardens and more. Well, ageratum is one of the top plants I think of when someone says they would like to create a floral border.
It’s perfect for borders because it grows quite densley and it doesn’t grow too tall. Plus, I personally think it looks quite stunning when grown in a border.
At Awapuni Nurseries we stock two varieties of ageratum – blue and pink. They both grow to a height of 20cm and are also good for growing in bedding, window boxes and rock gardens.
Once you’ve got your plants look for a full sun to semi-shade spot in the garden and plant each one around 20cm apart.
Ageratum can cope with pretty dry conditions but it will do better if you water it regularly.
Depending on the weather where you are, in around four to eight weeks you can expect to see this easy-care plant flower.
Read full articleIf you're garden is still looking a little post-winter dreary then you need to plant asters. These retro looking daisies come in a wide ranging selection of colours including blue, purple, red and pink, and will add the vibrancy your garden needs.
They're a perfect companion plant for growing next to roses, petunias, marigolds and cosmos because they all like the same conditions - full sun and free-draining soil.
Asters also come in different sizes. The dwarf variety grows to about 25cm high and the tall variety grows to around 75cm high.
Did you know these bright flowers are popular with bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects too? Which makes them great for planting in a spot where you need extra pollination - like your vege garden.
And what I love best about asters, is they're fantastic cut flowers too.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to list any more reasons why you need to plant asters. So, grab some seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Alternatively, head to our online store and get some Awapuni Nurseries seedlings delivered direct to your door.
Once you've found the perfect spot to plant - they're also great for brightening up the space around your mailbox - dig in some compost and blood and bone fertiliser.
Now you're ready to plant. To get a good effect plant them quite close together - no more than 20 cm apart for dwarf and 40cm for the regular variety. Once you've planted all your seedlings, apply a bit of mulch, or some more of your compost to prevent them drying out. Remember, not to overhead water to avoid them catching any diseases. In around six to eight weeks your asters will provide the colour your garden, or home, needs.
Read full articleWho doesn't like to receive a few compliments about how great their garden is looking? I do. And I bet you do too. So this summer if you'd like to astound, amaze and astonish your friends with the colour and beauty in your garden, try growing asters.
The bright coloured flowers come in several shades of pink and purple, red and white and look fantastic in the ground but also make great cut flowers. At Awapuni, we stock two different varieties - the dwarf which grows to around 25cm high and the tall variety which grows to around 75cm high.
These striking looking flowers are also popular with bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Which makes them great for planting in a spot where you need extra pollination - like your vege garden. They're also a perfect companion plant for growing next to roses, petunias, marigolds and cosmos because they all like the same conditions - full sun and free-draining soil.
Pick up some aster seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Alternatively, head to our online store and get some Awapuni Nurseries seedlings delivered direct to your door.
Once you've found the right spot to plant, dig in some compost and blood and bone fertiliser. To get the amazing effect you're after plant them quite close together - no more than 20 cm apart for dwarf and 40cm for the tall variety.
Once you've planted all your seedlings, apply a bit of mulch, or some more of your compost to prevent them drying out. Remember, not to overhead water to avoid them catching any diseases. In around six to eight weeks even you'll be complimenting yourself for having the foresight to plant asters.
Read full articleYour tulips and daffodils have stopped flowering and now you're not sure what to do with them. Never fear, Paul Hoek from NZ Bulbs has given us his top tips for growing great tulips and divine daffodils.
Paul says it's important you remove the flowerheads or any developing seed pods from your tulips and daffodils to stop their energy going into seed production.
"This will allow the bulb to concentrate on growing as much as possible for next season."
While Paul says you need to remove the flowerheads, he says DON'T touch the leaves.
"If you remove any of the leaves before they have died back of their own accord it will result in smaller bulbs and poorer flowering the following season," says Paul.
"The longer you can keep the leaves green (end of November or later) the bigger the bulb will grow and the better it will flower next season."
That's why next Paul says it's important you continue to water the bulbs after flowering has finished to keep the leaves green as long as possible.
"Water the bulbs until the leaves die back naturally."
When the bulbs have finished flowering is also a great time to give them some fertiliser to boost bulb growth.
"Try giving them a good balanced fertiliser. It's important to avoid any that have high nitrogen levels, but make sure it has good levels of potassium. Too much nitrogen can encourage basal rot in bulbs as well as a lot of green growth at the expense of flowering. Potassium encourages flowering."
Paul says most garden centres sell bulb fertiliser but if you have potato or rose fertiliser in your garden shed, these will also work well.
When you fertilise your daffodils it's also a good idea to spray some neem oil around the plants to deter narcissus fly from laying eggs at the leaf bases.
This only applies to your daffodils, not tulips. Pauls says if your daffodils haven't produced many flowers this season they could have been infected with narcissus fly which lays eggs at the leaf base at this time of year.
"The eggs hatch and the grubs burrow down into the bulbs where they munch up the centre of it - exactly where your bulb is developing the flower for next year! Spray every few weeks with neem oil to deter the fly from landing on your daffodils."
Another reason daffodils may not have produced many flowers is they have become too crowded. Daffodils can be left in the ground for up to four years before they start to become crowded.
If you think this is the case, Paul suggests digging them up and splitting in summer when they are dormant.
If you live in a warmer area of NZ that doesn't get five frosts a winter, or planted your tulips in pots, Paul says you should lift your tulip bulbs (only after the leaves have died right back) so you can chill them prior to re-planting in April next year.
"Tulips need a cold period for the bulb to complete the development of the flower bud deep inside. Insufficient cold period results in either no flower or flowers on short stems."
Once you've lifted your tulip bulbs, store them in a warm, airy place until it's time to start chilling them in early March
"Watch them carefully in storage so they don’t become infested with aphids. If you do find aphids, give them a quick spray with fly spray."
And remember, if you're after more tulip and daffodil bulbs for next year, look no further than the wide range available at NZ Bulbs. And if you'd like to receive their beautiful printed catalogues that go out every season, click here.
Read full articleCalendulas. Every garden should have them. Not only are they attractive, they've got some amazing anti-viral, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties.
Commonly known as winter marigolds, calendula are quite different to summer marigolds. They look different and they will seed down at the end of the season - something your regular marigolds don't do.
Growing calendulas is really straightforward, and even easier if you have a stream in or around your garden as they love moisture. All you need to do is dig a hole, approximately 3cm deep, spacing each seedling about 10cm apart.
Place your seedling inside the hole and cover its roots with soil. If you're not one for order, you'll be pleased to know you don't have to line the seedlings up in rows like many other types of plants. That's because calendula like to sprawl across the soil.
In about four to six weeks your calendulas should start to flower. At this point, they'll probably need a bit more watering than normal. To check how thirsty they are, simply put your finger in the soil about 2cm deep. If it's dry, they need a drink.
If you don't have a large garden, don't fret; you can also house the picturesque plants in hanging baskets or pots. Once in bloom, calendulas add much-needed colour to winter gardens.
After seeding down at the end of the season, calendulas will pop up again the following one to, once again, brighten your garden. Just don't forget to pick off any deadheads to keep your plants flowering longer. And stay away from overhead watering as it spreads disease.
Read full articleThis is just my personal opinion, but, when compared to the remaining three seasons, winter can be a bit dull - colour wise.
In summer the light is bright, spring is full of vibrant colours, and autumn brings spectacular golden and burnt orange colours.
But it doesn't need to be this way. There are plenty of annuals, which love cooler, shadier conditions and will provide the colour your garden is missing over winter.
Primulas, polyanthus, pansies, anthirrhinums and wallflowers are just a few. But if you're looking for a colourful plant that really packs a punch, then look no further than cineraria.
When it flowers, cineraria produces striking blue, white, red and purplish blooms. If you plant seedlings, rather than seeds, it's also very easy to grow.
Planting from seeds is doable but you'd need to grow them in a greenhouse because they have a low tolerance for variations in growing conditions when they're getting started.
So, let us do all the hard yards and simply purchase your ready-to-go cineraria seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Alternatively, order them from our online store and get your plants delivered direct to your door.
The tall cineraria variety grows to about 70cm and the dwarf variety grows to about 25-30cm.
Once you've got your seedlings you need to find a shady, damp spot to grow them in. They don't like frost, so under a tree is usually a good place to plant.
They like similar growing conditions to impatiens. So if you planted these with us in November, simply take them out, dig over the soil and plant your cineraria in the same spot.
Once planted, keep an eye out for caterpillars - simply pick them off, or spray with an insecticide. And watch out for slugs - try using our 'beer bait'.
Lastly, be careful not to over water. Because you will have planted in the shade and the weather is cooler as we head into winter, they won't need as much water as plants growing in full sun.
Then sit back and wait for your arrival of colour in around six to eight weeks - depending on the warmth of your soil at the time of planting.
Once they've flowered, your cineraria will seed down and pop up by themselves in spring. How good is that? A double hit of colour without having to do anything extra. Perfect.
Read full articleI often think it can be nice to have some plants in your garden that don’t require much work. Kind of like a set and forget approach – once it’s planted it will take care of itself.
Echinops ritro, also known as globe thistle, is one of these easy-care plants. It is a hardy plant that tolerates frost and heat, and thrives just about anywhere. And, because it’s a perennial it will stay in your garden a long time. (For beginner gardeners out there, annuals are plants that only last one year or season. Perennials will keep popping up season after season.)
Like the name globe thistle suggests, it looks like a round version of a Scottish thistle in that lovely deep blue/purple colour. However, it’s actually a member of the aster family and not a thistle at all. Which is great, because this means it doesn’t have any spiny prickles.
If you have a perennial garden or want to create a cottage garden look, echinops ritro would make a great addition. It looks nice planted amongst other tall, cottage garden-style plants foxgloves, lupin, hollyhocks and delphinium.
It also looks lovely grown with coneflower Echinacea in a border – their similar appearances really compliment each other.
And, if you still need further convincing about growing echinops ritro, bees love it!
If you’d like to try growing echinops ritro, head to our online shop to order your satisfaction guaranteed seedlings and enjoy the convenience of having them delivered direct to your door.
Once your seedlings have arrived, it’s time to look for somewhere to plant them. I recommend making the most of their hardiness and growing them in full sun. Plant each seedling approximately 30cm apart.
When they start flowering in early summer, you can expect to enjoy their stunning blooms for around eight weeks. Echinops ritro make good cut flowers and wonderful dried flowers. They can last for years in a good condition.
When they’ve finished flowering I sometimes cut them back to around a third of their height. This gets rid of all the old leaves and encourages the plants to come away stronger the following spring. It will also stop them re-seeding if you do it early enough – when the colour starts to fade in the flower heads. Otherwise it’s fine to take advantage of their easy-care nature and just let them do their thing.
Read full articleSummer is officially over. And what a great summer the country had this year. But now the weather is starting to cool off, which means it's time to think about planting for the colder months.Typically when people think of autumn gardens they think of darker, more subdued colours, but this doesn't need to be the case. Cornflowers will add a splash of vibrant colour to any garden. What's more, they're really easy to grow.
Cornflowers come in several colours including pink, red, lavender, blue or white. Our tall red variety grows well next to stocks and snapdragons because they like the same conditions and they'll hold each other up. I also like to plant this variety amongst my lavender, roses or delphiniums for the same reasons.
All you need is a sunny, well-drained spot with soil that isn't too sour. Before you start planting, I recommend adding a good general fertiliser like nitrophoska blue or blood and bone to help give the seedlings a good kick-start.
Then dig a little hole and plant each seedling around 10cm apart. They're quite upright growing plants and planting at this space apart will allow them to support the weight of each other.
Don't have much space? Our mixed dwarf variety grows really well in pots. Try planting cornflowers in the centre of your pot and lobelias around the outside.
In around six to eight weeks your plants will start to flower and provide a splash of colour for autumn.
Read full articleIf you’re after a cottage-garden or wildflower vibe in your garden then look no further than cornflowers. Their ruffled and colourful flowers will add an easy-care, pretty look to any home and garden.
Typically cornflowers are blue but we also sell a mixed bundle of seedlings which includes pink, lilac, white, purple and blue flowers.
Other flowers that also grow nicely with cornflowers and will create a lovely effect when grown together in your garden are delphiniums, poppies, lavender and roses.
If you don’t have much of a garden, never fear, cornflowers also grow very well in pots and look particularly nice when grown with lobelia in containers.
If you’re planting in the garden, look for a sunny, well-drained spot with soil that isn't too sour. Before you start, I recommend adding a good general fertiliser or blood and bone to help give the seedlings a good kick-start.
If you’re growing your cornflowers in a pot, as always, I recommend tipping out any old soil and replacing with new potting mix.
Then dig a little hole and plant each seedling around 10cm apart. They're quite upright growing plants and planting at this space apart will allow them to support the weight of each other.
In around six to eight weeks your cute and cottagey plants will start to flower and provide a splash of colour to your garden.
Read full articleI'll be honest - I'm not a fan of all flowers. I'm not going to name names but some are a bit cheesy or old-fashioned and others are a little hard work.
Cornflowers, however, are a variety I'm quite fond of. In my opinion, they have universal appeal. I know all sorts of different people from different generations who are fans of cornflowers, all for different reasons. They look good and they're easy to grow. But the main reason I'm a fan of cornflowers is for the wild, non-conforming feel they add to a garden.
This pinky, lavender, blue or white coloured flower grows well next to cosmos because they like the same conditions and they'll hold each other up. I also like to plant it amongst my lavender, roses or delphiniums for the same reasons.
All you need is a sunny, well-drained spot with soil that isn't too sour. Before you start planting, I recommend adding a good general fertiliser like nitrophoska blue or blood and bone to help give the seedlings a good kick-start.
Then dig a little hole and plant each seedling around 10cm apart. They're quite upright growing plants and planting at this space apart will allow them to support the weight of each other.
Don't have much space? They also grow really well in pots. Try planting cornflowers in the centre of your pot and lobelias around the outside.
In around six to eight weeks your non-conforming plants will start to flower and provide a splash of colour for autumn.
Read full articleThis bundle contains a mix of popular and seasonal cottage garden flowers that will brighten up your garden or pots and tubs. Possible plants include hollyhock, canterbury bells, foxglove, sweet william, viscaria, cornflowers, carnations, love in the mist and poppies.
Holly hock
Cornflower
Carnations
Cantebury bells
Viscaria
Our Cottage Garden Mix contains a selection of popular cottage garden flowers to brighten up your garden or containers. There are at least 9 plants per bundle.
What type of plants are in the mix? The mix contains petunias, Shaster daisies, lupins, verbascums, delphiniums, scabiosa, foxgloves and a variety of other cottagey-type of flowers.
When do they flower? Four to six weeks from planting, they are at their best in summer.
How much watering do they need? Keep well watered in hot weather conditions. Mulch with pea straw or a fine bark to prevent them drying out.
Where should I plant them? Plant these with roses and lavendars for a cottage garden. Dig compost through soil lightly to about 300mm deep to make the soil better quality. They prefer full sun as this will promote flowering and stop them growing leggy.
What should I feed them? Fertilise every two weeks with a general liquid fertiliser.
How do I help them grow? The plants in this mix are very easy to grow and suitable for beginners. Ensure you keep picking off dead flowers to promote new growth and stop fungus forming.
How can I prevent diseases? The mix is relatively disease resistant in summer, avoid overhead watering. If necessary use Quash to kill slugs. Using a fine bark mix is a good way to deter snails as the surface can be too rough for them.
Read full articleIf you've been hankering for a cottage garden feel in your backyard then hanker no more. Awapuni has all the flower seedlings you need to create a cute, carefree cottage garden.
What is a cottage garden? A cottage garden is an informal garden design that is made up of a mix of ornamental and edible flowers. This design is perfect for creating a captivating "care-free" whimsical garden.
Here are some things you can plant in your cottage garden:
All of these options above can be purchased separately from our online store Or make it easy on yourself by grabbing a couple of Awapuni's Cottage Garden Mix bundles which is a mix of seasonal plants. We recommend planting anything that self-seeds, this just makes your job easier and keeps your garden going all year-round.
Once you've decided on what to plant find a sunny, well-drained area in your garden. To ensure your flowers really take off, I recommend digging in a bit of compost to the soil before you plant.
Then, when you've got the conditions just right, simply plant each seedling around 20cm apart. The trick is to space them far enough away from each other to ensure they have room to grow but not too far apart to create a 'gappy' look. And remember to mix all the seedlings in together. Planting each variety of seedlings in groups or lines won't create the messy, flowery look we're after!
If you don't have the room for a cottage garden but are still after the look and feel, you can plant these types of flowers together in pots. The bigger the pot the better - something like half a wine barrel is perfect. Plant the seedlings as you would in the garden but instead of compost just use a good quality potting mix.
In around eight weeks your plants should begin to flower and put your hankering for a cottage garden at ease.
Read full articleFor me, the key to making your garden look visually appealing is to include plants in a range of sizes. If you've already got your small plants covered and it's height you're after, look no further than the delphinium, which can grow to around 180cm tall.
Beautiful and elegant, bold and statuesque, delphiniums are certainly no shrinking violets. Quite the opposite, in fact, with the flowers perfectly designed to play a leading role in your garden.
You'll be sure to love the colours too, with the plant's dense leaves sprouting flowers ranging from traditional blues right through to lilac, pink, yellow and white.
Not only striking, delphiniums are easy to grow, with the hardy perennials flowering from late spring to late autumn, year after year. They're versatile too, working well in pretty, country gardens as well as modern or stately, sculptural ones (plant next to hostas, canna lilies and cardoons, and throw in some river stones for a bit of a contemporary look).
Convinced? Grab some Awapuni delphinium seedlings from your local supermarket, the Warehouse or Bunnings. Alternatively, head to our online store and get your seedlings delivered direct to your door.
When you're ready to plant, choose a sunny, well-drained area with rich soil. Dig in a good quality compost and animal manure fertiliser, or garden galore, and add plenty of mulch to stop weeds forming and retain soil moisture. I prefer a soft mulch, like pea straw, which will rot down over time and feed the soil. And if you want to deter those delphinium-hungry snails, cover the mulch with a rough bark as these little critters find it difficult to cross the bumpy terrain.
Don't have time for a full garden makeover? Simply plant some of our dwarf pure white delphiniums in black lacquered pots. Reaching up to a metre tall, they'll add drama to your outdoor table, patio or pathway.
Either way, I guarantee you'll be reaching new gardening heights in no time.
Read full articleEvery month I try to write about a couple of different plants that can be planted at the time of writing. I hope to share some information you might not know about and give some practical advice on how to plant them. This month I’ve decided to dish the dirt (so-to-speak) on dianthus.
Dianthus (often called pinks) is a hardy cottage-garden flower ideal for planting in borders. This cheerful plant will be sure to provide you with many months of colour in your garden because, unlike many other flower varieties, you can plant it all year round. If you get your dianthus plants in the ground now they will do some nice growing through the rest of winter and be ready to flower in spring.
In fact, two weeks ago I did just that – planted some confetti dianthus around the outside of a pot, and origami pink & white aquilegia in the middle (see picture). Come spring the pot will be a colourful and bright welcome next to my front door.
Right, some more dirt on dianthus. It produces smaller-than-average flowers, that look like they have been cut with shears, on strong upright stems. And the flowers are fragrant and make excellent cut flowers for bright indoor arrangements.
At Awapuni we currently have three different varieties of dianthus seedlings available – the confetti I just mentioned, blueberry and mixed.
Confetti grows to about 20cm high and produces a variety of flowers in lively colours. It’s ideal for growing in pots, hanging baskets or borders of gardens.
Diana Blueberry grows a little bit taller to around 25cm and its flowers are a rich, violet colour. Its petal edges are jaggered – looking lacy and frilled.
Lastly, our bundle of mixed dianthus seedlings grows to approximately 20cm and produces larger, ruffled carnation-like blooms in a vibrant mix of orange, red, pink and yellow.
Now, how to plant. To create a cottage garden feeling in your garden, I recommend planting an assortment of dianthus varieties in close proximity – at around 30cm spacings. Their dense evergreen foliage keeps bushy all year long and when planted they cover bare spots quickly.
Dianthus cope fine with frost so you can plant them just about anywhere. Look for somewhere sunny with good drainage. Ideal companion plants to grow with dianthus are marigolds, roses, petunias, and livingstone daisies because they all like the same conditions.
Once established, dianthus are easy to maintain. They are rarely struck by pests or disease and just require a little bit of care.
In around spring, they will begin flowering and continue throughout summer. Regular trimming of the dead growth (just cut back a bit to encourage new growth) and removing the dead heads will reward you with two to three sets of blooms and encourage a denser crop of flowers.
Lastly, on a culinary note, did you know dianthus flowers are edible? They make great decorations on cakes or bring colour to salads. And for the real dirt on dianthus? At Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, their cake was flavoured elderflower and lemon and decorated with fresh flowers. Don’t ask how I know that. I can’t confirm these were dianthus (as a nod to Lady Di) but if it was - you heard it here first.
Read full articleBreak out of your summer salad rut with flowers
If you're looking for an interesting way to liven up yet another bowl of salad, look no further than your favourite flowers.
"As long as you choose wisely, flowers can be a fantastic addition to lots of dishes," says Awapuni gardening expert Tod Palenski.
People have been eating flowers for centuries. Saffron, which is the stamen of the crocus flower, has been used since pre-Roman times and the Victorians often used flowers in their cooking.
"In fact, most of us probably eat flowers on a regular basis whether we realise it or not," says Tod. "Cauliflower and broccoli are both types of flowers and so are capers and artichokes."
He says restaurants and celebrity chefs have sparked new interest in putting flowers on the menu. Crispy courgette flowers stuffed with ricotta and mint are a Jamie Oliver specialty, as is tempura lobster with viola and borage.
Nasturtiums are among the most common edible flowers. Their leaves have a strong pepper taste and the flowers are sweet and spicy like watercress. Flowers can be stuffed with savoury mousses and both flowers and leaves can be added to salads or used to garnish cheese platters.
"Nasturtiums are incredibly easy to grow. They make a good ground cover under trees and they look great trailing from hanging baskets."
Tod recommends adding pansies and violas to the nasturtiums if you want to make a varied hanging basket.
"Pansies have a sweet, grassy flavour and violas have a mild, perfumed flavour. Their range of colours make the petals perfect for brightening up green salads. Or you could try freezing them in ice cubes to add to drinks and punches."
If you don't already have these flowers growing in your garden, Tod says the best way to quick, pretty blooms is to buy seedlings. Awapuni's range of Pop'n'Grow seedlings, which have easy-to-separate root systems, are available at most supermarkets and good garden centres.
"If you plant them now, they'll be in full bloom in four to six weeks," he says. "They're a great way to liven up your garden at the end of summer too, just remove any spent annuals and replace them with edible flowers. They grow well in pots and planters as well."
Of course, anything that is going onto your plate has to be pesticide free, so Tod says it's a good idea not to spray anywhere near edible flowers or vegetable gardens.
"These plants are all fairly disease resistant, especially at this time of year, so there's no need for sprays. But as a precaution, always make sure you rinse the flowers thoroughly before use."
Tod says another hardy plant that's popular in kitchens is lavender. It can be used in jam, or in deserts such as crème brulee and ice cream.
"Lavender is very easy to grow in most gardens as long as it is in full sun. Plant it in a windy spot for air movement and don't water it from overhead or the plant may sweat causing fungus to form."
Cupcakes are enjoying a revival at the moment and look great decorated with sugared flowers. To make your own, dip flowers into whisked egg white and then sprinkle them with castor sugar. They can also be used to garnish wedding cakes and desserts.
In most cases, only the petals are edible, so remove pistils and stamens before eating. To avoid wilting, separate the flower petals from the rest of the flower just prior to use.
"The important thing to remember is not everything in your garden is edible, so use a reliable reference source," says Tod. "You should always remember to use flowers sparingly in recipes to avoid digestive complaints."
The secret to success when using edible flowers is to choose wisely and keep the dish simple so that other flavours don't over-power the delicate taste of the flowers.
Read full articleIf your garden needs a little height, there’s no better plant to grow than foxgloves. These striking and colourful plants can grow to over 1 metre tall and look fantastic in most gardens.
In addition to their height, foxgloves are known for the striking and attractive bell-shaped flowers they produce in clusters at the top of their long stems.
At Awapuni we stock foxgloves in a range of vibrant colours including lavender, cream, apricot, white and purple. Plus, we also sell a mixed bundle of seedlings.
If you’d like to complement your foxgloves with other tall-growing flowers, I recommend grabbing some delphinium, lupin and hollyhock seedlings. Grown together, these four will create a lovely cottage garden effect.
Once you've got your seedlings you need to find a good spot to plant. Foxgloves will grow most places but they grow best in semi-shade with moist soil that is not prone to frost.
Remember foxgloves are very toxic. The whole plant, including seeds, leaves and roots is poisonous. So make sure to wear gloves when planting or caring for them. And if you have young children around (with a tendency to put things and hands in their mouths) I suggest thinking carefully about where you plant them.
Once you’ve found the right place, dig in a bit of compost before you plant. They like a nutrient rich soil so this will help give them a good start.
As you would expect from plants with a bit of height it's important not to grow each seedling too close together - around 35cm apart is ideal.
If you plant our established foxgloves (our established plants are plants that have had extra months growing at the nursery so they fast-forward the pleasure you will receive from each plant) you can expect to see them flower in around two months. If you decide to grow foxglove seedlings you can look forward to them flowering in around three to four months.
For a longer flowering season, dead head (i.e. remove the dead flowers) before the last blooms open. This will encourage the plants to flower again. This will also stop the flowers going to seed if you don’t want to extend your display of foxglove flowers for next year.
Read full articleMissing the colour and vividness of your garden in summer? Dreading the coming lack of winter growth?
Well now is the time to guarantee colour around your home, in the autumn and winter months, by planting hanging baskets.
"Winter baskets and displays comprise an attractive mixture of plants which can give long lasting pleasure during the cold moths," says Awapuni Nurseries director, Henri Ham.
"They only need watering occasionally, more often during sunny spells than when the weather is very dull and cold, and will look great from the day they are planted."
Henri says the first thing to remember when planting winter baskets is to do it as early as possible.
"Plants will not grow much in winter which means they won't initiate flower buds so planting needs to be done while the plants are still able to flower."
The types of flowers you plant will depend on where the basket is to be hanged. For example Awapuni's Pop'n'Grow range has several varieties that are perfect for hanging in a shady position. These include pansies, pollyanthus, lobelia, primula and mimulus.
For hanging in a sunny spot Henri recommends antirrhinum dwarf, lobelia, alyssum, pansies, pollyanthus, viscaria, nemesia and mixed herbs.
Pop'n'Grow is a revolutionary new seedling range that is simple to plant and quite literally guaranteed to grow. The range includes over 120 different perennials, herbs, flowers and vegetables, and special kids' fun pack products and is available from supermarkets, The Warehouse, Kmart and Bunnings stores.
Their unique nursery process, and biodegradable packaging means the plants can be unwrapped, separated and prepared for the soil without disturbing or breaking the roots.
However, before you can brighten up your garden and home with vibrant coloured pansies and alyssums, you need to prepare your baskets.
Henri suggests purchasing a wire basket and placing a plastic saucer at the bottom.
"Line the bottom and halfway up the sides of the inside of the basket with spagnum moss.
"Then half fill the basket with high quality potting mix."
Once the basket is prepared you can begin planting.
"Cascading plants such as Lobelia and Alyssum look wonderful when planted around the sides of the basket," Henri says.
"When you have planted these fill the basket with more potting mix. Now is the time to plant your other plants such as pansies, polyanthus and any mixed herbs in the inside space of the basket.
"Remember plants grow more slowly in winter so place plants closer together, within your basket, than you would in summer or buy larger ones."
Depending on the type of basket you plant, shady or sunny, your basket is now ready to be hung in your chosen position.
Henri recommends checking the soil moisture before you water as it is easy to over water hanging baskets during the winter months.
He also advises against watering the leaves as this will cause powdery mildew to grow.
"Remove spent flowers if your plants stop flowering and check for any pests such as aphids.
"If you do find aphids an application of neem oil (Neem 900ec) can really help. The oil smothers the adult insects while the active ingredient in the neem disrupts the juvenile's growth and reproduction."
In addition to checking the soil moisture and for pests Henri recommends regularly feeding the baskets with liquid fertilisers.
"And lastly, enjoy your baskets.
"As long as the plant has nutrition and light, extra care and regular watering the baskets will give lots of pleasure."
Read full articleWant to inject some bright colour into a super sunny spot in your garden? How about planting some geraniums? These hardy, sun-loving plants are perfect for those prime spots in your garden that often get too hot or are slightly too exposed for other flowers.
Geraniums are a cute low-spreading plant, with flowers that push above its foliage – like little posies. For your geranium seedlings, head to Awapuni Nurseries online shop. We currently have violet and bulls eye mix varieties available now. Our bulls eye mix blooms in pinks, reds, and oranges. But if you’re after a classic white, in around March our ‘new to the nursery this season’ white geraniums will also be ready to order.
Now, to plant your seedlings. Choose a well-drained, moderately sunny spot - geraniums like four to six hours sun a day. I like to dig some compost or general fertiliser through the garden first, to give them the best possible start.
Dig small holes 8cm deep, roughly 25 cm apart. If you’re after suggestions on what to grow with your geraniums, livingstone daisies, lobelia and alyssum are my top picks. They all like the same conditions and look lovely together.
Give your geraniums a good initial watering, and keep this up for the first few weeks to really help them get established. Once you’ve got them going, you can relax a bit more on how much you water.
In around four to six weeks you’ll start to see come colour coming through on top of their dark leaves. Deadheading your blooms will encourage more to come through. And pinching the stems will promote bushier rather than leggier flowers.
If you’re not sure what pinching is – it’s simply breaking off the top 2cm of the growing tip of a plant to encourage it to grow out wider, before it grows up. The same way you pinch off the very top of your basil (and other herbs) so it doesn’t go to seed.
https://awapuni.co.nz/search?query=geranium make great bedding plants, but are also perfect for pots. If you plant in pots, always start with a fresh, good-quality potting mix. Adding stones or old broken pots at the bottom of the pot will help with the drainage. If your pots are in an exposed concrete area think about how hot they will get during the day. You can always elevate them onto some wooden batons or bricks so they don’t conduct as much heat.
Painting the inside of a pot can also help retain its moisture. Remember to check what sort of paint or seal you’re using first and whether it’s appropriate for plants.
Geraniums also make for a lovely indoor pot plant. Place them near a window and if they’re given enough sunlight, they can flower all year long. Now that’s almost plant perfection.
Read full articleFor me, no plant says 'country cottage' like the hollyhock. Rising straight towards the sky, the hollyhock is the perfect plant to add a touch of vintage appeal to your garden.This statuesque flower is also great for adding colour to your backyard, usually sprouting petals in shades of red or pink. Why not visit our online store to see the fantastic colour range we have in stock?
Because hollyhocks can grow to nearly three metres tall they need a bit of thought put into their planting position. Choose somewhere sheltered so they don't get knocked over in a gust, and plant something in front of their base so they grow tall and out the top. I recommend nemesia, which grows wild, flowers beautifully and is the perfect height for propping up your towering plant. Another alternative is cosmos, which, like the nemesia, prefers the same conditions as the hollyhock - sunny and sheltered. Hollyhocks also grow well with sunflowers. And, let's face it; a few of those in your garden are bound to impress the kids.
You can grab your hollyhock and other Awapuni Nurseries seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings, or The Warehouse. Alternatively, head to our online store again and have them delivered direct to your door.
Once you're ready to get growing, dig a little hole and plant your seedlings about 20cm apart. I find the best way to get the planting distance right is to make sure each plant is about a trowel length away from the next .Be careful not to space them out any further apart than this so that the plants can support each other as they grow.
Once you've finished planting, you've done most of the hard work. All you need to do now is sit back, relax and in about six weeks your hollyhocks will start to flower. Just be careful not to over-water them, or they can get rust. When they've finished flowering (by the first frost in May or June at the latest), pull them out and replace them with something new - check out our website for even more inspiration.
Do you miss your bright, summer garden flowers? Or do you feel like your garden has passed its best-before date?
The good news is that with the arrival of autumn, (on the calendar at least) you can now start prepping your flower garden for the cooler months ahead. And there’s no better place to start than with some hanging baskets.
Baskets are the garden for everyone. Whether you’ve got a large garden or only a small apartment balcony or courtyard – they’ll inject colour and lift the mood of any area. You can attach them under verandas, at your front door or hang them from garden walls or trellis.
Baskets are a fun and manageable project when setting up. They’re super easy to maintain over the cooler months; which, if you’re anything like me, is a welcome relief from all the watering and weeding I’ve been doing lately.
I often suggest baskets to people whose gardens have overwhelmed them, and they don’t know where to start. I tell them to adopt a simplistic outlook to the bulk of their garden (perhaps a few shrubs and perennials) and then pop in a few strategic baskets for colour hot-spots.
When it comes to planting your baskets, the key is to do them as early as possible. This gives your plants a head-start to grow now, while it’s still warm.
You can pick up hanging baskets from your local garden centre, the Warehouse or from Awapuni Nurseries online store and have them delivered direct to your door. When it comes to basket size, the bigger the better I say – at least 35cm across. You’ll need a sphagnum moss liner, (you replace this each season) and a plastic saucer that sits under the soil, to retain water in the basket.
Sphagnum moss acts like a sponge and absorbs the water, providing your plants with more moisture. Give the moss a good soak in a bucket of water prior to assembling the basket. Then layer the saucer on top of the liner, top with a good quality potting mix, combined with a slow-release fertiliser.
When it comes to choosing plants, I really like a full-looking basket. So I pack in my seedlings, around 10-15cm apart. Around the edge, I suggest you plant cascading plants, like lobelia and alyssum. Inject colour to the middle of the basket with pansies, polyanthus and primulas. And try to plant something taller in the middle, like dwarf antirrhinum. Remember, mixed herbs are a great way to mix up a hanging basket, and a bonus when hung close to the kitchen.
You can order all of these seedlings online from Awapuni Nurseries – we also sell a hanging basket mix, which contains a selection of plants that work well together in a basket. We ship nationwide, guarantee satisfaction and, if you’re not entirely happy with your plants, we will replace them - no questions asked Once you’ve got your basket sorted, hang and enjoy – in six to eight weeks your pops of autumn colour will start to come through. If you’d like your basket hung a little lower, extend it with some garden chain, or use some fishing nylon and double it over a few times.
Remember to keep your baskets watered, more so while it’s still warm. But come winter, every few days is fine. Just stick your finger in the soil, and if feels dry give a good watering.
Come (next) summer, when it becomes too hot to maintain your baskets, simply compost everything but the basket itself and then store for next time.
Read full articleEvery month I talk about finding the perfect spot to grow a specific plant. Some flowers like shade, some veges like sun, some herbs like moisture, and the list goes on. But often in gardening you know the spot you want to plant in before you find the plant you want to plant.The point I'm trying to get across with the previous tongue twister is lobelia is a wonderful, low maintenance, garden space filler. With its small but numerous flowers, lobelia provides a colourful coverage and its bushy shape suits most garden types. Not only does it grow well in garden beds, it's ideal for planting around the outside of pots and tubs, along walls, between pavers and in hanging baskets.
If you've got the spot to plant, then lobelia is the plant to plant!
Choose from a selection of lilac, blue, pink, white or mixed Awapuni Nurseries lobelia seedling bundles at the Warehouse, Bunnings or your local supermarket. Otherwise, head to our online shop and have these colourful plants delivered direct to your door. Got a big space to fill? Buy some of our bulk lobelia bundles, which contain at least 25 seedlings.
If you're planting in the outside of a tub or hanging basket try the cascading varieties, which will hang down the sides. Otherwise to fill bare patches in your garden, grow the regular, non-cascading variety, which will reach around 10cm high.
Growing in tubs, pots or baskets? Add a good quality potting mix before you plant. Planting in the garden? Dig in some nitrophoska blue or garden galore fertiliser through lightly composted soil.
Lobelia is a great flower to grow with kids. It's quick to mature and provide results and once planted requires virtually no care - all of which are good for those with limited attention spans or, if you're like me, those who don't want to worry about their garden too much during summer.
Extend the gardening project further by getting your small fry to paint some pots to grow the lobelia in. Or see who can find the most innovative place to plant. Old gumboots and tea leave containers (drill some holes for drainage in the bottom) are good ideas. I like to grow my lobelia alongside thyme and alyssum in between pavers or along the tops of crib walls.
Whatever patch of your garden you're planning to fill with lobelia, simply dig a little hole and then plant each seedling. Then, depending on where you live and how warm the weather is, just sit back and wait four to six weeks for your colourful space filler to bloom.
Read full articleValentines Day - the day when cut flower prices go through the roof and florists line their pockets for the rest of the year. This time around why not, save your pennies and pick homegrown flowers for your special someone?
Don't have anything flowering? Beg, steal or borrow from your friends and family's gardens! A handmade posy or bouquet is cost-effective and has the bonus of being a gift straight from the heart.
Even, if you're not into the so called 'day of love', it's nice to have flowers in your garden that can be picked and given away or added to vases in your home. And so, on that note, what more appropriate flower could I write about this month than Love in the mist?
Love in the mist has fine green foliage, different shades of blue flowers and makes a perfect cut flower. It has a wild and soft look to it much like cosmos and alyssum.
It's ideal for planting in with your roses, as it likes the same sunny, dry conditions. All you have to do is dig a small hole and plant each seedling around 15cm apart from the next. The trick is to plant each seedling far enough away to allow room to grow without the plants being too spread apart so you end up with gaps.
You can pick up your Awapuni Nurseries Love in the mist seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Alternatively, order them from our online store and have them delivered direct to your door.
While, these flowers won't be ready in time for Valentines Day, they will add colour to your garden or home in around six weeks when they begin to flower.
Read full articleLupins are one of our most popular cottage garden flowers and it’s not hard to see why.
Their impressive flower spires with closed, baby bonnet-type petals will brighten up any garden. And their many shades of blues, violets, pinks and white – all enhanced by vibrant green foliage –inject fantastic colour.
But what I also like about lupins is that they are relatively laid back. They don’t require a perfectly fertilised, mulched and dug-over soil to start out on. A moderately fertile (at best) bed of soil is just fine. A bit sandy – even better. In fact, I often suggest lupins to my lesser-inclined green-fingered friends as they cope well with less love.
I like to plant lupins in my cottage garden flower bed. I plant them alongside hollyhocks (another much taller statuesque flower), delphiniums, marigolds and poppies. If you’re not sure on what combo you should be doing, how about trying our cottage garden seasonal flower mix.
At the nursery we have traditionally grown white and a mixed gallery variety of lupin seedlings. The mixed variety flowers in shades of pink, purple, blue, yellow and white - growing about 50cm high. This year we have added two more colours to our lupin family. Blue lupin is available now and blooms in shades of blue to violet. Our other new variety rose, will be available in mid-November.
While lupins are laid back, they do still like a nice, sunny, well-drained spot to grow. Grab your seedlings from our Awapuni Nurseries online shop and have them delivered direct to your door. We guarantee they’ll arrive in great condition or we’ll replace them. If you want a plant that’s already a bit further along the growing cycle, our mixed gallery lupin also comes as an established plant. This means it’s had extra months of growing at the nursery so it will instantly give appeal to your garden.
Plant the seedlings or plants 50cm apart give them a decent watering as soon as they’re planted. After this only water every few days.
Lupins grow a taproot, which is a main root growing straight down. Because of this, pots are not their first choice of growing location. And they also don’t cope well with clay, as they struggle breaking through this solid layer in the soil.
Being a perennial (lasting more than one year), you might like to divide up your lupins in autumn. Dividing perennial plants while they are dormant can help expand your garden, and ensures they will be ready to bloom again come spring.
When your plants start to look a bit overgrown (around autumn), first prune them back, then mulch and fertilise. When the leaves at the centre of the plant start to die off leaving gaping holes you’ll know you can divide them.
To divide lupins, dig them up around 30cm past the edge of the plant. Wash the roots with water and then gently pull the plant apart. You may need to cut part of the taproot to separate it. Each new clump you’re left with should have around four or five new growth buds.
You can now replant the healthiest segments of your lupin. Dividing and shifting your plant locations is an excellent way to freshen up your garden. This is also the time to dig in new compost to give your plants the best possible kick start.
If you’re doing all this hard work in your garden, make sure you put in the extra effort and keep the weeds at bay. When it comes to weeding, a quick hoe of any weeds once a week will mean your plants don’t have to compete for vital nutrients, water and light.
Apply mulch now while you can still get in between the plants, before the new growth occurs.
Lupins are prone to slugs and snails, but their main foe is the aphid. So keep a close eye on aphids to ‘nip them in the bud’ before the problem gets out of hand. You’ll find many sprays available at your local garden centre. Or picking them off with your fingers or blasting with water can also help. But that’s making lupins sound a bit more labour intensive than laid back now isn’t it?
Read full articleThese days more and more Kiwis are growing their own herbs and vegetables. And more and more gardeners are taking a natural and organic approach to gardening. This means less chemicals and more thought about what plants might be beneficial to grow next to each other.This approach of growing certain plants for the benefit of other plants is called companion planting and the idea has been around for centuries.
And marigolds are probably the most famous companion plant around. This brightly coloured flower just happens to produce a strong smell which repels many insects and their roots also contain a pesticidal chemical which kills nematodes (microscopic parasites living in the soil).
Marigolds are said to deter aphids from tomatoes and roses, and nematodes from potatoes and other root crops. They're also said to keep white cabbage moths away from brassicas and will deter flies and mosquitoes.
Plus, they look pretty! Marigolds are probably most well-known as an orange flower but they also come in red, cream, lemon and apricot colours. Mass-planted, they will create a stunning visual effect in your flower bed or vegetable garden.
So, next time you're at your local supermarket or Bunnings pick up some Awapuni Nurseries marigold plants. Or head to our online store and get some delivered direct to your door.
Once you've got your plants you need to decide in which part of the garden they will be most beneficial. Some gardeners like to grow marigolds in the corner of their vege plot or others take it to the next level and create a 'barrier' of marigolds around their garden - in particular around plants like lettuces and those mentioned above.
Each plant will grow to around 20cm high and should be planted approximately 15cm apart from the next.
In around six to eight weeks your marigolds should start to flower and you can judge for yourself their effectiveness as a companion plant.
Read full articleEaster is on the horizon, and this year it also marks the middle of autumn. Although I still feel like I’m only just farewelling summer, it’s nice to be able to slacken off from my watering programme and think about my winter garden.
Luckily the end of warmer weather doesn’t also mean the end of bright colourful flowers in the garden. Now’s the perfect time to inject new bursts of colour – and the easiest way is to plant some pansies.
The brightly coloured overlapping petals of the pansy cheer up any garden spot. They’re cute, yet bold, come in a rainbow of colours and, best of all, are one of the easiest flowers to grow.
Pansies flower right from autumn through spring, often when it feels like there’s not much colour happening in your garden. They’re extremely hardy – surviving frosts, wind and rain. Just make sure you get them in before it gets too cold, and you’ll see that they are truly a plant-and-forget flower.
They make great garden beds, borders, and are perfect for pots. Pansies also look really attractive when planted in between larger plants.
You can grab your pansy seedlings from Awapuni Nurseries online shop and have them delivered directly to your door. We guarantee delivery, and if you’re not completely happy with your plants, we will replace them. We currently grow 27 varieties of pansies, so you’re bound to find something to suit your garden.
Exciting news from the nursery this season is the launch of our new mixed giant pansies. The flowers on our giant pansy span up to 10cm across and grow slightly higher than your average pansies too – up to 20cm high. You’ll find pinks, yellows, blues and violets in the mixed variety - perfect for an array of pots, hanging baskets or as a multi-coloured garden border.
When you’ve got your seedlings, look for a spot in your garden that receives morning (or all day) sun, with good drainage. After our hot summer, dig in some compost and fertiliser to enrich the soil.
To plant your seedlings, dig little holes, 3cm deep and around 15cm apart. Give a good initial watering, and then water every few days while they get established. In one to two months you’ll start to see some burst of colour coming through.
Once they’re flowering, pick them to encourage more blooms. The more you pick, the more will grow. Arrange your pansies in a vase with some interesting foliage, to bring bursts of colour into your house this winter.
And for the chefs out there – pansies are also edible, having a sweet grassy flavour. Use them to bring colour to winter salads, or to garnish a cake. You can even freeze them in ice cubes and add to your drinks.
Read full articleThe winter blues in our house are not the sort to get you down. To be precise, they’re blue violas, light blue lobelias, lavender primulas and moody blues pansies. And they’re all excellent ways to inject some bright colour into your winter garden.
If your garden is looking a little bland after your summer flowers have dried up, now is the time to plant these winter annuals. And if you’re not feeling so ‘blue’, many of these pretty flowers also come in shades of pinks, purples, whites and yellows as well.
For the sunnier areas of your garden, look to antirrhinum dwarf, viscaria, nemesia and lobelia as good starting points for adding colour. They suit borders, mass planting or simply planted in between your roses. And for those slightly shadier spots, polyanthus, primulas and cineraria dwarf can all help add some bursts of colour.
But if you’re not sure where to start, violas are a staple of any winter garden. You’ll find these cute little flowers in shades of oranges to yellow, dark blues, burgundy and white.
At Awapuni Nurseries we’ve got blue, apricot and Penny citrus viola bundles available, and also a of mixed viola bundle option. But if you’re wanting something new, we’re growing sorbet blue viola for the first time this season. It’s a cute little white and violet coloured flower, still featuring the tiny yellow face that many violas often have.
When you’re ready to plant some winter colour, get your viola seedlings from our Awapuni Nurseries online shop. We ship nationwide in recycled cardboard boxes, and the bundles arrive freshly wrapped in damp newspaper. If you’re not entirely happy with the quality of your plants, we will replace them.
Plant your viola seedlings 10cm apart, in full-sun with well-drained soil. They’ll flower from right now until spring, growing to around 15cm high. Give them a good initial watering and feed of general fertiliser. Once they’ve got going, they won’t need much watering through the cooler months – the perk of a winter garden.
In around four to six weeks, you’ll start to see a splash of colour pop up. Just remember to pick off the dead heads to encourage them to flower, and you'll get to enjoy your colourful winter garden for many months ahead.
And, if you’re a hanging basket enthusiast, combine your violas with some cascading lobelia and hang it near your front door to add some welcoming colour to your home. For a basket 30cm across, I really pack them in (around 5 -7 seedlings) in for a fuller effect. Now that’s a lot of reasons to get excited about the upcoming winter blues.
Read full articleIf you have an area in your garden you'd like to blanket with colour, then nemesia is the plant for you. It is a lovely small bedding plant that can be used for edging, in borders and as a ground cover and, in the right conditions, will produce so many flowers it's hard to see the greenery. As is shown in the bottom picture taken at the nursery of a hanging basket overflowing with nemesia.
Growing to a height of around 20cm, it's also lovely grown in pots, hanging planters (like the paradise planter) or any other suitable growing container.
At Awapuni Nurseries we sell two different bundles of nemesia seedlings - both mixed colours. Our bi-colour bundle contains seedlings that will produce flowers with more than one colour on each flower. Some are a mix of white and lavender, yellow or pink and others are just a mix of different colours. And our mixed bundle will produce all sorts of different coloured flowers including orange, white, red and pink.
So grab some nemesia seedlings from your local Bunnings, The Warehouse or supermarket.
Better still, head to our online shop and get the seedlings delivered straight to your door. Purchase six or more items and get free delivery to a non-rural address or just $4 to a rural address.
Wherever you decide to plant your nemesia, try to ensure the soil is rich and moist and that the plants will be mostly in full sun to part shade. Then simply plant your seedlings around 15cm apart from each other.
In just five to six weeks you can expect a beautiful array of different coloured flowers in your chosen garden bed or container.
Nemesia (annual)
Mixed and bi-colour
If you've got an area in your garden where you want to create a mass of colour, you can't go past petunias. They are prolific bloomers that, if looked after, will continue to flower all summer.
At Awapuni we stock nearly 20 different varieties of petunia - depending on the season - which grow to heights of between 25 and 50cm.
And we're bound to have one or more colours you like. You can choose from plain purple, red, pink or white. How about purple with dashes of white like on the primetime violet star? Or the duo red and white variety which, like the name suggests, produces a beautiful mixture of red and white flower?
Not sure what colour to select? Then try one of our mixed bundles and we'll do the deciding for you.
Don't have a big garden to fill with bedding flowers? Don't worry about that either. All petunias really need to flourish is a sunny, free-draining spot. They grow equally as well in pots and hanging baskets making them perfect for just about any garden.
You can grab your Awapuni Nurseries petunia seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or the Warehouse. Alternatively, head to our online store and have them delivered direct to your door.
Once you've selected your seedlings and sunny spot to plant, simply dig small holes, around 3cm deep and 25cm apart, and plant.
Be sure to watch out for slugs or trying using our beer bait. It also pays to keep an eye out for aphids. If you spot these pesky pests, a general insecticide or spray of organic alternative, neem oil will sort that problem.
And make sure to keep them watered. If you're not sure how thirsty they are, stick your finger in the soil 2cm deep. If the soil is dry, they will need a drink.
Then sit back and wait just four to six weeks for your beautiful petunias to bloom. Remember to pick off dead heads to encourage re-flowering.
Read full articleOnce the domain of retired folk and pre-schoolers, crafts are officially cool again. Knitting, screen printing and cake decorating are now popular pastimes for a vast range of people. To get your own creative juices flowing, head out into your garden - the humble pansy is perfect for a variety of crafty projects.
Pansies are popular bedding plants because they're easy to grow and add great bursts of colour to winter gardens, says Awapuni gardening guru, Tod Palenski.
"If you start planting seedlings now you'll have gorgeous flowers for craft projects in no time. Just decide which colour scheme you'd like and get planting. Awapuni has the full spectrum of colours, from blues to yellows to reds, as well as mixed colour varieties."
To plant, choose a spot in the garden that receives morning sun and has good drainage. Spend some time enriching your soil - it will revitalise your garden after a dry summer.
"You can boost soil fertility by digging in organic compost and adding fertilizer. This will encourage bright, healthy blooms."
Dig a wide, shallow hole for each plant and space the holes 10 to 20 centimeters apart.
"Make sure the holes are wide enough so the plant's roots don't become cramped," says Tod. "Cover the plant roots with garden soil and give them a good watering, then add a layer of mulch to keep the moisture in and suppress weeds."
Forget about hours spent weeding. A layer of mulch is one of the best methods of organic weed control - it smothers weed seeds, ensuring they can't germinate.
The trick is to keep the soil around the plants moist, without letting the roots get too damp causing rot.
Keep moisture in and frost out using mulch. Tree mulch and peastraw work well and can be found at your local garden centre.
Tod says the best thing about growing pansies is they are very hardy. As long as they're planted before the cool weather sets in, they'll survive through rain, wind and even frosts.
"They really are 'plant and forget' flowers. Just make sure they don't get too dry," he says. "Pick the flowers as they fade to encourage more blooms and don't be worried - the more you pick the more you produce!"
Picked flowers can be added to potpourri to add colour along with other garden delights, like lavender, rose petals and delphiniums.
Pressed pansies can be used to decorate cards, bookmarks and photo frames. Place the individual flowers between pieces of paper towel, making sure they are lying flat, then weight them down with a heavy book and leave for two to six weeks.
"Creating cards with pressed flowers is a fun pastime for kids and makes a great gift for older relatives. Just remember to mark the books you've left the pressed flowers in, so they're easy to find!"
Read full articleI've said it before, but hanging baskets really are the garden for anyone.
Got a couple of acres with every fruit, vege, herb and flower you can think of? Hanging baskets are perfect for growing the plants you use regularly - like herbs - and hanging near the kitchen door.
Live in a small apartment on the 10th floor of a city building? Hanging baskets will add colour, scent and a bit of the outdoors to any living space - no matter how small.
As I like to say, they are the perfect combination of practical and pretty. So this month I'm going to show you how to plant a hanging basket. You can grow virtually whatever you want in a basket, but I'm going to stick with the theme and plant practical parsley and pretty pansies.
So get down to your local supermarket, Bunnings, or The Warehouse and grab a Pop'n'Grow pot or Traditional Value bundle of parsley and pansies. Alternatively, head to our online store and get the plants delivered right to your door.
While you're there get yourself a hanging basket, a plastic saucer, some potting mix and some sphagnum moss or coconut fibre.
Whether you use coconut fibre or sphagnum moss will depend on the type of basket you have and the look you're going for. If the wire on your basket is widely spaced you'll need to use coconut fibre as the moss will fall through the gaps. (We used coconut fibre in the photos).
To assemble your hanging basket, start with a thin layer of sphagnum moss or the coconut fibre, and line the base. Place a plastic saucer on top of the moss or coconut to stop water pouring straight out of the basket. If you're using moss you can now add another layer. Then fill the basket to the top with potting mix.
Make a little hole in the middle and plant a parsley seedling. Continue until you've planted all the parsley seedlings in the middle. Then plant the pansies around the outside.
Pansies will flower best when placed in the sunniest spot. They'll also benefit from a little liquid fertiliser.
But remember not to over water. They like a well-drained area - which is why they're great for baskets - and don't need a lot of water in winter.
If you're not sure whether you should water them, then put your finger in the soil and test. If it's still moist, don't add any water.
And that's how you plant a practical but pretty hanging basket.
Read full articleIf your garden doesn't get a lot of sun, there's no need to forego colour, variety and interest. Just choose plants that thrive in the shade.
While many plants need sunlight to flower, there are quite a few that do well in part or full shade. Lots of people have areas in their gardens that are shaded by trees, buildings or fences.
If you're under-planting an area shaded by trees, be aware that their roots will dictate where you plant.
To ensure year round interest, I suggest mixing pretty flowering annuals with perennials with interesting leaves.
Impatiens grow really well in shady areas, and come in a range of bright colours to liven up a dark area. And we have a range of colours available at our online store.
Impatiens look best when planted in clusters among glossy-leaved perennials like hostas and clivia - both of which you can buy as fully grown plants at garden centres. The mix creates a lush, cool look.
The idea with shady gardens is not to make them look too formal. One trick is to plant seedlings together in uneven numbers as this gives a more natural, less contrived look.
To add more colour and interest, choose brightly coloured lobelia, and fill in any gaps with violas and pansies.
Giant pansies look really pretty dotted amongst bigger plants, and they'll flower right through winter.
Hanging baskets are another great way to add colour to shady areas.
They're a quick and easy project and can be hung from trees or fences, or on hooks screwed to walls. And they're perfect for shady areas because you won't need to water them as often as baskets hung in full sun.
Choose a basket and fill with potting mix, then add plants in your chosen colour theme.
Cascading lobelia mixes work well around the edges of a basket with pretty violas in apricot or citrus planted in the centre.
Caring for shade-loving plants is easy. Use an organic, copper-based slug bait to keep pests away and pick off dead flower heads to encourage new ones to grow.
Think about adding a seating area - somewhere you can take a good book, a cool drink and a 'do not disturb' sign!
Read full articlePansies are the perfect plant for just about any garden. They're hardy and easy to grow. They'll survive wind, rain and even frosts. And just as importantly, they're stunning and striking - with a colour and pattern for just about any style of garden. In fact, at the time of writing this we have 19 different varieties of pansy available at Awapuni.
Probably the easiest way to work out what type of pansy you'd like to purchase is to visit our online shop where you can browse the myriad of different pansies available. Awapuni has the full spectrum of colours, from blues to yellows to reds, as well as mixed colour varieties.
To plant, choose a spot in the garden that receives morning sun and has good drainage. Next, boost soil fertility and encourage bright, healthy blooms by adding organic compost and fertiliser.
Once that's done, dig a wide, shallow hole for each plant and space the holes 10 to 20cm apart. Make sure the holes are wide enough so the plant's roots don't become cramped. Cover the plant roots with garden soil and give them a good watering, then add a layer of mulch to retain moisture, suppress weeds and keep frosts at bay.
If you're after an alternative planting spot, you can't look past a hanging basket. In fact, I can't think of a flower more perfectly designed for this. Just remember not to over water. If you're not sure, put your finger in the soil to test. If it's still moist, don't add any water.
Once planted you don't really need to pay any more attention to your pansies. Simply make sure the soil doesn't get too dry and pick the flowers as they fade to encourage more blooms.
Read full articleI'm going to start by being perfectly honest with you: pansies are not cool. They're not en vogue, and they're certainly not on trend. They don't fit in with Pacifica landscapes, Zen-inspired gardens or clean cut, contemporary back yards.
Yet, pansies remain one of the most popular flowers around. Why? Put simply; they're pretty and practical.
In fact, pansies are one of the easiest flowers to grow. As long as they're planted before the cool weather sets in, they'll survive through rain, wind and even frosts.
As well as being hardy, they're perfect for adding bursts of colour to winter gardens, and make great garden beds and borders. The petals can also be used for a variety of crafts, like potpourri making and pressed flower decorating (not that I do too much of that myself, I might add!).
So, let me tell you how to get started. First, think about your colour scheme. Awapuni has the full spectrum of colours, from blues to yellows to reds, as well as mixed colour varieties. You can select from our range at your local supermarket, Bunnings, or The Warehouse. Or head to our online store and have your seedlings delivered direct to your door.
To plant, choose a spot in the garden that receives morning sun and has good drainage. Spend some time enriching your soil - it will revitalise your garden after a dry summer. I also recommend you boost soil fertility and encourage bright, healthy blooms by adding organic compost and fertiliser. Once that's done, dig a wide, shallow hole for each plant and space the holes 10 to 20 centimetres apart. Make sure the holes are wide enough so the plant's roots don't become cramped. Cover the plant roots with garden soil and give them a good watering, then add a layer of mulch to retain moisture, suppress weeds and keep frosts at bay.
If you're after an alternative planting spot, you can't look past a hanging basket. In fact, I can't think of a flower more perfectly designed for this. Just remember not to over water. If you're not sure, put your finger in the soil to test. If it's still moist, don't add any water.
Wherever you choose to plant, you'll be comforted by the knowledge that pansies truly are 'plant and forget' flowers. Just make sure they don't get too dry. Pick the flowers as they fade to encourage more blooms and don't be worried - the more you pick the more you produce! Like I said: pretty and practical.
Read full articleThere is not enough sunlight...
Move to a sunny or spot or alternatively plant primulas, snapdragons or wallflowers where your pansies are.
Read full articleAutumn is the perfect time to pop some pretty colour into your garden. Flowers like polyanthus, primula and viola can easily revitalise a weary garden, and thrive in the cooler months. And planting them now, before the temperature drops, gives them time to really get established, bringing you a prolonged blooming season.
Polyanthus, primula and viola are easy to grow and flourish in garden beds, as borders, or in pots. Polyanthus and voila are petite blooms (about 10-15cm high), while primula has a bit more height (30cm) – ideal for planting in behind smaller plants, for a fuller garden effect.
At Awapuni Nurseries, our primula comes in several shades of pink, red, white and mixed. It’s a dainty flower, and when picked makes a cute winter posy arrangement for your kitchen. Primula also copes well growing in the shade.
If you’re not into the primula pinks, violas have a bolder look and come in range of blues, yellows and oranges. To really make these colours pop, when planting try thinking about your complementary colours – if you’ve got a terracotta orange pot, try planting blue blooms. Alternatively, if your pot (or house colour) is blue, try the citrus or orange violas, to really make them stand out. Purple and yellow flowers will also complement each other, and really stand out in a pot together.
Polyanthus has a smaller bloom (framed by its leaves) appearance. Awapuni Nurseries stocks blue, red, pink, white and yellow polyanthus – so you’re bound to find something you like. They look pretty in a pot on a table, and you’ll often see polyanthus in perfectly planted borders at public gardens.
You can order all these flowers online as seedlings from Awapuni Nurseries and have them delivered direct to your door. The eco-friendly bundles arrive wrapped in newspaper, and the labels are printed with vegetable ink, onto compostable cardboard.
When getting ready to plant your seedlings, choose a spot that receives some sun, and has good drainage. If your garden is looking a bit tired after summer, turn over the soil, and dig through some organic compost or fertiliser. Once this is done, dig holes for your flowers, 10-20cm apart. You want the holes to be large enough so the roots of the seedlings don’t get squashed. Place the seedlings in, and press soil firmly down around it.
Your plants will benefit from a good initial watering, and adding a layer of mulch around them. This will help retain moisture, soften the frost, and repel the weeds.
If you’ve flower seedlings left over, an old favourite of mine is to pack them into a low hanging basket. Pop your primula, polyanthus or violas in, and add some lobelia to really soften the sides. And, as we leave summer behind, I also like that baskets aren’t so labour intensive with minimal watering required.
In six to eight weeks, you’ll start to see colour popping through, all set for your coming cooler months. And remember – as with most flowers - to pick the off the deadheads to encourage more to bloom.
Read full articleIn the past I've extolled the virtues of both Iceland and Shirley poppies. Both are easy to grow and great for brightening up your garden and then your home as cut flowers. Well, now let me introduce you to the peony poppy.
Much like other poppies, the peony variety enjoys sunny, well-drained and dry conditions and grows to around 70cm high, but unlike the Shirley and Iceland poppies it has multiple fluffy flowering layers of petals.
The peony bundle sold at Awapuni has at least nine seedlings, which are a mix of different colours including varying shades of pink, red and cream.
You can grab a bundle of peony (or any of our other poppy varieties such as Iceland, Shirley, ANZAC, oriental and champagne bubbles) seedlings next time you're down at your local supermarket or Bunnings. Alternatively, head to our online store and have your seedlings delivered from our online store direct to your door.
As I said above, look for a sunny, warm and well-drained spot in your garden to plant your new seedlings. Garden beds next to the house are the perfect planting spot because of the cover and protection the house provides.
Once you've found the right spot simply dig a little hole and plant. It pays to water them once they are planted, as this will help them get started. But after that they shouldn't require much watering. If you do think they need a drink be careful not to overhead water as they don't take kindly to it and can get squashed by wind or rain.
In around just six to eight weeks you can expect a fantastic injection of layered colour in your garden. Remember, to de-head the flowers when they die, and they will keep flowering longer.
Read full articlePoppies are always one of the most popular seedlings we sell. And it’s not hard to see why. They’re very pretty, they grow easily, and they make good cut flowers.
Currently at Awapuni we have three varieties of poppies available – Shirley, ANZAC and peony. A lot of gardeners are fans of peony poppies. Their many fluffy layers of petals look striking – they’re a great alternative if you don’t get enough frosts to grow true peonies.
Shirley poppies are also lovely and have a very delicate look to them. But my favourite variety of poppy would be ANZAC– particularly planted on mass. They are a very special sight to see in a garden.
You can order any of these poppies from here. Our newspaper-wrapped bundles of seedlings are delivered regularly all over the country– including Chatham Islands, Waiheke Island, Stewart Island and Great Barrier Island.
Keep an eye on our website if you’re interested in two other poppy varieties we usually stock but don’t have available at the moment – oriental and Iceland. You can sign up for an automatic alert once they’re ready to order.
When you’ve got your poppy plants look around the garden for a sunny, well-drained spot. Somewhere near the house is good if you get any wind as it will provide protection.
Once you’re ready to plant, simply dig a small hole and plant each seedling around 30cm apart. Next give them a water to help them get established. After that they shouldn’t require too much watering. If you do water them be careful not to overhead water as the pressure of the water might squash them.
Your poppies will start to put on their pretty display of flowers in around six to eight weeks. Remove the flower heads when they die (deadhead) to prolong their flowering.
Read full articleGot a lemon, lime, tamarillo, or any tree in a pot for that matter? Why not add some pizazz to it by planting polyanthus? Polyanthus are great for adding some colour and texture to pots. They don't grow very high, and are tight, low and compact plants - which also makes them perfect for hanging baskets or garden borders.If you're planting outside, pick a spot in full sun, make sure the soil is really well-drained then dig over and add some compost. Planting them in the border of your garden means they can be easily seen and makes it easy to maintain them.
Wherever you plant them, simply dig a little hole, plant and fill in the soil. Like stocks, if they're having trouble flowering, just add a little bit of dried blood from the garden centre to provide more potassium. Pick off dead flowers to encourage more flowering and watch out for slugs.
Our fail-proof way to stop slugs in their slime. In just four to six weeks your garden will be shining bright with colour and your pots will look like they've had a makeover!
Read full articleThere's no argument winter gardens don't have the same degree of colour as spring ones. But there's also no reason you can't have colour in your garden during the cooler months. Plants like polyanthus and pansies can all pack a colour punch at this time of year.
Polyanthus come in a range of hues like pink, blue and red and look great in hanging baskets or borders.
I'm a fan of growing this pretty plant in pots so I can move the colour around my courtyard and garden as the mood takes me. As long as you keep in mind the sun loving nature of polyanthus, you can grow them anywhere you like. They also look good planted around your potted citrus trees.
Get your Awapuni Nurseries polyanthus seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Alternatively, jump online and get them delivered direct to your door.
Once you've got your seedlings you need to find a spot to grow them. If you're planting outside, make sure the soil is well-drained, then dig over and add some compost. If you're potting your polyanthus, use potting mix to ensure they have the best kick-start to their growth.
In around four to six weeks you should have these tight, low, compact and colourful plants brightening up your home and garden. Pick off the dead flowers to encourage more flowering and watch out for slugs.
Handy tip - if your polyanthus have trouble flowering, add a little bit of dried blood from the garden centre to provide more potassium.
Read full articleThere's a reason polyanthus is one of our top selling plants year after year. In fact, there are a couple of reasons. Polyanthus is very easy to plant and grows just about anywhere - as long as there's some sun.
But we think the secret behind it's popularity, comes down to the fantastic, bright colours it comes in - particularly at a time like winter when there isn't so much colour in the garden.
This pretty and popular plant come in a range of hues like pink, blue and red and looks great in hanging baskets or borders.
I like to grow polyanthus in pots so I can move the colour around my courtyard and garden depending on how I feel. They also look good planted around potted citrus trees.
Get your Awapuni Nurseries polyanthus seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Alternatively, jump online and get them delivered direct to your door.
Once you've got your seedlings you need to find a spot to grow them. If you're planting outside, make sure the soil is well-drained, then dig over and add some compost. If you're potting your polyanthus, use potting mix to ensure they have the best kick-start to their growth.
In around four to six weeks you should have these tight, low, compact and colourful plants brightening up your home and garden. Pick off the dead flowers to encourage more flowering and watch out for slugs.
Handy tip - if your polyanthus has trouble flowering, add a little bit of dried blood from the garden centre to provide more potassium.
Read full articleAs much as we'd all love acres of space for a garden, sometimes it's just not possible.Luckily, there are so many great ways of growing the plants you love that don't require much or any outdoor space at all. If your back yard is more tiles and concrete than hills and lawns, why not try using pots, drainpipes, hanging baskets or vertical pallets (google vertical gardens for ideas).
At Awapuni we've got heaps of plants that grow well in minimal space. Lobelia, alyssum or our hanging basket mix are perfect for planting in hanging baskets. Herbs are always a great one to grow in pots - particularly because you can put them near or in the kitchen for easy access.
And another variety I like to grow in pots is stocks. They come in a wide range of colours, are scented and bunch together nicely. Plus they don't attract any insects or pests - which is perfect if you want to keep your pots inside. Awapuni Nurseries sells both pastel and bright coloured stocks in both standard and dwarf versions.
If you're planning on growing them inside, I'd definitely recommend the dwarf variety. Simply pop down to your local supermarket, Bunnings, or the Warehouse and grab some Awapuni Nurseries stock seedlings today. Alternatively, head to our online plant shop and get the plants delivered right to your door.
There's not much to planting stocks in a pot. All you need to do is fill the pot with potting mix, dig a little hole, plant the stock, and repeat until the pot is full.
If you plant them quite tightly once they flower they'll look just like a brightly coloured bouquet - perfect for the coffee table or windowsill.
If you want to plant in a garden bed, stocks will provide instant colour and are perfect companions for lavender, bedded irises, roses, daisies and delphiniums. They all like well-drained, sunny soil and no overhead watering - which transfers several diseases these types of plants are susceptible to.
For best flowering results, pick a spot in full sun, then dig in a little compost, make a small hole, plant and fill in with soil.
Depending on the weather where you are, stocks will take around four to six weeks flower. But if they have trouble flowering, just sprinkle some dried blood from the garden centre to add more potassium to the soil.
Then sit back, wait, and enjoy a brighter home this autumn - so matter the size of your gardens.
Read full articleWith the nights starting to get longer and the temperatures dropping, it feels like autumn has finally arrived. And with a new season only a few weeks away, now's a great time to plan your winter garden. Why not embrace the winter blues (and yellows and creams and apricots...) by choosing violas?
Violas do, as the name suggests, come in violet, but also a whole load of other great colours and combinations, which will brighten up any garden over the colder months.
They have a love of wide-open spaces so they're perfect for growing along your crazy paving or patio. You'll also often see them in hanging baskets. And with the rain that's finally arrived in some parts of the country, and the still warm temperatures, it's a perfect time to plant.
To get started, simply pick up some Awapuni Nurseries viola seedlings from your local supermarket, The Warehouse, Bunnings or from our online store.
These petite plants like pots, so why not grow them around the outside of your potted shrubs or citrus trees? Just make sure you use a good potting mix to provide all the nutrients they need. Nurture their love of space and, in particular, good air circulation, by keeping your pots away from places like under the eaves of your house. This will help prevent them getting downy mildew.
Violas also look fantastic in borders around spring bulbs or roses - particularly as the roses go dormant and lose their leaves.
Once you've decided on the perfect spot to plant, simply dig in a balanced fertiliser, such as nitrophoska blue. Then plant your seedlings in small holes, about 20cm apart.
Your vibrant violas should bloom in about four to six weeks after planting. Once they've arrived, it's a good idea to pick off the dead heads to encourage them to flower longer. And speaking of flowers, did you know you can eat viola flowers? Before you take a bite, check here for some tips on edible flowers.
Read full articleIf you like a bit of colour and fragrance in your garden and your home, then look no further than sweet peas. These lovely flowers are super easy to grow, they smell great and they look lovely outdoors or in a vase.
We sell three varieties of sweet pea seedlings at Awapuni Nurseries; dwarf mixed, fragrant beauty and cut flower mixed. All smell lovely, but fragrant beauty has a stronger smell. And all can be grown for cut flowers, but the cut flower mix will produce more blooms on longer stems.
Lastly, as you’d expect, the dwarf variety doesn’t grow as tall as the other two – it only grows to 30-40cm which makes it perfect for growing in borders, bedding and pots. The other two varieties grow to around 120-180cm and, like most sweet peas, need something like a wall or trellis to trail and climb over.
You can order your Awapuni sweet pea seedlings from our online shop or grab some next time you’re at your local supermarket or Bunnings. The good thing about purchasing Awapuni Nurseries seedlings (rather than seeds) is that all the hard work of getting the seeds to germinate and grow into established seedlings has already been taken care of. This means they're pretty much guaranteed to grow, and they'll develop faster - resulting in earlier flowers.
When you’ve got your seedlings you need to find a place to plant. As mentioned, sweet peas grow well in pots - particularly the dwarf variety which don't require staking and will cascade over the edge nicely. The other two varieties will also grow well in large pots. You'll just need to tie four or five bamboo stakes into a tee-pee shape to support the plants as they grow. And make sure you plant them in some good quality potting mix to really help them along their way.
If you're growing in the garden, all you need is a sunny, well-drained spot next to a wall or some sort of support structure. Add some netting, wire or light wooded frame for the flowers to climb up.
Plant the seedlings about 20cm apart from each other. And don't hold back! The more you plant, the more colour and fragrance you'll add to your garden and have for enjoying in your home. You can expect to your sweet peas to flower in around 10 to 12 weeks from planting.
Remember to water but avoid over-head watering to prevent them getting powdery mildew. And, because they're annual plants, pick off the flowers once they're spent (this will encourage more flowering), and remove the whole plant when it's stopped flowering.
We’re on a colour buzz at the nursery this winter. Last month I wrote about adding colour to your winter garden with the three Ps – polyanthus, primula and pansy. Now, I’m going to recommend you add even more colour by planting violas.
We have several different coloured violas available to order. Two straight colours – apricot and blue. And two mixed bundles of colours – the penny citrus mix which has yellow, apricot and white flowers. And viola mixed colours which includes white, yellow, purple and more.
You can order your plants from our online store. Buy online and you’ll also be able to earn loyalty points to put towards free seedling bundles.
Next you need to find somewhere to plant. I recommend looking for wide, open spaces. Violas grow really well alongside paving or patios. They also look fantastic in borders around spring bulbs or roses - particularly as the roses go dormant and lose their leaves.
And if you're a hanging basket fan (like I am), use violas to create a welcoming entrance at your place throughout the cooler months. You can also pop them in a pot - in fact they look great planted around the outside of potted shrubs or citrus trees.
Wherever you decide to plant, simply dig in a balanced fertiliser, then plant your seedlings in small holes, about 20cm apart.
If growing them in a pot, make sure you use a good potting mix to provide all the nutrients they need. Try not to position any pots under the eaves of your house. Violas like good air circulation and keeping them away from these types of spots will help prevent them getting downy mildew.
In about four to six weeks, you should have even more colour in your garden. Remember to pick off the dead heads to encourage them to flower, and you'll get to enjoy the effect for much, much longer.
Read full articleApril 2011
In the world of gardening, wallflowers are anything but the guy or girl standing against the wall waiting to be asked to hit the dance floor.
This scented, brightly coloured flower doesn't follow the normal social conventions. It's the equivalent of the person who's last off the dance floor, tie askew, hair a'mess, and ready for the next party.
But that's the great thing about wallflowers, they can get quite messy and untidy towards the end of the season but give them a trim and a cut and they transform for spring - ready for the next social invitation.
The other great trait to wallflowers is they are super easy to grow and don't get plagued by many of the usual problems like pests and diseases - though they can be quite tasty to caterpillars, so keep an eye out for their tell-tale eggs.
Just remember, as much as wallflowers like a good time, they are annuals which means they can't maintain stamina forever. They will only last a couple of seasons and need to be replanted next autumn.
So, are you ready to plant the life and soul of the party in your garden? Don't have the space? Wallflowers pack a punch in a pot or hanging basket too.
Get down to your local supermarket, Bunnings, or the Warehouse and grab a Pop'n'Grow pot or Traditional Value bundle of wallflowers today. Alternatively, head to our online store and get the plants delivered right to your door. If you're going to plant in a pot or hanging basket I'd recommend buying the dwarf varieties.
Wallflowers are suited well to both shady and full-sun areas but may take a little longer to flower out of the sun. Once you've found the perfect spot to plant, dig in a little compost and add some fertiliser like nitrophoska blue or garden galore. This will really give them a kick-start.
Then all you need to do is make some small holes in the soil, plant your seedlings and fill in with soil.
Depending on the weather where you are, wallflowers will take around four to six weeks flower. But if they have trouble flowering, just sprinkle some dried blood from the garden centre to add more potassium to the soil.
Like I said earlier, wallflowers can get a little rough around the edges, they can also grow quite tall. Once they've finished flowering, simply cut them back into your desired shape and they will come back into flower in spring - particularly if you also add some dried blood during winter.
Tod Palenski
Read full articleI've been writing these articles for around 10 years now and this is the first time I've written about viscaria. I'm not really sure why it's taken me so long to extol the virtues of this pretty flower. And it has several - virtues that is. Not only does it grow well in bedding, borders, hanging baskets, containers and cottage gardens, its long stems make it a perfect cut flower and it's incredibly easy to grow.
At Awapuni Nurseries we stock two varieties of viscaria which both grow to a height of around 25cm. Angel blue - which as the name suggests has two-toned blue coloured flowers. And Angel rose, which has pinkish coloured flowers.
As you know, you can grab your Awapuni seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse. Otherwise jump online and get your plants delivered direct to your door.
Once you've got your seedlings simply look for a sunny spot in your garden and plant each one around 10cm apart from the next.
If you're planting them in a hanging basket or pot, trying growing antirrhinum dwarf, lobelia, alyssum, pansies and polyanthus with them.
Within a few weeks you can expect to see your viscaria flower and then you can expect to see it flower all season long - just another virtue of this often forgotten flower.
Viscaria (Annual)
Angel Blue and Angel Rose
If you’d seen me in the garden lately, chances are I’d have been tending to my summer veges. With the (mostly) warm November we’ve had, my vege and herb garden has rocketed away.
But now that my greens are sorted, I’m ready to add some other colours to my garden beds – and what better way to do this than by planting some cheerful zinnias.
Zinnias are bright, bold, and best of all, one of the easiest flowers to grow. In fact, so easy they’ve been grown successfully on the international space station; in 2016.
If you’re interested in the language of flowers, the zinnia flower represents endurance and lasting affection. And it’s easy to see why - with zinnias being one of the longest-blooming summer flowers around.
Zinnias come in nearly every colour imaginable and are ideal for beds, borders and pots. Early summer is the perfect time to plant them. If you plant zinnia seedlings now, you should start to see zaps of colour in around six weeks’ time.
You can grab your zinnia seedlings from Awapuni Nurseries online shop and have them delivered directly to your door. Right now, you can get varieties that will grow from 20cm to 1m high - including tall, green and Thumbelina. New this season at the nursery is zinnia candy stripe; beautiful flowers with unique freckles and streaks on each bloom.
Once you’ve chosen your seedlings, look for a place to plant. Zinnias like a really sunny spot, and will thrive in a rich humus soil; however, interestingly they will cope better than many other flowers in a poorer soil too. Next, dig small holes around 4cm deep and 15-30cm apart. Place the seedling in and firmly press down around its edges. Give a good initial watering and then only every few days, when needed.
Everything seems to grow pretty well at this time of the year, and weeds are no exception. Make your job easier by applying mulch around your zinnias, to help keep the weeds at bay. You can also give your flowers a feed of general garden fertiliser once a fortnight to encourage their growth.
Watch out for caterpillars and mealybugs on your zinnias; these can be treated with insect spray, or organically with a steady stream of targeted water and pinching fingers. Powdery mildew can also affect zinnias too. You can prevent this happening by watering the roots rather than leaves and giving the plants breathing space between each other.
After a month or so, pinch out the top, to encourage a bushier plant with more blooms. If you’re not sure what pinching is – it’s breaking off the top 2cm of the growing tip of a plant to encourage it to grow out wider, before it grows up. The same way you pinch off the very top of your basil (and other herbs) so it doesn’t go to seed.
A few weeks later you should start to see zaps of colour coming through. Picking the blooms will stimulate more to blossom. But leaving the flowers to dry on their stalks, could result in them self-seeding next season and create a cottage garden feel. If you want the cottage garden look this summer, plant your zinnias alongside foxgloves, sweet Williams and poppies.
Companion planting the secret behind successful gardens
Learning which plants to grow together can greatly increase your success in the garden, whether you want to cut down on spraying or watering, attract bees or scare off the neighbour's cat.
Awapuni gardening guru, Tod Palenski, says companion planting - the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted next to, or close to one another - has been around for centuries and could be the making of your garden.
"With our current fixation on all things organic and environment-friendly, companion planting is really growing in popularity," says Tod. "It's easy to do and it can help reduce the number of chemicals used in your garden."
Marigolds are a great example of a pest-deterring companion plant because they produce a strong smell which repels most insects. Their roots also contain a pesticidal chemical which kills nematodes (microscopic parasites living in the soil).
Tod says marigolds should be planted everywhere. Awapuni nurseries has a range of seedlings called Pop'n'Grow which make planting easier because each seedling has its own root cell, so you can separate and plant them without damaging their roots.
"Plant them amongst tomatoes and roses to deter aphids, and with potatoes and other root crops to protect them from nematodes. They'll also keep white cabbage moths away from your brassicas," he says. "And, if you plant them around your deck and barbecue area, they'll deter flies and mosquitoes."
Companion planting is about more than just repelling pests. Tod recommends planting basil with tomatoes. The basil not only repels flying insects, but it can also help improve the growth and flavour of your tomatoes.
Companion planting can also be used to attract beneficial insects which are essential for cross-pollinating flowers and fruit trees.
"Zinnias are the perfect companion for brassicas, tomatoes and roses because they attract aphid-eating lady bugs. They also attract bees and butterflies, so they'll help your garden pollinate."
Zinnias are easy to grow, adaptable and quick flowering. Their bright, bold colours add instant charm to your garden and, Tod says, if you plant them now they'll last well into autumn.
Companion planting can also be used to conserve moisture in your vegetable garden. Tod suggests planting squash vines beneath your corn and beans.
"They shade the ground and, in doing so, regulate the soil temperature and conserve soil moisture, sort of like a living mulch," he says. "They also have small, prickly spines along their stems which can help deter rats and rabbits."
For larger furry pests, Tod recommends planting rue, a small herb that you can plant around borders to keep cats and dogs off your garden beds.
"Cats and dogs dislike the smell of rue, so it's great for discouraging them from digging and doing other things in your garden. However, it's not a good companion for cucumbers, cabbage or herbs."
When it comes to companion planting there is a lot to learn, but Tod says your first step should be to have a good look around your own garden to see what's working and what isn't. Chances are you're doing some of the right things already.
"Treat yourself to a good book on the topic or spend some time on google. Your garden will reward you for your effort."
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