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.
February is the month when parents all over the country breathe a collective sigh of relief - the kids are back at school.
The endless summer holidays of trying to keep the kids entertained and away from the TV and computer are over.
Now you only have to worry about finding exciting and engaging activities for the afternoons and weekends!
Well fear not, we have an activity which will provide a healthy diversion from the television for your children, in any weather and at any time of the year.
Gardening - or more specifically - painting and planting pots.
And, with a little help from an adult, even pre-school children can enjoy it.
All you need is a good supply of 10cm diameter terracotta pots, found at your local garden centre, and some paints which won't wash off.
"Test pot paints are perfect for this," says Tod Palenski of Awapuni Nurseries.
"Water based house paint will withstand the outside weather, is very cheap, and most of all, will wash off the clothes of any young budding Picasso!"
Plus it puts a seal on the pot. This means the pot won't dry out as much and, as a consequence, neither will the soil.
So get some newspaper out, put your kids in some old clothes and encourage the painting of some mini masterpieces.
Once the pots have had time to dry, fill them up to the top with potting mix. Tod recommends using a top quality potting mix with a slow release fertiliser, which can also be found at your local garden centre.
A slow release fertiliser will feed your pots for up to four months and will ensure the best growth possible for your children's plants.
Now they need to choose what to plant.
For brave parents willing to go the extra mile, take your kids on a trip to the supermarket.
Awapuni Nurseries have developed a revolutionary new seedling range that is perfect for new gardeners. The Pop'n'Grow range is available at supermarkets, the Warehouse, Kmart and Bunnings stores and includes over 120 different perennials, herbs, flowers and vegetables.
Plenty of options for your children to choose from and, unlike other plants, Pop'n'Grow seedlings can be unwrapped, separated and prepared for the soil without disturbing or breaking the roots. They are child's play to plant and grow!
To entertain your kids long after the pot is planted, Tod recommends growing a swan plant.
"Children love insects and a swan plant will provide ongoing interest by attracting butterflies to the garden."
"Marigolds and pansy jolly jokers are also perfect for kids. They are bright, colourful and easy to grow," says Tod.
Simply create a hole in the potting mix with your finger and plant your plant.
If you're keen to promote an interest in healthy food, why not try growing lettuces, beans and peas?
Either plant one lettuce per pot, or help your child to plant several lettuces in a large bucket-sized tub.
Marigolds create a brilliant contrast to the lettuces when planted around the edge of the tub.
Or try growing dwarf beans. They are ideal for small gardeners as they don't need to be staked and can be reached easily for picking.
Tell your children the story of Jack and the beanstalk, plant three or four beans in a pot, and watch your children's imaginations and the plants grow.
Tod also recommends growing sugar snap peas.
"Soak the seeds over night in water to speed up the germination process, plant several in a pot, and 8-10 weeks later the kids will be able to eat them straight off the vine!"
For children who want to experiment further with sowing seeds, Tod suggests trying alyssum, lobelia, pansies or dwarf/minature (teddy bears) sunflowers. Simply plant half a teaspoon of seeds in your pot and cover with soil.
Lastly, to ensure seeds achieve the best results, and kids are kept busy as long as possible, Tod recommends creating a mini glass house.
"Cut the top off a lemonade bottle, about where the sides are flat. Take the label off, punch some holes in it, and turn it upside down over the pot.
"And don't forget to water!"
Pots are the garden for everyone. Whether you've got the quarter acre dream or live in an inner-city apartment, pots make gardening accessible to almost all.
Pop a basil or parsley seedling in a small pot for sitting on the windowsill. Pretty up your front door eve with a potted geranium. Or create an explosion of colour with a mix of flower seedlings in a larger pot.
And the best thing about potting up plants is you don't even have to use pots. Got a vintage or recycled container you've always wondered what to do with it? Drill some holes in the bottom for drainage, put it on top of a saucer of some sort and grow viola or coriander in it.
Basically any container that allows water to drain from the bottom will do for potting plants. But the rule of thumb is, the bigger the pot or tub the less it will dry out.
If you're not sure what to plant, try growing one of Awapuni's pots and tubs mixed seedling bundles. You can grab one from your local supermarket or Bunnings. Alternatively, order your seedlings from our online store and have them delivered direct to your door.
The pots and tubs mix takes the hassle out of deciding what flowers to pot up and when to do it. It's jammed full of nine or more seasonal flower seedlings perfect for growing in containers. At this time of the year it has flowers like pansy, lobelia, wallflowers, polyanthus and violas in it.
I like to grow my mix of seedlings in the biggest pot or tub I can find. Something like half a wine barrel works well. Whatever I'm growing and whatever container I'm growing it in, I always use a good quality potting mix. This way I know my seedlings are going to get just the right nutrients to kick-start their growth.
I recommend placing each wallflower and polyanthus seedling around 20cm apart from each other in the middle of the tub. Then planting the viola, lobelia and pansy seedlings the same distance apart around the edge of the pot. The reason for this is wallflowers and polyanthus are quite upright plants so will look good in the centre. And the other three will cascade nicely over the sides of the tub.
One of the other pluses to growing plants in pots is you have the ability to move them around depending on your mood. But try to make sure they always have some sun without drying out.
If the weather is mild over autumn and winter where you are you can expect to see your seedlings flowering in around July. But they could take as long as till spring to start showcasing their abilities. But once they do start to flower they'll continue right through spring until summer.
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