What’s growing on with Insta home gardener Annabel Sandison
Christchurch nurse, wife and mum-of-two, Annabel Sandison shares what she’s growing with handy tips and hacks in her little slice of paradise on Instagram.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed in her neighbourhood either – her garden received a Christchurch Street and Community Pride Garden Award.
The 4000+ followers on Annabel’s Instagram page are not surprised, this green thumb and friend of hoyas can even make the dreaded oxalis look good.
What advice would you give someone starting a garden?
Think about what sort of garden you want, is it for providing food for you and your family? If so, grow what you will enjoy eating. Space can be a premium for many, so use it wisely.
Also, think about the climate you have, consider sun and wind and what variety of plants might thrive in those conditions and plant them. Consider how you can incorporate beneficial flowers into your garden. They sustain bees which pollinate our fruit and vegetables and provide a lovely pop of colour inside when picked and arranged in a vase.
Give yourself grace, if plants die that’s okay – you will learn from that.
Annabel likes to add flowers, such as marigolds, to her plantings. Her favourite garden accessory is her trug, and her secateurs go with her everywhere.
What’s your favourite plant to grow and why do you like it?
My fruit trees. I love seeing my children running outside to pick their own garden snacks and they love fresh fruit. I love knowing it’s spray-free and they produce vast volumes (one apricot tree gives us 55kg per year).
All our fruit gets distributed to our neighbours, preserved into jams and fruit leathers or picked straight off the tree and eaten by us. In winter, the trees are bare and come spring they’re covered in blossom again. It never gets less incredible that all that fruit comes from those wintry twigs.
What have you had the most success with?
Changing the way we garden by incorporating the “no dig gardening” philosophy. Having good soil is the foundation of any good garden, which is why this is our greatest success throughout the whole garden. No dig basically means we only dig when we are planting a plant. Otherwise, the soil is left undisturbed other than adding about a few inches of compost each autumn.
Tip tip: Make a one part apple cider vinegar to two parts water spray to help control pests.
What do you wish you’d never planted or would do differently?
No regrets, to be honest. Gardening has taught me that life isn’t perfect, and things will grow in different conditions and that’s okay. Also, the best part about gardening is if it doesn’t work or you don’t like it, you can always change it to suit.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about gardening?
Patience. In a world of instant gratification, gardening has taught me that nature won’t be tamed. Some seasons aren’t the best and some provide exceptionally well. Eight years of gardening has taught me to understand the best conditions for all sorts of different plants and to make the most of good seasons (how to preserve food so it lasts the year).
Words: Michelle Joe
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