Planting

Looking for a low-maintenance way to add colour, texture, movement and structure to a garden?

A mandarin tree may not be a short-term project, but if you can put in the work and nurture it for the years required to grow strong, it'll be so rewarding

Poor soil conditions don’t necessarily mean a poor garden. Turn your wasteland of rubble into a pretty paradise Photo via Getty Images Gardeners are constantly exhorted to improve their soil conditions, to add lime, well-rotted compost and manure, to water in the evening, to do this, do that… all to give their plants their best […]

Say hello to sunshine and make the most of the longer, warmer days by getting busy with November gardening Spring is a most inspiring and pleasant time in the garden. All is bursting with life and the weather is neither too hot nor too cold. Your November gardening guide: Plant Just about everywhere, even cold-sensitive […]

As the days grow longer and the soil warms up, spend some time on a little flower tending and appreciation. What to plant in October October gardening is all about planting and anticipation. And, of course, enjoying all the beauty abounding. The month is the peak rhododendron flowering time. Make a note to visit a […]

Autumn is harvesting and nature’s planting time in the garden. Here’s what to gather, sow and grow this month Chores “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” wrote Keats in his sumptuous ode to the glories of autumn. For the gardener, it is a time of harvest, when the fruit filled “with ripeness to the core” […]

Growing produce at home instead of buying it from a supermarket is good for both your nutrition and your wallet. Growing organic produce at home rather than buying it from a market or supermarket makes financial as well as nutritional sense. Where time and space are at a premium, concentrate on growing crops that are […]

This month you should be harvesting your carrots, sowing the seeds for your summer veges and planting asparagus. Scroll down for the complete list of August garden tasks Harvest Deciding when to harvest carrots is a matter of how sweet you like them, with young carrots the most tender and sweet. Don’t leave it too […]

Here’s what you need to be planting, harvesting and sowing in your garden this month Plant Now is a good time to plant deciduous fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, plums and nectarines if the ground is not too wet in your area. Check if the variety is self-pollinating as some fruit trees need […]

It’s time to harvest your beetroot, sow some bok choy and plant your strawberries. These are your garden tasks for May What to harvest: When harvesting beetroots, don’t throw away the leaves, which are great in salads and stir-fries. I often leave a few beetroots in the ground after harvest for a good supply of […]

Pot plants are all the rage but getting lush results takes a little planning. Here’s how to create a perfect potted garden 7 tips to ensure your pot plants’ survival With outdoor space at such a premium these days, many of us are gardening in containers. And why not? Pot plants are perfect for those […]

A formal planting scheme and crisp, groomed lawns frame some jaw-dropping ocean views at Tapuae Country Estate in Taranaki This sprawling clifftop section in Taranaki has an impeccable formal garden Some people imagine sea views and coastal walks for their dream lifestyle property. Others prefer green farmland with bush trails and inland waterways. Brent and […]

What to harvest in the garden  + Don’t leave your citrus fruit on the ground too long or it will rot. If you can’t eat all the fruit produced by your lemon and other citrus trees, donations are always welcome at food banks and shelters. Another option is to turn them into yummy lemon curd or […]

All it took to get this garden from sloping and sad to modern and fab was careful planning, a digger… and 25 years  A steep garden is an entertainer’s dream thanks to clever landscaping A quarter-century ago, when Paresh and Naina Patel bought their 370-square-metre property in the up-and-coming suburb of Grey Lynn, they were […]

Our winter gardening guide was so popular we decided to create an extra one! Consider this your checklist for what to harvest, plant and sow in June  What to harvest in the garden + Pumpkin is not only dead easy to grow, it also stores well, so you can keep pumping out the soup all […]

Going up instead of out makes sense as space becomes scarcer. Outside In horticulturalist Ryan McQuerry explains why living walls are the perfect way to bring the outside in Everything you need to know about living walls As cities grow and open space becomes scarce, many cities are going green by either positioning nature on […]

A new-build next to a mangrove-fringed estuary south of Auckland called for a garden that utilised native planting and textures to blend into the landscape A new-build uses native planting to blend into its mangrove surroundings Finding a spot to build a home on is tough in Auckland, so when a site with views of […]

Discover the best spot to plant spring bulbs, how to prep your soil for winter and keep those pesky pests at bay with this April gardening guide Your April gardening to-do list + Autumn is the best time to clean up gardens in preparation for winter. This isn’t as essential in warmer climates, but wherever […]

A bare piece of land outside of Gisborne is now the ultimate spot for family living and entertaining thanks to years of determination and hard work  This family worked incredibly hard to transform their rural garden A bare paddock and a vision for the future are at the heart of many a good Kiwi tale […]

Years of planning and hard work has transformed this farmland just out of Gisborne into a slice of paradise where native trees and exotics live in harmony A bare paddock and a vision for the future are at the heart of many a good Kiwi tale and that was definitely the case for Jo and […]

Gladioli are a bulb flower and their distinctive height, plus the variety of vibrant colours available, makes them perfect for use in floral arrangements All about March’s flower of the month: Gladioli Fill a tall vase at least half way to the top with water. Position the gladioli in the vase, with shorter flowers or […]

March is the perfect time to harvest your bounty and plan for the cooler months. Here’s your guide for what to harvest, plant and sow What to harvest in the garden Pick beans every 3-5 days so plants will keep producing more flowers. Cook the same day for the best taste (although they’ll still be […]

With many gardens becoming smaller, outdoor areas are being repurposed as multi-use zones. Wildflower meadows, outdoor baths and beehives are all on the list for trendsetting gardeners this year There’s no denying gardens have changed a lot in the last few decades, morphing into multifunctional spaces where we eat, cook, work out, bathe, as well […]

February is one of the busiest times of year in the garden so we’ve created a bonus guide for what to harvest, plant and sow What to harvest in the garden in February Use the inner leaves and white stalks of lemongrass in Southeast Asian cooking and save some for rubbing onto your skin to […]

Dahlias are the national flower of Mexico and come in an array of vibrant colours. Discover how you can grow and enjoy these beautiful flowers at home All about February’s flower of the month: Dahlias For this arrangement, we have used different types, including cactus, waterlily and dinner plate dahlias. This is a simple but […]

Gardening guru Carol Bucknell dishes the dirt on the best flowers for attracting beneficial bees to the garden in New Zealand Why we need bees in the garden Without honeybees both our productive and ornamental gardens would suffer enormously, not to mention commercial horticulture and farming. Bee numbers are declining throughout the world and home […]

Why go on holiday when your garden – in busy old Auckland – is a Balinese retreat built to capture all-day sun? A lush Balinese-style garden hidden in an Auckland backyard Fiona Milde vividly recollects her first impressions of the property she bought four years ago in Kohimarama in Auckland’s Eastern Bays. “Ghastly. My father, […]

Two planks of wood and four plastic troughs is all it takes to create your own vertical garden for a visual statement, indoors or out Tools you will need  Fine-blade hacksaw; square; 600mm level; pencil; Phillips screwdriver; measuring tape; sanding block, hand saw. This project uses plastic troughs from Bunnings (pictured below) as the basis for this vertical garden. […]

You don’t need a multitude of garden beds to grow fresh herbs; pot those puppies in containers Top 10 potted herbs for small spaces The great thing about herbs, apart from their divine flavour and wonderful nutritional value, is that most of them are able to grow in all sorts of places – rocky slopes, […]

Your Home and Garden’s outdoor editor Carol Bucknell has some clever ideas to turn this unloved backyard into a usable, family-friendly space the kids will enjoy as much as the parents Dear Carol, I love YH&G and have been meaning to email you about our garden for a long time. We live in Glenfield on Auckland’s […]

Consider this your end-of-winter gardening guide! Here’s what to harvest, plant and sow in the garden during the month of August What to harvest in the garden in August – Brussels sprouts should be picked when young, from the bottom of the stem upwards as the lower sprouts ripen first and harvesting them will encourage the […]

Rather than base the design of her tiny front garden around its view from the street, this Grey Lynn resident did the opposite Renovations to her Grey Lynn bungalow left Nathalie Morris at a loss as to how to deal with a small but important patch in the front garden. The area could be seen […]

Mid winter is the ideal time to re-pot indoor and outdoor container plants, prune roses and other flowering climbers and shift deciduous trees. Here’s a round-up of things to tick off your mid-winter to-do list Watch out for borer Keep an eye out for tiny piles of sawdust and small holes in the branches of citrus, kowhai and other trees, which […]

Consider this your wintery planting guide! Here’s what to harvest, plant and sow in the garden during the month of July What to harvest in the garden in July – Winter is citrus harvest time. Don’t leave mandarins and tangelos too long on the tree after they ripen as they can dry out. – Limes can be […]

Have you got your eye on a plant in a friend’s garden and want the same type of plant of your own? It’s easy – take a cutting How to grow plants from cuttings Not only is growing plants from cuttings rewarding and cheap, it’s easy! The best time to do it is late autumn/early winter. One of the […]

Behind this former bank in Eltham, Taranaki is a “secret garden” filled with cottage flowers, roses and much more A rose-filled garden in an old bank in Eltham, Taranaki Barbara Valintine calls the space behind her home in a former bank building in Eltham, her secret garden. The building’s high walls are softened by black fig […]

Consider this your wintery planting guide! Here’s what to harvest, plant and sow in the garden during the month of May What to harvest in the garden in May – Some macadamia nut varieties will be ready to harvest now. Pick them up every second day if possible to avoid fungal disease, then dehusk and dry immediately. […]

Creating her dream garden was worth the wait for this Blenheim gardener A structured and semi-formal garden in Blenheim One of the joys of gardening is to see your vision gradually take shape from year to year. Southland-born Dianne Croad had always yearned for a garden where she could do just that, but her late […]

Consider this your Autumn planting guide! Here’s what to harvest, plant and sow in the garden during the month of April What to harvest in the garden in Autumn – Pick up passionfruit as it drops to avoid sun damage and rotting. – Harvest eggplant, capsicum, corn, cucumber, courgette, tomato and other late-summer vegetables. Make […]

Stuart Jobling and his partner Barry Danby have completed a delightful, densely planted subtropical garden makeover at their Waiheke Island property The site background With its canopy of palms, flowering trees and lush-leaved subtropicals below, the exotic garden is a far cry from the rather ordinary property the couple bought back in 2011. “There was virtually […]

Beat the late summer blues by rejuvenating flower beds and lawns with a little loving care Your March planting guide Gardens can look a little jaded by the end of summer but an easy way to add colour and interest is to fill containers and gaps in flower beds with brightly-hued annuals and perennials that bloom […]

If you’re wanting your plants to stay looking good through the warmer months, especially if you’re planning on going away on holiday, here’s what you need to know 1. Mulch it Mulching is beneficial in so many ways. It helps keep moisture in the soil; therefore reducing the amount of watering you’ll need to do. […]