Garlic in the ground
Words and photo: Paul Thompson. Garlic part 3 Plant your garlic Planting garlic is fun and fairly easy – especially if you have prepared your bed or container. It’s one of those jobs that can literally be over in a … Read more
Put rhubarb to bed
Words and pictures: Paul Thompson. Put rhubarb to bed Rhubarb starts to go dormant around now and may benefit from a little extra protection during the colder months ahead. These large-leafed, hungry feeding plants will cease to produce leaves in … Read more
Treading the boards
Words and photos: Paul Thompson Paul teaches us how to keep off the soil and how to protect growing winter seedlings from the cold. Tread the boards At this time of year it really pays to keep off your soil … Read more
Cold comfort
Winter has arrived and with it the cold wind and rain. But cold weather can improve the taste of your vegetables. By Janet Luke. Ripe for the picking You’ll be coming to the end of your feijoas, depending on when … Read more
Season’s eatings
Autumn signals a slowdown in growth in your garden, but is still rich with fresh produce. JANET LUKE GARDENING Ripe for the picking Feijoas, plums, mandarins and new season apples are bountiful. Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are … Read more
Rebuilding communities
By Sophie Barclay Sophie Barclay is attending the monthly classes of the Auckland Permaculture Workshop. Here she writes about rebuilding communities. When you sit on the bus next to a stranger, do you prefer to pull out your smartphone and … Read more
Sow winter greens & get pruning
Photos and words: Paul Thompson. Sow succulent winter greens Fast growing and easy going Mizuna is a useful winter green with a mild, lettuce-like flavour and sometimes a peppery after taste. Mizuna is a low-maintenance super-tough green that grows well … Read more
Waiheke food forest
“I can’t help thinking that the way forward is to cover the earth with forests of food.” So says James Samuel, Waiheke Island resident, who is spearheading the project of planting a food forest on the Island. A food forest … Read more
Growing great garlic: Part 1
Words: Paul Thompson. Everyone that can should grow garlic. Firstly it’s fun and easy, secondly it’s a vegetable that many of us use almost daily and thirdly you can save yourself a whole lot of money – a kilo of … Read more
Seed saving: The sequel
Paul Thompson from Pod Gardening takes us through part two of saving seeds. Photos and words Paul Thompson. Many summer plants are now in their final stages of productivity as they produce seed before dying or becoming dormant. Saving seed … Read more