Gardening in Waitaki

Gardening in Waitaki Hi Gardeners, I have been a Gardener / designer for over 40 years and creating weekly notes. Gardener and Concept garden designer for the past 40 years.

Planting over a clay base, these holes are for small lavender plants. The stones are used to create a sump to prevent sh...
14/06/2026

Planting over a clay base, these holes are for small lavender plants. The stones are used to create a sump to prevent shallow roots from sitting in the water that a clay pan holds after rainfall. Compost on top of the stones then the plants. If I were planting a stronger rooting plant, the holes would be twice the size needed with a generous amount of stones then compost.

Our lovely past garden was a family treasure.
07/06/2026

Our lovely past garden was a family treasure.

Making COMPOSTWhether using a bin, tumbler or open bay, the theory is the same. Perfect compost depends on maintaining a...
04/06/2026

Making COMPOST

Whether using a bin, tumbler or open bay, the theory is the same. Perfect compost depends on maintaining a good balance of carbon-containing ingredients and nitrogen-containing ingredients. An easy way of remembering which products contain carbon and which contain nitrogen is to simply think 'brown' ingredients are carbon and 'green' ingredients are nitrogen. Carbons - Autumn leaves, pea straw, lucerne hay, sugarcane mulch, moistened cardboard, shredded newspaper (not glossy paper).Nitrogen: Lawn clippings, garden prunings, green leaves, kitchen scraps, citrus peel, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds. A ratio of about 60% "green" material to 40% "brown" material is ideal, but not essential. Large material should be cut up as small as possible: the smaller things are, the quicker they break down. Animal manure will also speed up the process. If making a heap or bay, build it directly onto the ground, rather than on concrete or paving, as this allows worms, bacteria, fungi and other beneficial organisms to get into the compost. Layer the materials like a lasagne - brown, manure, green, manure, etc. Water after each manure layer with molasses tea to feed the compost microbes. Mix 2 tablespoons of molasses in a 9-litre watering can. Turn the heap every two weeks for oxygenation - the microbes that break things down quickest need oxygen. This compost will be ready to use in about three months.

No-dig gardening. This is a bed built on top of an existing bed, lawn area or even hard surfaces like concrete. Just lik...
04/06/2026

No-dig gardening. This is a bed built on top of an existing bed, lawn area or even hard surfaces like concrete. Just like compost, you need a good amount of dry materials - like straw, lucerne and dried leaves - along with thinner layers of high-nutrient green, leafy weeds and manure to build up the soil. Sprinkle gravel or crusher dust straight on top of the area you've chosen - unless it's a hard surface. This helps retain any nutrients already available. Cover with layers of newspaper, at least 10 pages thick, to smother weeds, then water until the newspaper is thoroughly wet. Cover with a layer of unsprayed grass clippings, which are rich in nitrogen. Top that with a thick layer of dry leaves about 200mm deep or whatever you can rake up. Water in with 1 tbsp of molasses dissolved into a 9L watering can. The molasses feeds the microbes that will help to break all of the materials down. Add 150mm-200mm layer of lucerne, hay or straw. Sprinkle with a layer of chicken manure and water in with diluted molasses. Continue to add layers of Lucerne and Manure (cow or chicken) 3-4 times to reach the desired height (The pile will sink by about 20% as it breaks down). Add a loose layer of mulching straw to 150mm. Top with 100mm of home-made compost. Mulch the bed with straw. You can put anything organic in the layers to break down into beautiful, productive soil, but the more you mix it up, the more nutrients are available to the plants!

04/06/2026

🌶️ Did you know bell peppers with 4 bumps are often sweeter and better for eating raw?
Many people say 4-bump peppers are juicier and milder, while 3-bump peppers are slightly less sweet and better for cooking, grilling, or stir-fries. 🥗🔥
Whether it’s myth or kitchen wisdom, one thing is true:
Bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and flavor.
Now we need to know…
👇 Which one do YOU usually buy?

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