Potted Pleasure
If your garden soil is on the heavy side, switch to growing your bulbs in pots. Spring flowering bulbs thrive in pots and are some of the best plants you could choose for container planting. What to plant: Cool climate bulbs: tulips, hyacinths and crocuses. Any-climate bulbs: daffodils, Dutch irises, grape hyacinths and […]
June in the garden
Brr! Winter is officially here, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate from the garden. In fact, quite the opposite. Now is the time to think of the season ahead. Here are Metropol’s tips for keeping on top of your topiary this June. Clean up stations: As the leaves keep falling in […]
Autumn garden
As the leaves begin to turn, we welcome in the new season of autumn with its chillier temperatures and spectacular showing of red, oranges and yellows. Perhaps you’ll be wrapping up warmer as you head out to enjoy the colour show, but when it comes to your garden – it’s time to get planting! […]
Growing good health: Terra Viva
There’s plenty to love about growing your own fruit and vegetables. Terra Viva’s Peter Worsp tells Metropol about the holistic health benefits of this rewarding pastime. MIND MATTERS The mental health benefits of gardening in general have been well documented in studies; ranging from early-onset dementia to hyperactive children. The studies pinpoint the calming […]
Raising the toddlers of the plant world
Also known as “vegetable confetti”, microgreens are the quickest food crop urban gardeners can grow – often as simply as in a container on your kitchen windowsill. Not to be confused with sprouts – germinated seeds that are eaten root, seed and shoot – microgreens are the seedlings of leafy herbs and plants that […]
Gardens, gifts and café in one: Lushingtons Gardens, Gifts and Café
Spring is a time of renewal. It’s also a time to explore, to do something different, to find somewhere new to enjoy. There can be few more alluring places for a new experience than Lushingtons Garden, Gifts and Café at Tinwald, Ashburton. It’s the perfect stop for lunch and a leg stretch en route to […]
Olive it!
Last year we were all about the dramatic fiddle leaf fig, this year, potted perfection comes in the form of the much subtler olive tree. Instead of a burst of bright green, they offer a more sophisticated sage. We’ve put together some tips on making the most of your new leafy addition to the home. […]
Growing a passion
It’s obvious he is a consummate plantsman down to the very tips of his fingers. Managing Director of Kiwiflora Nurseries, near Templeton, Nalin Gooneratne grew up in Sri Lanka on his grandparents’ tea, coffee and pepper plantation. That heritage and link to the earth and the environment led Nalin to his career in commercial horticulture […]