NZ Gardener

BLOSSOMS GALORE

For those who live in or near Wellington, there’s no need to go to the Land of the Rising Sun to enjoy the froth of cherry blossom. Just a few kilometres north of the city, the Aston Norwood Gardens provide the visitor with an immersive experience in...

GRANDE DAME

A pathway at the side of the house runs past one of two ornamental pear trees, Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’, and a double hedge of corokia and Lonicera nitida. Two blue-grey Hosta ‘Silver Knights’ flank the path and to the right are the purple-red...

STEP-BY-STEP

A storybook setting for an historic homestead in • Roses, woodlands, paths, lawns & more in • Composting on a 500sqm site in • A tree-loving octogenarian tending a 109-year-old garden • An plantsman’s picks for summer colour food grower recommends the...

HOMEGROWN CUT FLOWERS

Fabulous flowers (especially dahlias!), fantastic upcycling & a flying fox off-the-grid in Eketāhuna • A quirky & creative Oamaru garden full of art & colour • Meet the volunteers replanting native trees along Ōtaki River • Brewing peach-flavoured...

Flowers, Family & Fun! MAKE CHRISTMAS MAGIC

Foxgloves, fountains, roses, rhodos, dogwoods & Devonshire teas in this park-like Bombay paradise • A delightful country garden packed with colour & clever plant combos in Tasman • Gifting vege seedlings to families in need in Auckland • A houseplant...

SPRING STARS

Symmetry, structure & espaliered trees in a healing Hāwera haven • Harmony & humour in a productive, decorative Blenheim backyard • A new lake & wetland alive with birds & eels in Rahotu • What to plant beside a new path in Auckland • Replanting a...

RECIPES

Choc-mint ice cream Spring herb tabbouleh Mint sauce for lamb Broccoli & feta salad Broccoli, bacon & sundried tomato pasta

BOMBPROOF PLANTS!

A garden designer’s own lush sanctuary in a central Auckland suburb • A tropical jungle with an international flavour in urban Christchurch • Covenanted bush, stone artworks, native plants and abundant birdlife in Taranaki • A 91-year-old planting...

FREE HERITAGE BEAN SEEDS

+8 Cut flowers TO SOW NOW

Foliage, form & fabulous rare plants in a green Auckland oasis • Mature trees, manicured lawns & stunning seasonal variation on a park-like Christchurch property • Meet the volunteers at Kimbolton’s rhododendron-packed Heritage Park • Upcycling an old...

+18 NEW FABULOUS ROSES

Bill Brett’s complete guide to rose care across the year

autumn recipes

 Chicken tagine with olives & lemons  Hungarian paprika mushroom stew  Fig & walnut olive tapenade  Creamy mushroom soup  Lemon, garlic & chilli marinated olives

A romantic Rotherham

garden packed with rhodos, roses, paeonies & more • A food grower trialling fig varieties in Kaiwaka • Pruning advice for perfect pipfruit from Whanganui • Sunflowers making a difference for good causes in the Wairarapa • The best feijoas to grow on...

DIY AUTUMN IDEAS

A gloriously colourful Tauranga garden packed with native trees, cut flowers, mop-head hydrangeas & more • A southern plantswoman downsizes to a fabulously floriferous Ranfurly retirement • Rare trees & tropical treasures collected by Taranaki’s Glyn...

water Ultimate guide to IN THE GARDEN

A landscape architect shares design advice Water feature ideas for any size of garden A step-by-step plan to build a backyard pond

SEASONAL RECIPES

❦ Courgette pickle ❦ Courgette chocolate cake ❦ Cucumber & capsicum relish ❦ Chilled cucumber & avocado soup

+GIFTS FROM THE GARDEN

Italian pickles Boysenberry & black pepper shrub Chocolate log with apricots & hazelnuts Gooseberry sauce Rose petal sugar

FRESH IS BEST

A lush tropical resort-like courtyard in Auckland •A Wellington garden designer recommends plants to grow as balls or spheres • Octogenarians planting trees in Taranaki • Stunning new iris hybrids from a Gisborne breeder • Best basil varieties for the...

RECIPES

❦ Barbecued asparagus with hummus & olives ❦ Asparagus, pea & mint soup ❦ Brandied oranges ❦ Orange cake

80 GREAT PLANTS

Stunning perennials bring colour & life to a magical Wairarapa garden • Formal hedges, garden rooms, fountains & flowers in Blenheim • Tulips, ranunculus, anenomes, zinnias & more on a colourful flower farm in Taranaki • Rain-proofing vege seedlings on...

It's sow time! 64

recommended seed varieties for yield, taste & performance

A lush green garden of towering trees & fabulous foliage in Katikati

• The historic homestead surrounded by hellebores in South Otago • A sprightly 95-year-old’s colourful haven in Huntly • An avenue of fragrant frangipani in Northland • A surfer growing superfood on the West Coast • Establishing the pecking order in...