How to Grow

Whether you're starting with a single seed or a store-bought shrub, growing plants is a satisfying process that connects you with nature and rewards you with flowers, food or just something to admire. And anyone can do it! You may want to liven up your apartment with indoor plants, grow your own herbs for cooking, or finally start that vegetable garden you’ve been dreaming about. Learning how to garden is a practical, rewarding skill that anyone can pick up.

Legionnaires' disease

Gardening is a popular pastime enjoyed by thousands of New Zealanders, helping people relax and escape the stresses of life. It provides enjoyment and exercise.

Spring fling - time to plant tulips

Tulips love cool weather, but with new varieties, they will grow in milder regions too, making it easier than ever to have tulips just about anywhere!

Cool weather classics

As the days get shorter it makes sense to bring nature closer, making the most of potted plants in and around the home. Bursting onto the scene in autumn with their bright clear colours and stunning flower forms, cyclamen are highlights of the season, both indoors and out.

Wildflowers

Rachel Weston (Real Gardener article 'A sense of wonder') loves the kaleidoscope of colours she gets from her ‘messy wildflowers’.

Colour play

Autumn is planting time for spring flowering bulbs. Daffodils, hyacinths and snowdrops brighten the scene as early as July. Tulips soon follow in very early spring, as do bluebells, freesias and grape hyacinths.

The world smiles in daisies

Simple, sun-loving daisies are among the most prolific summer flowers. These easy-going, easy to grow plants provide generous lashings of colour though summer and autumn.

Sun lovers

Could this be your summer to grow the biggest, the tallest and the brightest flower in the garden? Sow some sunflower seeds now and see how fast they grow!

Grow your own garlic

Plant some little cloves in winter and you will be harvesting your very own super crop in summer.

Grow a teepee

Summer time means long, hot days and lots of time spent outside. Wouldn’t it be great to have your own hideaway?

Fruit trees for small spaces

The joy of home grown fruit isn’t only for large backyards and lifestyle blocks. Thanks to today’s dwarf fruit trees, a tiny garden (or a few large pots) can be surprisingly fruitful - for most of the year.

Feijoas - a Kiwi favourite

Feijoas are a unique and beloved fruit in New Zealand. They are easy to grow, yielding plenty of fruit from autumn to early winter. The distinctive bright red flowers appear at Christmas, adding their own charm to the garden.

Space saving apples

Apples that grow vertically on compact columns open a realm of exciting possibilities for creative gardeners.

Pears

Planting a pear tree is an investment in both beauty and bounty

Summer stone fruit

Winter is action time for summer fruiting trees

Fruit trees in containers

When good garden soil isn’t available, or you have limited space, growing fruit in containers makes good sense, especially if you plan on taking them with you when you move house.

Home harvest apples

From March to May apple trees all around the country are laden with colourful ripening fruit. Meanwhile it’s time to get planning and planting.

Go nuts!

Just as home grown fruit and veges offer savings, convenience and monumental health benefits, so it is with nuts.

Blueberries - grow your own super food

Blueberries are very high in antioxidants and vitamins. The health benefits attributed to these tasty little fruits cover everything from bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, and cancer prevention, to mental health and more.

A cucumber a day

Cucumber, which are 95% water, are a tasty way to stay hydrated in summer, aiding weight loss with a good measure of fibre, vitamins and minerals without the calories.

Autumn is for alliums

It’s planting time for all members of the onion family. Easy to grow alliums include the fat golden vege staple and all the other onion flavoured herbs and vegetables.

Fresh start

For good health and great taste, the very best greens are the ones we pick fresh from the garden. Salad leaves are the easiest of vegetables to grow.

Tomatoes your way

Sun-warmed and fragrant, nothing beats the taste of home-grown tomatoes - and the unbeatable freshness when it’s only minutes from garden to plate.

Salsa! The sweet & spicy of the summer garden

In summer, the vegetable garden is a riot of abundance with fresh food to pick every day.

Buried treasure

As rising food prices and the desire to eat healthier food have many of us turning back to the vege patch, the humble but highly nutritious potato is one of the easiest crops we can grow.

Crops for pots

In winter and early spring, plants grow faster in warm, well-drained potting soil than they do in cold soggy ground, and positioned in a sunny sheltered location, they’ll suffer less from wind and frost.

Tomatoes - protect against pests

Tomato seedlings popped in the ground in October and November grow strongly in warm weather and the first little fruit are already appearing in some gardens.

Summer's bounty

Summer, the season of plenty, has arrived. It’s planting time now for the biggest choice of vegetable plants we’ve had all year.

Hedges - go local

Foliage, form and adaptability to local growing conditions are key to a successful hedge, which is why NZ natives rate among the very best for kiwi gardens.

Prunus - beauty and abundance

Spring blossom, dappled shade, summer fruit, autumn colour and elegant form - there is much to love about the vast and varied trees of the plant genus, Prunus.

Jewels of the winter garden

Proteas and their cousins Leucadendrons and Grevilleas are among the most valuable shrubs in a winter garden when there is little other colour.

Growing rhododendrons and azaleas

Rhododendrons and azaleas are popular for their dazzling displays of flowers from late winter to early summer. The variety of foliage and growth forms makes them valuable landscaping plants.

Growing lavender

When it comes to choosing a small shrub or flowering hedge for your garden, lavenders have stood the test of time as some of the most accommodating shrubs of all.

Growing hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are prized for their spectacular blooms, long flowering season, and easy-care nature. Whether planted in borders, containers, or as feature shrubs, they bring lasting colour and beauty to any garden.

Lawn love

Warm spring rains encourage lush green growth - spring on its own is a tonic for lawns! But a little extra pampering before summer sets in makes it easier to keep a lawn looking lovely through the hottest months.

Lawn seed - fit for purpose

Whether the backyard needs a facelift or you’re starting from scratch with a brand new lawn, autumn is a great time to take action. The road to success starts with choosing the right lawn seed. Start by asking yourself some basic questions.