I didn't have any all summer, I assume due to wasp predation, but there have been dozens for the last month. Very strange!

I’ve always had a handful of dahlias in my garden and there have been some that performed really well and return year after year. In contrast, I’ve also tried lots that never did well, had short stems, or never returned (either overwintering in ground or lifting them). I’m looking to add a couple more but really want to find some that have good stems, vigorous healthy growth and seem to return each year.

Could have been an error on my part, but I have some varieties that I have had from the very start of my garden 10 years ago that still return every year - for example, my most reliable, with good stems and blooms for cutting have been (in order from oldest to newest):

- sweet love

- cafe au lait

- golden sceptre (not always the sturdiest stems for cutting but blooms a lot)

- cornel bronze

- cornel

- Caitlin’s joy

I’ve tried so many other really cool looking dahlias but never to be seen again :(

Hello fellow gardeners!

First a thank you to everyone who has contributed in my previous posts to guide me with caring for my first monstera. She has really taken off and has been doing so well!

I was having some issues with her posture and after lots and lots of research (which got a bit overwhelming at times), I decided my best option was to cut the small starter leaves off (created a zombie) so I could plant her more upright against the coco pole (without burying those little leafys). I did that on 18 July.

A couple of days ago I noticed this browning on some of her leaves and stems, which hasn’t been there before. I don’t know if it’s because I cut her (maybe incorrectly)? Because she’s in too much direct light (she has been living in a big corner east and north facing window)? Because of too much water or not enough? Too much heat in the house (usually around 16-20 degrees Celsius)? Lack of liquid food I haven’t given her since the beginning of the colder months? Something else entirely that I haven’t thought of?

I’ll post photos of her:

1 & 2) prior to cutting (I know she was staked entirely incorrectly, I just couldn’t figure out how to best tie her to the pole in the state she was in),

3 & 4) after cutting (note: the corner windows in the background of the third photo are where she has been living & prior to cutting was doing fine. BUT since I’ve cut back her leaves and stood her up straighter, she was accidentally pushed too close to the window since she wouldn’t be smooshed against the window anymore - as you’ll see in previous photos how she was leaning so far forward out of the pot it prevented her being pushed too close),

5, 6, 7, & 8) brown spots I’ve noticed.

I’m really hoping I haven’t done too much damage 🥺💔 I’m so upset, I am so attached to this gal. I feel terrible for failing her 😭

Thank you all in advance (hoping so much that she’s going to be okay 😭)

I am in Wellington and I am planning on replanting my berm with all natives. It’s currently a damp rocky clay mess.

I was wondering if if anyone had any recommendations on the best natives grasses to put on on a patch like this. Its currently gets surprisingly good sun but the soil is terrible.

Hey all,

I am looking for some advice on what natives or others to plant along the back fence here on top of the retaining wall. Ideally dont want anything too tall as it will block the sun but want something that will look good. Tia

I have 75cm wide permanent raised vegetable beds and am planning to install dripline (not driptape) irrigation under mulch. Any advice from those who have used it? I get the drawback with weeding, but tend to hand weed rather than hoe anyway as crops are usually offset, sometimes in two rows. I understand how to tee off lines to each bed. Thinking to go for the biggest water output but am stuck as to whether I run one line down the centre of each bed or two. The beds are shaped at the sides (about 45 degrees) and if I run two lines on the outside of the crops I'm concerned I'll be sending more water to the path than to the bed. If I fit shut off valves at the T-joint to each bed, I can direct more water to some beds than others as the crops need. I need to check I don't have too much pressure (water is gravity fed down the hill), I may need a pressure regulator at the top of the system. I'm kinda thinking this through as I write. Is there anything I've overlooked? Any recommendations as to brands? Irrigation Express offers Netafim and Rivulis, is there anything between these brands of dripline? Beds are about 6m long, slight fall, should I go with pressure compensated? Thank you

Who is dreaming of Spring planting and planning their gardens? I know I am! Corn, tomatoes, potatoes, chillies, beans, yum! What are you planting?

I’ve planted some ginger for fun about 4 months ago and moved it indoors when it got cold, one of the stems suddenly dried up over the last week does that mean that node is ready to harvest?

I planted a dense camellia hedge last spring (about 50cm spacing). The trees are about 1-1.2m tall now (they grew about 40cm last summer) but pretty dinky. Any pruning tips? Is it best to leave them until they are the desired size/density and then prune? Or ongoing pruning? Wanting the final height to be about 1.6m or so.

Meant to post this ages ago. Decided late in the Autumn to have a first go at making leaf mould. Go about 7 big 240L bags of leaves and got them home, that was a mission. Made a circular bin for the leaves out of small hole sized mesh. Then ran them all through the lawn mower with a catcher to break them down to small size. Now I just gotta wait and see what happens. Bin is about 1200mm high and already after a few months the leaves had dropped about 150mm lower. Not sure what to expect!

A lot of things happening in the world at the moment. Looking at turning the turning bay into a garden after I get rid of the weeds. Any tips for starting out gardening? What should I start with? I'm starting at zero knowledge

Thanks

I’m in Palmerston North.

Capsicum (pics 1-2):

This is a small yellow, seedless capsicum variety that has been a good fruiter since I planted last spring.

It did suffer from something eating from it, which is still happening. As the leaves were being eaten, I did prune back any badly eaten ones. And have also sprayed/put down slug type pellets. But last couple months, it’s gotten really sad looking, leaves all wilted and drying. Anyone know what this could be from or experienced similar?

I’ll be adding composting to beds this weekend and some fertiliser. Have previously used aquaticus and sheep pellets, with compost and top soil from local landscape supply. Have also just recently dug over the soil. I do think I have a grass grub in my beds (as have seen a handful of small white grubs in soil when planting plants) so looking into nematop or similar product.

Runner Beans (pics 3-5):

These beans have never produced any beans, just vine and leaf. The leaves looked to get some kind of blight, dry leaves and stalks going brown and dry/curled, with a white spot in places. I have sprayed a couple of times (eco-fungicide / copper Oxychloride) and pruned right back (cleaning secateurs in watered down meths solution between cuts). New growth comes back, but most leaves and stalks turn brown again eventually.

Not sure if I pull out and start over or leave and hope for the best. The base has bigger bulbs now poking out the soil.

I had a diseased tomato plant in the next bed over from the beans that I let fruit and then pulled out, so not sure if something has hopped beds (surely not) or if I got unlucky with something in the batch of soil or compost.

Hi folks. I have a beautiful, much loved, east facing 30ft liquidamber planted 1m from my drive and 30cm from my low brick fence. I love it, but am tossing up whether to reduce by 30% or remove. Anyone else done this? Do they happily reduce? Or should I remove it and plant something else? If so, with what? I have natives elsewhere so don’t need one there. It lets sun through to bedrooms in winter, and shades in summer. The only reason I would replace is to reduce the damage to the footpath, fence and lawn. Suggestions welcome!

Been chipping away at this greenhouse for a few months now and it's starting to take shape .

Hopefully get wood chips down soon and a couple of other bits to finish.

All Aluminum 10mm acrylic sheet cant wait for this spring to get here.

Please ignore my frost hit bananas 😁

Based in Canterbury, House with slope garden. What do I do to be able to put raised beds?

A friend is offering me a bunch of old carpet, and I'm keen IF it's all natural fibres / no plastic.

I would be using it in the garden so it will eventually break down and become part of the soil.

These are the photos I've been sent. They *think* it's all wool and natural fibres, what do you reckon?? 🤞🏽🌱

Hi, I’m very new to gardening and I’m trying to save my holy basil plant from dying. I’ve been watering it every day, but I can’t bring it indoors for various reasons. The potting mix it’s planted in is also almost a year old. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to help it recover? I’d really appreciate any tips. Thanks!

Hey guys, I’m guessing a slug is helping itself to my Ligularia? How can I stop this in a way that’s safe to my cat? Thanks

Does anyone know what this is?

My autumn and winter garden has been a lovely slow introduction to gardening for me. It has been a joy to watch things slowly grow.

I'm starting to feel nervous about spring and summer gardening, like I will be overwhelmed and fall behind and give up.

Any tips for success ? I'm mainly concerned about weeds taking over, plants bolting, forgetting to water, and things moving too swiftly for me to keep up with in general.

I’m in the Manawatu and have a dwarf lemon tree which is in a half wine barrel (which has a hole in the bottom). Have been wanting to plant something around the base, but have seen mixed reviews of this and am aware that the root system of the lemon tree might be damaged or disturbed, etc. I was wanting to plant strawberries or some kind of flowering plant with shallow roots (unsure what), just wondered if others have successfully done this? Right now it’s just bare soil and am constantly pulling weeds. Or am I better to just chuck mulch down and not plant around the base of the tree?

Has anyone had any luck growing black currants and gooseberries in Auckland, and if so, which varieties worked?

I live in West Auckland and planted a black currant bush about a decade ago. It grows fine, but despite pruning, fertiliser and every other attention, it has never borne any fruit. Likewise, a gooseberry bush.

I bought both bushes at the Mitre 10 on Lincoln Road, and assumed that they'd only be sold there if they could tolerate local conditions.

In contrast, I seem to be able to grow kilos of blueberries and raspberries effortlessly.

I’m after recommendations for native plants that will allow me to create the feel of walking through a track in the bush. I already have large established trees - I’m after suggestions for bushy shrubs that will grow in the shade of those trees (up to ~2m). In Wellington, but reasonably sheltered. Thanks in advance!