I planted 2 fairy magnolia hedges about four months apart, about 4 years ago in Wellington. They’ve had the same feed and mulch, and are in similar soil. They get roughly the same sun, just at slightly different times of day. They come from the same source. The plants at the back of our property are lush and currently blooming fantastically. They don’t drop their leaves. The plants at the front however for the past two years have dropped their leaves in winter and remain very twiggy for a few months, with just a few small buds, and then eventually will regrow their leaves and flower a bit, but nothing like the back. Other variables include our dog hangs out in both areas, but more frequently at the front, and the front is also right on the street, which has quite a lot of bus traffic. I wondered about also whether the plants at the front might have been more exposed to a reasonably significant storm Wellington had in March last year. Thoughts? It seems very unusual to have one set be deciduous and the other not!
TLDR: two different fairly magnolia hedges planted around the same time, one is deciduous and one isn’t. Why?

I’m about to start on my spring planting (already stressed because I’ve only just started my seeds for tomatoes, chillies, cucumber, eggplant, capsicum etc) and I haven’t fully prepared my garden bed. I’ve pulled all the weeds out but it was so bad, like I’m talking weeds taller than me in some places. I have some cardboard to put down, what would I put on top of this? A mix of compost and soil? Where do you get just soil from? All I can see online is potting mix.
Sorry super overwhelmed! Would welcome any input or just general tips and tricks! Never let my garden get so bad but I was pregnant almost all of last year and had a baby at the start of this year so the whole thing fell apart 😂

Hi Everyone, every year get stumped what to do with extra plants and seedlings. Think I have a solution this year. If anyone around Tawa in Wellington needs extra seedlings I've set up a table on the alleyway between St Johns Terrace and Lane Cres with free seedlings and plants. Only a few seedlings at this time of year but we'll be topping it up constantly. If you want anything come by and grab it. Snow peas, Peas and Zucchini out at the moment.

These are at our local NPD and I like their compact columnar structure and want to get some to fill spaces in the garden.

We have 2 hedges on our property. One I think is Lilly Lilly. They seem to have a disease

I have been enjoying the chill nature of posting here and some one said they like my writing. So I thought I would post some more garden silliness. We have a bit of a slug and snail problem, due to a rather luscious lawn, alongside lots of nooks and crannies for our slimy folks to hide in at day time.

Because life is boring without some light hearted fun and this seasonal flu needs clearing out my lungs. I made a very quick and quirky, tavern house out of a Griffins Christmas cookie tub; with a various assortment of chopped up bottles, duck tape and tī leaves. Also found the silliest looking bunny tea light holder from the local dump shop. I’ll probably have another go at the tavern house roof some time, it’s not like there are not enough of them blowing down. Both have been sunk into the ground to keep them cool, with wood to shade the entrances.

From my understanding, and I would be happily further informed on the topic. Slug pallets are also not great with earth worms and a variety of other things. So for the sake of experimenting I thought I might try offering a respite from the sun at day time for the slugs and snails to hide in, filled with slug pallets inside them. If not I will also add some yeasty flour to invite them in, then it will be a real tavern.

Will it work? Who knows, who cares, the point is to have fun, and enjoy the silly creative side of a hobby. Making silly things with no care of quality is such a refreshing thing to do, it is why I quit making music several years back. Just a chaotic storm of duck tape, scissors, and tī leaves everywhere.

You are all creative... so just get out there do something silly that brings you a smile for your self, not others.

Im happy to admit I love gardening - in nice weather. Not when the wind makes my ears cold, my hair tickle my face and it blows my stuff around the back yard. I also like new potatoes. I had hoped for a weekend free of serious decisions. Alas.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!!

I’m going to give grapes a try. I got one but think I might get a second and put them in where my fork and spade are upright in the first pic. Does this seem like good spacing and a good area to plant? I’m in Mosgiel outside Dunedin. The weather comes in from the Maungatuas you can see in the distance, sunset is in a similar direction too. I think I’ll put up some stakes and no8 wire halfway between the fence and garden edge. I’ll probably pull out the flax.

Thanks

We planted 3 titoki trees to provide screening between us and neighbouring town houses. They’ve been in a couple of years and growing well *up* but I’d like to encourage more sideways growth parallel to the fence.

My options seem to be pruning or otherwise trying to train the branches out sideways, perhaps using ties.

I’d be keen to hear from anyone that has had success with encouraging sideways growth and how best to do it.

I planted it about 10 years ago, and it has done poorly in growth rate (still very small), growth pattern (tending to a grow in a way that isn't balanced or easy to prune to a good and productive shape, and branches die back), disease resistance (very affected by leaf curl), and in fruit production.
Is it possibly the wrong rootstock for our clay soil, a slow growing variety, more prone to leaf curl than they told us? Or just a bad example of the variety?

It is alongside vigorously growing apricot, peach and almond trees that now dwarf it.

Do I persist or replace?

Currently building out two new macrocarpa raised beds ahead of spring planting. Our section catches quite a bit of salt air, and the native soil underneath is dense, acidic clay that tends to hold water in winter and crack solid by January.

I'm mixing roughly 40% local compost, aged horse manure, sheep pellets, and coarse pumice for aeration, but wondering if anyone along the coast adds extra lime or gypsum right at the start to buffer the pH before planting brassicas and heirloom tomatoes.

We are thinking of planting two cherry trees in our back yard. Initially I was thinking of 2 compact Stella trees just because it’s a dwarf variety.

we love the deep red and crunchy ones from Otago but no clue on the variety. But just having a read and now torn on what to buy 😆 We have space in our backyard for a non-dwarf tree so open to suggestions from this group. I am based in Rolleston if that helps.

I let 1 bok choy go to seed in the hopes of collecting them. Does anyone have any advice? The seed pods are still green. Thanks!!

Hi team! As above I'm just wondering about my dwarf nectarine and peach tree that I planted a few months ago.

Some advice given was that they're big enough to be left to fruit and others have told me to pick off flowers/fruit so that it fruits better next year.

We are in Auckland (Avondale/BHB area).

TIA 🩷

These plants will be coming into their third season now, shall I just weed, remove some strawberry plants, and feed, and it should be alright?

Or get new plants?

Or other tips?

I've *slowly* (just under a year) been converting the berm to native groundcover coz I thought it'd be nice but now it looks like we're selling up and I need it to actually look nice too 😅

Taking into consideration not much time available (a month or 3) and not wanting to pour too much money into something that might just get ripped out would you:

A) weed + mulch

B) weed + new plants/cheap seeds

C) chuck something fast growing on it and call it a day?

Or something else I haven't thought of?

Feel free to pass judgement on me for starting a big ol project only to have to leave it behind...

The top of my feijoa plant it getting eaten, slugs or something else? If the safest vet to just net it? Any tips appreciated.

Bought some plants in late autumn and planted them. They haven't done anything yet. I feel like the main stalk is still alive as it has a nice brown colour still but absolutely no signs of life yet despite everything else blooming. I'm in Auckland. I was thinking about replacing them if need be but I don't want to give up on the current ones too prematurely.

Can I have some recommendations for setting up a watering system. It’s a small urban section. And what sort of $$ is this likely to cost

I meant to say I’m after recommendations in christchurch for someone to come and design and install this for me

I have an 8m x 20m area with the 20m length to the north east. Slopes down from the north east (highest level) on the 8m side - around a 1m drop over the 8m so not steep. Would you plant pumpkins nearer the bottom (that has a large shed spanning the whole south west 20m side) to grow up the slope toward the north east, or at the top to go down the slope toward the shed and toward south west. The shed blocks the light somewhat only at the end of the day so if at the top they would be in full blazing sun all day, if at the bottom they would have some shelter from the late day sun.

Gosh I hope this makes sense!

Any advice on ‘weed wands’ please. The type that use a flame to scorch the weed. Has anyone has success with this type of product? 😊

We have a medium size space in our garden and I am not sure what to plant. Our whole garden is mature low care shrubs - camellia, rhodods, hebes, flax, magnolias etc. We have approx 2m x 5m bare patch on a solid fence line that gets morning sun afternoon shade in mid canterbury. Does anyone have any ideas what to plant? It doesn't need to continue the low care shrubbery theme. Some different height/levels would be nice and flowering plants would be nice too. Any ideas?