From the expert: A fresh look for spring – Nathan Neath
Your home reflects who you are. Why should your garden be any different?
“Spring is a great time to look at your garden afresh – what’s working, what isn’t, and what you’d love to change,” says Nathan Neath, horticultural expert and owner of Green Giant Gardens.
“After Christchurch’s hard frosts, don’t be too quick to pull out plants that look dead. Some will recover, and I can advise on what to revive and what needs replacing.
“Thrip-damaged evergreens can be given a fresh start now. We spray, hard-prune and feed them, creating a clean slate into spring. There’s still time to prune roses and fruit trees before new growth gets underway, while late September is ideal for scarifying, topdressing and feeding tired lawns.
“Then comes the fun part: thinking about what your garden could become. We see many of the same plants repeated across Christchurch, but there’s a vast palette to choose from. I love creating something more individual – combining plants that reflect the people who live there with what I know will thrive in their garden.
“That knowledge comes from decades in horticulture, and my Royal Horticultural Society training in the United Kingdom. My team are all undertaking Level 4 horticulture certification too.
“I’m as fussy about selecting my team as I am about selecting plants, and I’m proud of the people we’ve got. They’re knowledgeable, passionate about plants and genuinely care about the gardens they look after.
“September is when the garden starts waking up – the right attention now can transform how it looks and feels this spring.”
