Top honour for UC botanist
First an orchid species, now a whole new genus – University of Canterbury botanist Professor Pieter Pelser is honoured again as a daisy genus is named after him. Professor Pieter Pelser received the rare honour – one of the highest in taxonomy – in acknowledgement of his decades-long contribution to studying the family […]
Plastic-free plant pots
A teenage entrepreneur from Christchurch is tackling one of the biggest hidden environmental challenges in New Zealand horticulture: the 350 million single-use plastic plant pots used each year. Elisa Harley is reimagining how we grow, without the plastic. At just 19, she founded Enivo Pots, a startup turning local waste into biodegradable plant […]
Plant your bulbs now: Terra Viva
Beautiful spring blooms begin in autumn. Yes, it’s March, and it’s hard to get your head around spring daffodils – but the ‘buried treasure’ below the ground waiting to put on a colourful show in several months’ time starts now. Terra Viva’s Peter Worsp offers his spring bulb planting do’s and don’ts. It […]
Wet summer gardening
What to do in your garden after an unseasonably rainy summer. A rain-soaked summer can leave gardens looking lush, leggy, diseased or just a bit confused. If this season felt nothing like a typical Christchurch summer, you’re not imagining it. As autumn approaches, your garden will benefit from a slightly different kind of […]
Proper pruning: Complete Trees and Milling
From pruning trees and hedge cutting to technical rigging and complex removals, it pays to get a helping hand when maintaining your outdoor space. Trees are a critical and living part of our surroundings that deserve our respect and care, so say Ben and Jake, qualified arborists with more than 20 years of […]
New year, new garden: Your Garden Genie
Transforming your outside home can be a daunting process; just knowing where to start can be the first hurdle. That’s when you need a helping hand. Or two. Transforming your garden ticks a lot of boxes, it adds value of course but most of all it makes your property a place you love […]
From zero garden to hero garden
A majestic group of pyramid-like conifers draw visitors up the driveway of Jim Kettle and Tracey O’Callaghan’s Rangiora property. The formal garden entrance belies the colour and delight that lies beyond. “Those trees were already here,” says Tracey when I ask if they require much maintenance to keep their structured shape. “We’ve never […]
Healing herbs
Herbs are used for general wellness and long-term health support. With their natural healing properties and wellbeing benefits, here are four medicinal plants and herbs you can grow in your own backyard. Chamomile Popular as an evening tea due to its relaxation and stress-relieving benefits, chamomile is also anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, making it […]
Behind Christchurch’s best gardens – Green Giant
Owner-led, locally trusted: the craft behind thriving Christchurch gardens. Behind many of Christchurch’s most beautifully planted gardens is horticulturalist Nathan Neath (pictured), a craftsman with deep plant knowledge and over two decades of experience. As the owner of Green Giant Gardens, Nathan brings international expertise including training with the United Kingdom’s Royal Horticultural […]
Water you doing this summer?
As the sun’s heat reaches its summertime high, how will you keep your garden quenched? To satisfy your garden while saving water, try these four tricks. 1. Use mulch Putting mulch around the base of plants in your garden, or even in pots, helps to retain moisture. A variety of organic matter can […]
