Gardens charge coming

Hamilton Gardens’ enclosed gardens will come at a cost to non-Hamilton residents.

Vegetables – February is the month where everything is ripe. So it’s a great time to preserve or freeze excess produced to enjoy over the cooler months. Inconsistent watering can lead to vegetable plants drying out and becoming bitter, it also increases the chances of pests and diseases attacking.

Vegetables – February is the month where everything is ripe. So it’s a great time to preserve or freeze excess produced to enjoy over the cooler months. Inconsistent watering can lead to vegetable plants drying out and becoming bitter, it also increases the chances of pests and diseases attacking.

Dig potato crops and store in a cool, dark, airy place. Winter crops of greens – cabbage, broccoli, silverbeet and Chinese cabbage – all enjoy the cooler temperatures. Plant seeds of radish turnips along with peas and broad beans. Bare areas in the vege garden can be sown with green crops such as mustard or lupin, to be dug in later to feed the soil for spring.

Herbs – it is common for softer leaved herbs like basil, dill and coriander to go to seed very quickly in this hotter weather. Harvest the young foliage early and dry it or freeze it to use later.

FLOWERS

Herbs – it is common for softer leaved herbs like basil, dill and coriander to go to seed very quickly in this hotter weather. Harvest the young foliage early and dry it or freeze it to use later.

Winter colour for the garden – pansy, viola, primula, poppies and dianthus. Planting while the weather is still nice will get them established and give colour throughout the cooler months. Spring bulbs can be planted now the soil temperature has cooled.

Flowers – While it is still hot and dry, plants like begonias, petunias and portulaca will do better. It is time to start thinking about your winter garden beds but hold fire on planting until it cools down more, or plant in shade.

LAWNS Autumn

Flowers – While it is still hot and dry, plants like begonias, petunias and portulaca will do better. It is time to start thinking about your winter garden beds but hold fire on planting until it cools down more, or plant in shade.

Hamilton City Council has opted to charge visitors a $10 fee to the themed gardens –but there will be a concession arrangement for Waipā and Waikato district residents. The fees will apply to visitors 16 and over and concession rates will include annual passes for nonHamiltonians. The rates are yet to be determined.

The date the new charging regime will be introduced will coincide with the completion of the Gardens’ Visitor Entry Precinct project, expected to be late this year or early 2024.

Access from Waipā to the gardens for cyclists on the Te Awa River Ride opened with the completion of a link from Tamahere at the end of last year.