NOURISH
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GARDENING
Summer Gardening T I P S F R O M PAC I F I C A
SALAD DAYS Salad days are here so time to jazz up your meals by planting some of the wide range of salad ‘greens’ and to boldly add some edible flowers. Violas, calendula petals, borage, herb flowers and bright nasturtium blooms can all add interest and flavour. MOISTURE Now—before the soil dries out over summer—is the perfect time to mulch vulnerable plants to keep in moisture. Compost and pea straw are the first choices as they also feed the soil, but thin layers of grass clippings, stirred up regularly, will also do a good job. CONTINUOUS FLOWERING Dead heading may be a chore and a bore but a very necessary one if you want to keep those annuals flowering. Once they set seed their job is done, and flower production will slow down. Impatiens, bless them, are the exception to the rule and will bloom on without any interference from the gardener—so plant lots! POTS AND BASKETS With pots and baskets, you are expecting a lot of return for a limited space, so use a good potting mix, add some Saturaid to help with water retention and give them a weak dose of liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks—and deadhead! NO FUSS FOR SUMMER In the ground or in containers, daisies take a lot of beating for 'no fuss' summer colour. Local garden centres now have a great range of varieties to choose from—try some of the new white varieties to give sparkle to your summer border! PAGE 70 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ
Margaret Wilson, Senior Garden Guru at Pacifica Home and Garden 112 Tara Road, Papamoa www.pacificapapamoa.com
