Mulch and Water – This is probably the most important activitiesfor your garden during the hot summer months with high temperatures and NW winds.

WEB SPECIAL: 1/2 Wine Barrels only $59.00 ea – Why not fill one with a living gift for Christmas – Remember to mention this to get the special..

Edible Garden

• For those who protected their potatoes and other vegetables from the late frosts – start digging up and eating (once flowers start to die off on the potatoes)
• Keep planting lettuce, spring onions and radish
• Pick beans every 2 – 3 days, keep watered
• Once your pumpkin (or melon) vine have 2 – 3 fruit, nip the ends so the growing energy goes into the fruit
• Tomatoes and corn will be ready late January in a good season or warm site
• Strawberries, raspberries and cherries are ripening so cover with bird netting to protect.  If you are making jam to get the BEST results use the freshest berries and do in small batches (1 -2kg)
• Sow sprouting broccoli and cauliflower etc. mid December for planting out in late January – Beware grey aphid and white butterfly
• Stop harvesting asparagus in mid December to allow for root reserves for next season – support with stakes and twine

Prepare Garden For Christmas

• Give flowers from your garden to friends and family
• Enjoy the fruit of your labour on Christmas day – Potatoes, peas (sown mid September), beans, lettuce, carrots, spring onions.
• Enjoy the raspberries, strawberries, black currents for desserts and juice or make jam to give as a gift
• Christmas Gift Ideas for the keen gardener: Pruners, sprinklers, trowel, weeder, stainless steel spade or fork

Irrigation

• Watering systems should be installed to conserve water
• Trickle irrigation is the most economical
• Time clocks will avoid over watering
• If you have automatic irrigation set for early morning e.g. 5am or late evening e.g. after 9pm

Holiday Care for your Garden

• If going on holiday give the garden a good soak before you take off, or make sure the irrigation system is working well and not leaking, or have sprinklers on a timer system and ask neighbours to turn the timer around  if summer is particularly dry
• Mulch is great for keeping the moisture in
• Place potted plants in  cool shade behind the house
• A good idea to have lawns mown by family/neighbours – makes the property look lived in.
• If you have a full vegetable/fruit garden, invite friends etc to enjoy rather than waste

Trees/shrubs

• Ensure any newly planted trees/shrubs have sufficient water to help get them established
• Fruit trees need to be sprayed with Bravo to prevent fungal infections

Lawns

• Water just enough to keep green, browntop and fescue are fairly drought resistant and survive even if browned off
• Do not cut lawns too short to keep them from drying out too quickly and keeps the roots cooler

Roses

• Prune to 5 leaf after flowering, watering will encourage flowering
• Water early in the morning is better for the plant
• Fertilise roses with Evergreen Rose Fertiliser to encourage new growth for  second flowering

Flowers

• Plant your summer annuals now and enjoy the bright colours this brings to your garden
• Dead head/cut down and fertilise to encourage more flowering
• Provide support for Dahlias and Christmas lilies
• Lavender:  After flowering, cut back about 1/3, but make sure not to cut back to hard mature wood with no re growth potential.

Edible Garden

• Continue to plant lettuce, new seasons tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes, beans, carrots and corn
• Continue plantings of gourmet lettuce packs.  You may even try a few radish and spring onions – thin spring onions – use in salads
• Harvest Asparagus
• Plant and fertilise Strawberry plants
• Sow silverbeet and parsley seeds for winter
• Frost sensitive herbs can be planted outside now
• Companion planting – Plant garlic and marigolds in between vegetable crops– also brightens up the vegetable garden

Trees/shrubs

• Late November latest time for planting out shrubs and new trees unless on a good watering system.
• Prune buxus hedges, topiary etc at the end of November when growth is mature –  Tip: Do this on a dull day to avoid sunburn

Lawns

• To keep lawns healthy – Fertiliser can be applied and water this in well after application

Roses

• Dead head flowers and keep roots damp
• Keep an eye out for black spot and aphids – Soapy water over leaves deters the pest

Flowers

• Annuals should be planted out now – Alyssum, Begonias, Lobellia, Marigolds, Pansies, Stock
• Evergreen Garden Centre has an everyday low price of $3.90/six pack
• Instant colour by your front door or bar-b-que area looks great too

The Royal Wedding was well worth watching and I hope you enjoyed it as much as our family did.

But on a gardening note….Autumn is the ‘roll up your sleeves’ time of the year.

At the Garden Centre we are still doing 20% off our large grade trees.  So why not fill a gap in your garden while the prices are excellent

Garden tips for May include Mothers Day gift ideas, so read on…

Edible Garden

• You still have time to plant winter vegetables: broccoli, brussel sprouts cabbages, cauli, silverbeet plus winter lettuces
• You should have finished digging up your potatoes – make sure they are stored away from any light to prevent them going green and bitte
• Autumn is a time to watch out for slugs/snails.  Blitzem to control these pests
• Plant citrus, blueberries/raspberries also get ready to prune/tying raspberries now to encourage good fruiting season in summer.
• Dig in your green crops if they have grown, you need to do this before they flower
• Fruit Trees  – Once leaves fall spray with Champ DP Copper Fungicide” This will protect leaf scars from fungal and bacterial infection

Flowers/Colour

• Mothers Day gift Idea: Fill a hanging basket with potting mix and potted colour… but as a surprise – beneath the potted colour, plant some bulbs that will come up later for mum to enjoy – fragrant Hyacinth are a lovely idea – or plant with her favorite colour/variety of potted colour.  We have a selection of colourful Cyclamens as another option
• Bulbs: Feed existing bulb areas with ‘Fiesta bulb plant food’ also use when planting new bulbs – plant in circles – this makes it easier to thin them later
• Plant potted colour e.g. Polyanthus, Pansies in your garden to brighten up front gardens or entranceways
• Peonies, Japanese Iris and Watsonias – It is now time to divide these
• Protect your geranium and succulents for winter

Roses

• Carpet roses can be pruned hard – this is most easily done with hedge shears
• Other roses – don’t prune too hard as they may grow too big, Peace is one that needs only a light prune.

Garden Clean up

• Keep young trees clear of grass and weeds as this can affect autumn growth – grass puts out a poison that can affect new trees
• Place fresh pea-straw to help keep garden weed free

Lawns

• Fertilise lawns to keep green – If any bare patches sprinkle a little topsoil and grass seed, water in if the autumn rains don’t come
• Autumn is the very best time to form a new lawn/revamp existing one – Ask at Evergreen Garden Centre for tips on creating a new lawn
• Now is the time to keep weeds in the lawn under control – use broadleaf killer e.g. Turfix

Trees/shrubs

• Fertilise fertilise, fertilise….To promote autumn growth of shrubs, trees, potted plants
• Best time for planting trees and shrubs – While soil is still warm, this encourages root establishment
• Pruning of trees/shrubs should be finished by first frosts
• Still time to dig around shrubs or trees you want to move in winter

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter and a relaxing holiday time.  We are giving our staff a break these holidays too. 

We are doing an Easter SALE with 20% off our already low prices on easylift TREES, so come in and get a ready made tree to fill a gap in your garden

 Easter/Anzac Hours

• Friday = Closed
• Saturday = Open 9am – 5pm
• Sunday = Open 9am – 5pm
• Monday = Closed

It is a difficult time for us all here in Christchurch, but we wanted to pass on the March Garden Tips for those who are able to get out and into your garden and to take your mind off the hardships at the present time.  With the early autumn rains we have had, this reminds me, now is a perfect time for planting new trees or shrubs so why not visit our SALE 

Edible Garden

• Harvest the last of your mature vegetables Tip – leave a small stem on your pumpkins to help prolong shelf life
• March is the perfect time for planting winter seedlings (or seeds if it is done early in the Month) veges beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, leeks, cabbages, cauli, silverbeet plus winter lettuces.  Protect young seedlings with Slug Bait and cotton strips (black cotton) to discourage birds
• Harvest apples, pears, plums and peaches.  Tip – Keep watered to encourage larger fruit
• Prune raspberry canes – remove dead canes and tie up the new ones, the fruit always appears on the 1 year old canes

Flower Garden

• Keep dead heading flowers/roses to keep them looking their best
• Start planting bulbs
• Cut down/back perennials
• Container planting of Pansies, Polys and Violas to brighten up your garden/entrance way over the winter months

Lawns

• Late March, with Autumn approaching now is a good time to prepare any new lawn areas for seeding – Pick up an info sheet from the Garden Centre
• Grass Grubs?  Deal to these with Diazanon
• Fertilise lawns to keep green – ‘Osmocote Lawn Builder’
• Lawn weed problems?  Apply Turfix for flat weeds

Trees/shrubs

• A good time to take cuttings of trees and shrubs
• Fertilise camellias, rhodos, azaleas, Daphne, buxus hedging and any potted plants (indoor and outdoor) if not done already
• Trim hedges/topiary to allow new growth to harden off before winter – Wait for an overcast day or prune early or late in the day
• If you have Pittosporum, Wisteria, smoke bushes (Cotinus family) or Maples for pruning, now is the time.  Tip – Never prune these in winter.

To all our subscribers and visitors to Evergreens’ Web Site. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Christchurch during this devastating time.  We sincerely hope that all your families, friends and colleagues are safe and well.

We are fortunate enough to say that our immediate staff and families have come through relatively unscathed. 

What a tragic loss with the death toll, our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones.

The Garden Centre is up and running, as our site is about 30km from the epicentre.  The landscaping side of our business is also in work mode, although it does not feel like work as normal as we are all coping in our different ways.

Some of our fantastic sales specials include:

• Fruit Trees – $29 each
• All Large Grade Trees from $75 each
• Selected Natives from $8 each
• Buy 2 Roses and get free rose fertiliser

Download our Annual Sale 2011 Flyer to see more specials.

Don’t forget to check our special landscaping offer on the back of the flyer!

Make the most of the asparagus in your garden with this recipe or just add it raw into salads, quiche or try roasting them too.  Have you planted your fruit trees yet?  Mention our OCTOBER SPECIAL and get 15% off your fruit trees

Asparagus with Orange Ginger Sauce 

Ingredients     

• 500gm Asparagus washed and trimmed
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped cashew nuts (or other variety)

Preparation

• Excluding asparagus and nuts, whisk all other ingredients together, heat to just boiling
• Boil asparagus 3-4 minutes (until tender and crisp), drain and give a cool rinse
• Transfer hot asparagus to warmed serving platter, pour over orange dressing
• Sprinkle with nuts and serve immediately

Good to see the rain in September, this has encouraged lots of spring growth.  But watch out for late frosts and plant those frost sensitive vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers after Labour weekend (unless you have a glasshouse or similar)

Edible Garden

• Lettuce plants – sow/plant every 4 – 6 weeks using a selection of lettuce varieties to add colour to the salad bowl
• Sowing beans, runner beans, carrots and corn can be undertaken in late October (When soil temperature warms up)
• Plant new strawberries –  Fertilise to encourage plenty of fruiting
• Harvest asparagus – check daily
• Sow fresh herbs now for the summer bar-b-ques and salads

Garden Tips

• Cover new potatoes from any late frosts – e.g. using pea straw or frost cloth
• Use slug pellets for vegetable garden and around hostas
• Spray black spot and fungal diseases in fruit trees and roses
• If you don’t like chemical spray use plant the following fruit trees that don’t require sprays: Blackboy Peach, Cherry, Apricot and Old World Apple trees like Peasgood nonsuch.  (These require very little attention.)

Trees/shrubs

• Best time for planting trees and shrubs this should be done before summer hot temperatures
• Flowering foliage out now looking good for purchase now are Deciduous magnolias, Daphne, flowering cherry trees, Camellia and Rhododendrons
• Viburnum burkwoodii has a lovely scent, is hardy and well worth planting

Lawns

• Fertilise lawns and spray for flat weeds (Onehunga weed) – Improved Turfix  If only a few plants cut out with sharp knife
• Any bare patches due to grass grubs should be top dressed and re-seeded

Roses

• Topdress with Blood and Bone and Rose Fertiliser
• Keep an eye out for aphids– Soapy water over leaves will suppress aphids or squirt with high pressure hose or apply Super Shield

Flowers

• Planting summer annuals – Soak the pack in water before planting. Water immediately after planting, water every 3 – 4 days until well established
• Perennial planting – e.g. lavenders can be planted now…. Try Blue Mountain variety as this is hardy to frosts and flowers longer.

We entered the TOP SHOP competition again this year and have come up trumps in the Large Format Category.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

YOU ARE A CHRISTCHURCH TOP SHOP® RETAIL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

FINALIST!

Come in and see why we have achieved this recognition again