Gillian Vine

When the Christchurch City Council entered into a joint venture with a restaurateur, it was seen as an exciting way to use the Curator's House, in the grounds of the city's botanic gardens.

A meal in a garden is a lovely way to enjoy summer, as Gillian Vine finds in a Canterbury vineyard.

Dunedin Summer Festival tours of Dunedin's Northern Cemetery will focus on 1000 old roses. Gillian Vine reports.

With Christmas only a fortnight away, there's no time to waste in buying gifts for gardening lovers. Gillian Vine has a dozen suggestions.

Having built a solid reputation for its garden guide, Yates is cashing in on the rise in interest in vegetable growing with its Garden Fresh Cookbook (Collins, $44.99).

The velvety green lawn may have had its day, Gillian Vine says.

A garden at Pounawea, in the Catlins, is the perfect foil for an 1890s cottage. Gillian Vine reports.

A stream that bisects a Dunedin garden has been integrated into the garden plan, as Gillian Vine reports.

The Dunedin Rhododendron Festival opens on Sunday and features a strong line-up of gardens to visit. Gillian Vine previews one of them.

Garden writer and photographer Dennis Greville, of Auckland, is the special guest at this month's Dunedin Rhododendron Festival. Gillian Vine talked to him about his latest book, Colourful Gardens.

One of Canterbury's finest gardens is Ohinetahi, on Banks Peninsula, designed by retired architect Sir Miles Warren.

Historic and contemporary photographs of Catlins gardens and homes go on show in Owaka from tomorrow, the exhibition's opening date chosen to coincide with the Catlins Horticultural Society's silver jubilee spring show. Gillian Vine previews the exhibition.

This month and next, getting the vegetable garden into shape is a priority for those who plan to grow their own produce. Gillian Vine suggests 10 easy-to-grow veges.

It can be easy to spend a lot of money getting a vegetable garden started but tightwad Gillian Vine has some penny-pinching suggestions.

Fruit Trees is the latest in New Zealand Gardeners Homegrown series and it is by far the best.

This is the time to plant fruit trees. Gillian Vine suggests growing plums and other stonefruits, as they do especially well in the South.

Fancy a juicy pear or sun-ripened apple? Grow your own pipfruit, suggests Gillian Vine.

Tuberous begonias have the reputation of being difficult to grow but a Mosgiel couple assures Gillian Vine that the tender corms are "not too tricky".

Even in the coldest months, there are some vegetables that can be planted, as Gillian Vine explains.

What to do in your garden this week