1. How would you describe your garden?
Our Gore and Alexandra gardens are English-style gardens with mostly exotic plants and both have a very good vegetable garden.
2. What is your favourite area of your garden? What are you most proud of and why?
The vege garden is our pride and joy. We are constantly amazed at what we can produce from it.
Most evening meals we will have something on the plate we have grown ourselves.
I have to admit my wife Kathryn is the predominant vege gardener. I can say I garden all week and need a break away.
3. What is your biggest obstacle? How do you deal with it?
In Gore, the biggest issue, particularly in the winter and the wet spring, was really wet lawns. We are on the lower slopes of North Gore and seem to have issues with runoff from the nearby park and the heavy Southland soils. In contrast, the biggest issue with our Alexandra garden is keeping the garden irrigated.
There is not much we would want to do to our gardens. Our vege plots are raised and we have a small glasshouse at both locations that is great for lettuces and tomatoes.
My best tips for beginners would be to use compost and organic matter to improve the soil content and structure.
I am also a great advocate of mulching flower gardens and shrubberies. It just helps with maintenance, keeps the weeds down and keeps plant roots cool and moist.
