Healthy eating from your own garden.
We’ve been so lucky in New Zealand to be able to enjoy the freedom of getting out and about during the holiday and Summer season. But as the weather cools down and we start to spend a little more time in our own homes it’s a great opportunity to focus on creating your own little oasis in your garden. Gardening is great exercise and can help support healthy eating choices too.
Whilst Summer has officially ended, the start of Autumn is a great time for planting, when the soil is still warm, but the air is beginning to cool. Whether you want a beautiful display of flowers and foliage or you’re interested in creating an edible garden now’s the time to lay down the groundwork.
Bulbs – Plan ahead for Spring by planting flowering bulbs now. To get the best results, mix a little bit of compost in with your soil. Bulbs can be planted in your garden or just a small row of pots if space is limited. Make sure you use good quality potting mix which provides efficient drainage if you decide on planting in pots. It can be great fun, mixing and matching your pot sizes, shapes and colours. Give it a go!
Trees and shrubs - By planting trees or shrubs now you will give them a good chance of developing some healthy root growth before winter hits. This way when Spring comes they will be ready to take off with some really impressive growth. It’s a much better approach than planting trees in Spring when the soil is cold.
Vegetables – If you already have a great little vege garden underway now’s the time to make way for Winter vegetables by pulling out the out the last of your Summer crops. Otherwise, start from scratch by developing some well-prepared soil, by mixing in plenty of compost. Then plant Winter veges like peas, beans, carrots and other root crops and don’t forget to sprinkle slug pellets to protect young seedling from slugs and snails.
Hedges and climbers – Now’s the time to give your hedges and climbing plants a light trim before Winter hits. Be careful not to cut too much off as new growth will be susceptible to damage if an early frost hits.
Smaller spaces – You don’t always need a lot of space or time to start a vege garden. Try planting climbing beans on a boundary fence or put herbs or microgreens in pretty window boxes. Another option is to check out Vegepod.co.nz, a fabulous NZ operated business that can offer growing solutions for even the smallest of apartments.
Whatever your gardening goals, know that you are not only providing yummy food for your dinner table and beautiful flowers to brighten up your home you can also enjoy the benefits of improved mood, aerobic exercise and exposure to vitamin D.
