25 February 2008

Win your own free vege patch worth $1000 with NZ Gardener

New Zealand Gardener magazine is making it easy for Kiwis to grow their own veges in 2008 by giving away two $1000 ultimate vege gardens in the March issue.

"Vege gardening is back in vogue so we're giving two gardeners - one in the North Island and one in the South Island - everything they need to get started," says editor Lynda Hallinan.

Each ultimate vege gardening starter kit includes two fantastic kitset raised garden beds from Kiwibackyard; enough soil mix from Daltons to fill the beds; a Nylex irrigation kit; a range of McGregor's tools; fertilisers and garden remedies from Tui; Nature's Way plant protection sprays from Yates; a copy of NZ Gardener's latest special edition Homegrown and a huge collection of Home Harvest vege seedlings from Evandale Nurseries.

NZ Gardener is focusing on fresh, homegrown food in 2008 with its new Get Growing campaign. So far more than 3,000 Kiwi gardeners have signed up for the magazine's free weekly edible gardening email newsletter - and Hallinan says their aim is to help 10,000 Kiwis kickstart a more sustainable way of life in 2008.

The March issue of NZ Gardener is jam-packed with ideas for making the most of the late summer harvest season, with recipes for homemade pickles, preserves and conserves.

Food editor Alessandra Zecchini shows how to turn bumper tomato, zucchini, eggplant and capsicum crops into stylish chutneys and deli-style antipasto.

"We've also asked our readers for their tastiest tomato ideas - and the favourite seems to be eating them fresh off the vine with homegrown basil and a dash of salt or pepper," says Hallinan.

Sticking to the harvest season theme, organic gardening guru Kay Baxter offers tips for storing potatoes and keeping kumara and edible gardening expert Dennis Greville reveals how to grow radishes and broad beans.

Plus NZ Gardener marks national Herb Awareness Week in March with a new column dedicated to using herbs in the garden, kitchen and medicine cabinet. The column kicks off with calendula - officially chosen as the International Herb of the Year for 2008.

The South Island garden of the month is Plum Tree Cottage in Christchurch, where Rosemarie Hawkins has spent eight years transforming an overgrown garden into a charming cottage haven.

The North Island garden of the month is in Manawatu and belongs to sweet pea and vege enthusiast Bev Thompson, who says the best way to learn about gardening is simply to "get on with it".

For your chance to win a free vege garden worth $1000, see the official entry form in the March issue of NZ Gardener. And to sign up to join the Get Growing campaign and receive NZ Gardener's free weekly vege gardening email, visit the website www.nzgardener.co.nz or send an email to getgrowing@nzgardener.co.nz

The March issue of NZ Gardener is on sale from Monday 25 February.

ENDS

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