Get active in autumn

MEDIA RELEASE
23 April, 2007

Get active in autumn

If your garden is looking less than its best, don’t stress. The May issue of New Zealand Gardener includes an autumn action plan to get your garden in shape before winter arrives.

“Most gardens look their worst in autumn,” admits New Zealand Gardener editor Lynda Hallinan, “but on the plus side, autumn is actually the best time to plant new trees and shrubs – and to admire the dazzling displays of deciduous colour across the country.”

In the May issue of New Zealand Gardener, expert Neil Ross gets back to basics with practical advice for the end of season clean-up. Organics expert Dr Tim Jenkins shows how to turn fallen leaves into fantastic compost and floral designer Fionna Hill creates beautiful autumn arrangements.

To celebrate the season, New Zealand Gardener’s regional experts also reveal the 15 plants they love the most for autumn glory.

The magazine also launches a new column tackling noxious plant pests, starting with how to kill the rampant thug convolvulus.

The North Island Garden of the Month is a creative, colourful Tauranga garden and the historic Longbeach estate in Canterbury features as the South Island Garden of the Month.

NZ Gardener's top garden tips for May:

- For a sweet crop of strawberries next summer, get your strawberry plants in the ground now. Plant Chinese cabbages, spinach and broad beans for winter vege crops.

- Collect fallen leaves in black plastic garbage bags and leave them to rot down over winter for a free supply of leaf mulch.

- Make Mum’s Day with a potted present – there’s a colourful range of houseplants available in garden centres now.

The May issue is a perfect Mother’s Day gift and is on sale now for $6.80.

ENDS

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