The Star: March 15, 2018

The Star 27
Gardening
Local
News
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Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday March 15 2018
Fire rages, homes at risk
GARDENING
ADVICE with
Beautiful spring blooms are a welcome relief after a dreary winter by
providing bursts of colour and fragrance in the garden.
Plant your bulbs in March/April to ensure abundant, healthy blooms
come spring. If you want to brighten up your garden earlier, plant
winter potted colour on top of your bulbs for a succession of
beautiful flowers.
z
QUESTION
I have a Daphne bush that is having a
major sulk. Can you please advise if
there is a product out there than can
re-energise it? The leaves are not yellow and none are falling off,
but they look a tad limp and not glossy. It has been in its current
position now for 6 months.
Today’s winning question came from Melanie Dennis.
Congratulations!
Known for its wonderfully fragrant fl owers,
ANSWER Daphne is a favourite for many people.
They are not the easiest of shrubs to
cultivate and although varieties like Daphne odroa rubra are a
hardy species, even these can present with problems.
Getting the right garden position for your Daphne is important.
Make sure the location is open and not in direct sun, but instead
with full light and well-drained, fertile soil that is slightly acidic. It is
often a case of experimenting until you fi nd a site at which
Daphnes thrive. They do not like to be too wet, nor too dry, so keep
the plant well mulched with compost or crushed bark.
If the leaves have lost their glossy appearance but are not
drooping, it may be a nutritional issue and they may require
fertilising with Daltons Premium Acid Fertiliser. Apply the
fertiliser in autumn and again in spring and remember to water it in
well.
If the leaves appear to be drooping, sadly this is a sign that the
Daphne plant may well be dying. If you decide to replace your
plant, when planting your new specimen, add in generous amounts of organic matter such as peat or compost.
Add Daltons Bio-fungicide Granules when planting, as Daphne can struggle with root diseases.
Other products to try: Daltons Boosted Compost or Garden Time Compost, and Garden Time Planting Mix.
For more expert advice, see our How to Grow guides at www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides
We have a Daltons Premium Bulb Pack to giveaway which
contains everything you need to grow gorgeous blooms.
Each pack is valued at $85 and contains:
• 2 x Daltons Premium Bulb Mix
• Daltons Premium Bulb Fertiliser
• Daltons Organic Bio-fungicide Granules
• PLUS a pair of comfortable,
versatile Red Back gardening
gloves from Omni Products
(www.omniproducts.co.nz)
BE IN
WIN!
TO WIN!
Send us your
gardening
question to be
in to win!
$85
PRIZE
PACK!
Email your question
and glove size to:
chchstar@daltons.co.nz
Entries must be received
by 21 st March 2018
Get imaginative with your landscaping project
LANDSCAPING is a wonderful
pastime enjoyed by many.
It provides a natural beauty
and needs no ornaments or
other attractive items to help
achieve its magnificence.
What it does need, however,
is a little TLC from you and
imagination to keep the
landscape design ever-changing
and up-to-date.
Landscape design is an art
that not only gives you the
freedom to express yourself, but
also makes your home more
beautiful and inviting.
There are many methods of
landscape design to explore.
You can trim your hedges or
bushes in a decorative manner.
For instance, you may want to
cut every other hedge a foot
shorter than the next to produce
a rolling effect.
You could also put a large
decorative fountain in the
middle of your yard.
This is a costly option but,
if you can afford it, looks
gorgeous.
If you are considering
landscape design, or have
already dabbled in it a bit,
you know the importance of
working with an experienced
landscaper.
DECORATIVE:
A little bit of
imagination
and TLC can
transform any
part of your
garden or
lawn.
SALE SALE SALE
EXTENSIVE RANGE
T OPIARY & H EDING PLANTS
Portuguese
LAUREL
0.9m - $45 $35
1.6m - $85 $70
1.9m - $95 $85
$65 $85
$49 $65
Spiral
BAY
standard
1.0m - $55 $45
1.3m - $65 $55
1.6m - $75 $65
1.8m - $95 $85
BUXUS
SPHERE
20cm $39
Griselinia
30cm $59
15cm $7.50 $4.90
viburnum
40cm $95 standard
60cm $15 $9.50 50cm $210 $45 $29
Flowering
NOW !!!
WWW. ArtisticPlants.co.nz
187 Halswell rd . 322 8518 . open 7 days 9-6
growing with you
SprIng Is here –
It’S Sow Time
how to get the best results from
seeds and seedlings
100% NatIve In
The capItal
Unravelling the secrets of
Otari-wilton Bush
The New Zealand
landscape awards
The people behind
the projects
$7.90 incl. GST
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Save our roSeS
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content than ever!
MeeT LeSTer Brice
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now bigger than ever
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their hands dirty
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