Selwyn Times: August 08, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday August 8 2018 31
Gardening
• By Henri Ham
ARE YOU keen to get going on
your spring planting but know its
slightly too early to do so? How
about sorting out some hanging
baskets that will erupt in flowers
before you’ve even planted your
first tomatoes.
Hanging baskets are a great
way to liven up any area, whether
it’s a large or small space. Suspend
them in entrance ways, under
verandas, decks and patios.
And what’s really great about
baskets is they are super easy to
assemble. Grab a basket, many
come with a fitted coconut liner
but if not get some sphagnum
moss to line it with.
Baskets come in wide wire
frames, more compact versions
of wicker style or solid conical
shapes. Whatever you choose I
recommend getting a basket/s at
least approx 30cm in diameter.
Solid baskets have the benefit
of not drying out as quickly. But
they don’t allow for you to cascade
plants around the sides and
base of the basket. Wire ones have
a real cottage garden feel.
Coconut liners are solid and ideal
for wire baskets with bigger gaps.
Using sphagnum moss wouldn’t
work on a wire basket as the moss
would fall through the gaps.
Some baskets come with a self-
HANGING AROUND: Give
your baskets plenty of colour
variety.
watering reservoir which might
save you watering for a few days
in summer. I like to place an old
saucer at the bottom of the basket
which acts as a water catcher
and helps the basket to retain its
moisture.
When assembling your basket,
first soak the liner in a bucket of
water for five minutes to really
help its hydration. Line your
basket with the coconut or moss
liner. Then fill it almost to the top
with lightweight potting soil mix
and compost.
An easy trick here is to balance
your round basket on an old
bucket so it stays flat while you
are assembling it.
If you want to get fancy try
DID YOU grow up in a house
where parsley was the go-to
garnish for classing up platters?
Do you remember loading it
into white cheese sauce or sprinkling
it on your eggs? Parsley was,
and remains, a favourite herb in
many Kiwi kitchens.
And it’s not surprising when
you think about how hugely versatile
a herb it is. Almost any boiled
vegetable can be topped with
parsley (and butter in our house).
Appetisers, whether they’re fish,
hummus or cheese-based, can all
mixing in some water gel crystals.
They retain water in the summer
months and help if you miss a day
or two of watering.
And now for your plants.
Choose a vibrant hanging basket
mix which features a range of
suitable, seasonal flowers. Some
favourites include lobelia, pansy,
English daisy, dwarf antirrhinum,
viola and primula. Although this
does change with the seasons.
Try adding plants in the middle
that pack a bit of height. Dwarf
antirrhinum (also known as
dwarf snapdragons) are perfect
for this. Or looking for something
a bit more practical and close to
kitchen? Add some parsley or
basil in the middle and keep your
cascading flowers on the edges.
Wondering how many to add
to one basket? If it’s 30cm across
three to five plants is suitable.
Slightly wider and you could
easily fit seven. I like a really full
basket right from the start so I
really pack them in.
Once established hanging
baskets require little maintenance
other than regular watering –
especially during the hot summer
months. But right now they won’t
need a lot of water.
So, stop waiting for spring to
arrive to get back out into your
gardens. Spring to it now and
plant some baskets.
Easy to grow parsley has many uses in the kitchen
• By Henri Ham
benefit from a sprinkling of parsley.
Find yourself short on basil
for your pesto? Just use parsley
instead. The list of uses for parsley
in the kitchen are endless.
I like to have both flat leaf
parsley (sometimes called Italian
parsley) and curly parsley on
hand in my vege garden. Generally
the flat leaf (left) is the stronger
variant. Although this can change
depending on how old your plant
is and how much sun it gets.
People often find it super easy
to grow and once established
parsley requires little maintenance.
Parsley likes rich fertile soil
topped with compost or manure
if available. Plant it in a sunny
spot or in pots close to the kitchen.
Once established, it doesn’t
need a heap of watering.
If any flowers appear and it
starts looking like it’s going to
seed, I quickly cut these out and it
will continue to reward.
Because it grows so easily I
sometimes find myself with an
abundance of parsley.
After I’ve given some away and
frozen some more I like to use
it in some parsley-concentrated
recipes – particularly salsa verde
Local
News
Now
Hanging baskets – spring into them now
EASY: Once established hanging baskets require little
maintenance other than watering.
Fire rages, homes at risk
and tabbouleh.
Salsa verde is a cold uncooked
Italian herb-based sauce.
It is ideal for ladling on steak,
fish or fresh sourdough bread.
Salsa verde combines handfuls of
chopped parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar
and seasoning. It keeps well
in the fridge for a few months so
perfect for the summer barbecue
season.
You’ll find many variations of
both these recipes by searching
online. Simply choose one that
fits with what ingredients you
have readily available at the
time.
PATIOS - OUTDOOR AREAS - CAR PORTS
Lifestyle fencing
now sold at canterbury timber
and Hardware
please call in for your free quote today!
new
product
Shadecraft is a locally owned company who specialise in shade and weather
protection products to enhance your homes design and use of outdoor areas.
SHADE SAILS – UMBRELLAS – ALL WEATHER CANOPIES
ShadeCraft (SI) Ltd
0800 742332 • Cell 0274 981239 • www.shadecraft.co.nz
Your Local Timber Merchant
NEW ENTRANCE: 167 Manion Road, Rolleston
Jason Pester P 03 347 7465 F 03 347 7032 E jason@cthl.co.nz
Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm Saturday: 8am-12pm
canterbury
c t H timber & Hardware
We are here