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18 Tuesday <strong>September</strong> <strong>25</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
SOUTHERN VIEW<br />
seTTING up a raiSed garden<br />
Kiwi Gardener’s Shannon Hunt share tips that will make make springtime growing a breeze.<br />
By all accounts we are in for a highly productive growing season this spring so for those of you who are gingerly<br />
dipping your toes into gardening for the first time and those who are ready to bolt in – boots, overalls and<br />
all – let’s look at tips on how to create a garden that suits your physical and budget requirements.<br />
Step 1: Not too Low, Not too<br />
wide<br />
Make sure the height and width of a new<br />
container garden is built so you don’t have<br />
to bend and you can easily reach from one<br />
side to the other. Wide gardens create<br />
extra work so go for a ‘skinny’ garden and<br />
make it longer to accommodate all your<br />
plantings. Place weed mat on the bottom<br />
and fill the first quarter with small rocks,<br />
gravel and concrete pieces for drainage.<br />
The next quarter can be river sand so as<br />
to reduce the amount of media you need.<br />
Step 2: CLoSer rather thaN<br />
Further<br />
Build your garden as close to your back<br />
door as is possible for easy access.<br />
Along one side of your deck, beside<br />
the pathway from your back door, or<br />
along the side of your house should<br />
work well. Easy access to your plants for<br />
watering, fertilising and harvesting makes<br />
your gardening time a lot more fun.<br />
Step 3: tighter pLaNtiNg/riCher<br />
FeediNg<br />
Always use quality media and organic feed<br />
in raised/container gardens as the plants’<br />
roots have no way of finding more nutrients<br />
other than what they have in the container.<br />
Generally, the better the nutrients in<br />
the soil, the less space is required for<br />
each plant so you can successfully plant<br />
closer together, but make sure you spray<br />
with neem or spraying oil weekly once<br />
your veges and salads start maturing.<br />
Step 4: go higher & iN CirCLeS<br />
To add more space to your garden and<br />
make it ‘pop’ immediately, make or buy<br />
a couple of obelisks (bamboo, wood or<br />
wire) and plant your bean, pea, cucumber<br />
or zucchini seeds at the base then train<br />
the new seedlings around and up the<br />
structure. As well as embellishing the look<br />
of the garden, it gives you extra space,<br />
makes for easy spraying and easy pickings.<br />
Step 5: LoNg haNdLeS For LoNg<br />
BaCkS<br />
To reduce strain on your back when<br />
digging, raking and hoeing, check out<br />
the range of long-handled garden tools<br />
available. Using these can make the<br />
difference between really enjoying your<br />
garden and it being a painful chore.<br />
Step 6: pLaNt oNCe Not twiCe<br />
I have lost count of how many disappointed<br />
newbie gardeners have come to me over<br />
the years to report their seedlings have<br />
been munched right down to soil level<br />
overnight. ‘What could do that?’ they ask,<br />
oblivious to the voracious appetites of<br />
an army of slugs and snails that march<br />
across the garden every night. Always<br />
lay (pet-safe) slug and snail bait at the<br />
same time as you plant your seedlings.<br />
tip:<br />
Learning effective and safe gardening<br />
practices from the beginning is a great<br />
way to ensure that time in your garden<br />
does not become a painful, unpleasant<br />
chore. If you have a big, wide garden,<br />
then a good, strong, lightweight kneeling<br />
pad that morphs into a seat is a brilliant<br />
piece of equipment to have with you in<br />
your garden at all times, no matter what<br />
stage of gardening or life you are at.<br />
Hidden treasures, right<br />
in the centre of Riccarton<br />
Natural Attraction Antiques and<br />
Treasure started life as a hair salon<br />
(Natural Attraction Hair Stylists)<br />
over 30 years ago and has gradually<br />
transitioned over to an antique shop<br />
with four registered dealers - Sue, Geoff,<br />
Steve and Uma – providing expertise<br />
and unique things. Part of its ongoing<br />
charm is that two of the dealers are still<br />
also hairdressers so some days you will<br />
find clients having their hair done in the<br />
salon section of the shop while others<br />
are browsing the eclectic displays of<br />
jewellery, curios, fabrics and porcelain.<br />
They cover a wide range of traditional<br />
antiques, decorative items and plenty<br />
of interesting collectables making it the<br />
perfect place if you want a special gift<br />
for any occasion or have been searching<br />
for that piece to complete a collection.<br />
Prices are reasonable and range from<br />
$5-$500 with new stock brought in<br />
every week. If they don’t have what you<br />
are looking for, they are always happy<br />
to try and source specific pieces, taking<br />
their treasure-hunt far and wide. You<br />
can also try their main shop, The Ferry<br />
Antique Centre at 282 Ferry Road,<br />
Waltham.<br />
Located at the Windmill Centre, 184<br />
Clarence Street, there is easy parking at<br />
the door and the shop is near to the wellknown<br />
“Ed Hopper” coffee shop - they<br />
recommend that customers check out<br />
the coffees and legendary date scones.<br />
Call in, meet the dealers and share<br />
their natural passion for antiques and<br />
treasures. Follow them on Facebook at<br />
facebook.com/pg/Natural-Attraction-<br />
Antiques-Treasure<br />
Natural<br />
Attraction<br />
ntiques & Treasures<br />
Open 10am - 4pm Monday to Saturday<br />
(Except Friday12.30pm - 4pm)<br />
Shared premises with Natural Attraction Hair Salon<br />
“A range of traditional antiques, decorative items and collectables” | Ph. 03 348 0444 • Windmill Centre 184 Clarence Street, Riccarton
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