Grey Power November 2018

NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » NOVEMBER 2018 31
Gardening guru
Boasting decades of
landscaping and
gardening experience,
Graeme Burton
is from a well known
horticultural family in
Waikato.
His father John Burton
set the scene back in the
1970/1980s for being the
leading plant retailer in
Waikato.
Burton was a household
name in gardening,
and at one stage the family
had three retail plant outlets
in Hamilton.
Graeme has been ac-
tively involved in the
nursery industry for 35
years, most of it managing
one of New Zealand’s
largest plant wholesale
nurseries.
This gave him a thorough
grounding about
what makes plants perform
and what situation
suits them best.
His creative flair for
putting different plant
combinations and creative
landscape ideas together
see him well respected
among his landscape
clients and he is now a
sought-after speaker on
the subject, attending
home and garden shows
across New Zealand.
Graeme and wife Val’s
historic Rukuhia homestead
is testament to his
skill and a showcase for
the diversity of plants
which can transform
a garden.
Framed by some of the
oldest and most beautiful
trees in Waikato, many of
which are 120-150 years
old (including camellias,
copper beech, planes,
oaks, rhododendrons, evergreen
magnolias and
evergreen oaks), Graeme
has created a variety of
themed gardens, spread
over 2.5 acres.
These include an English
garden, a tropical
garden (for a windy exposed
site), Mediterranean,
Balinese, beach/
coastal garden, formal
potager, shade garden, a
tropical garden (in a sheltered
site), a New Zealand
native garden for an exposed
site and a French
romantic garden.
Graeme delights in
sharing his knowledge
and expertise and helping
other people achieve their
garden dreams.
www.thehomesteadlandscaping.co.nz
Nutrition for your garden
There’s a definite satisfaction
in looking
out over lush lawn,
healthy thriving plants
and vegetables.
When choosing garden
fertiliser, there are some
important considerations
for your vegetable and
flower garden. If you want
quality vegetables and
vibrant flowers, it is important
to use a nutritious
fertiliser. It is also important
for our own health,
as what we spread on the
land passes through the
chain to our table.
While a fertiliser with a
few minerals and trace elements
might make plants
grow, it will not add the
full range of nutrients required
for plant health,
and subsequent nutrition
to animals and people.
Over the years the mineral
content of soil has depleted,
with minerals taken
out not being replaced.
Some sprays and toxins
can remain in the soil for
years.
Plants still grow but
may be termed “force fed”.
With the reduction in minerals,
it has been estimated
that we need to eat six
times the amount of vegetables
we ate 50 years ago
to obtain our base mineral
needs.
Coupled with this is the
contamination of some
fertilisers by antibiotics
and sprays. This can lower
our immune system, making
antibiotics less effective.
Also some sprays are
labelled carcinogenic.
Healthy people, plants
and flowers are more disease
resistant. Using a
wide mineral fertiliser,
which can include up to
185 minerals and trace
elements, is an option to
consider, as many of these
minerals and trace elements
are needed for optimum
health and growth.
Consider the use of
organic or certified organic
fertiliser prepared
from a wide range of base
materials.
Sea Food & Fertiliser is
an organic mix designed
and cultivated in New Zealand
and including seaweed,
sheep dags, crushed
mussel shell, crushed
oyster shell, dolomite, humate,
bark dust, salmon
fish offal and soil micro
organisms; all designed to
assist in seed germination,
growth, fruiting, plant
health and helping boost
the mineral content of soil.
A healthy soil should
have abundant worms and
organism activity which
allows a longer growing
season.
Take a look at your soil
and assess its health. Like
us, plants need to maintain
a healthy base in order
to thrive and enjoy
longevity and quality.
The saying ‘we are what
we eat’ is also worth considering.
Nourish your
soil and vegetables with
quality organic fertiliser
to maximise nutrition and
health.
For more information
on Sea Food & Fertiliser
and the benefits of looking
after your soil, visit
www.mcseaweed.co.nz
Poor pasture vs lush pasture
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SEAFOOD & FERTILIZER LTD W: mcseaweed.co.nz P: +64 3 2175212 +64 27 296 3482 E: coley@mcseaweed.co.nz