Thyme Thyme, which has for many, many years been valued for its smell, flavour, and medicinal value, also happens to attract bees to the garden. Thyme is a versatile herb in the kitchen. It can be used fresh, or can be added to stocks, stuffing, and sauces. Thyme’s aroma works wonderfully in most savoury dishes: … Read More
Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy By Matthew Evans 9781922351418 $36.99 Review by Charlotte Nicholl from Scorpio Books What we do to the soil, we do to ourselves. Soil is a joyful, magical book by farmer, cook and environmental warrior Matthew Evans. It tells the unlikely story of our … Read More
Sage Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a popular culinary, medicinal and ornamental herb with a multitude of uses It have silver-greyish leaves and bears attractive flowers which are purple-blue in colour. It is also a versatile drought-tolerant grey foliage plant and is very hardy as it often bounces back in the spring even after a … Read More
Sweet Basil Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) When we think of basil, chances are that we have Italian Genovese basil in mind, which is often used in pesto and tomato-based dishes. It has shiny dark leaves, and is very aromatic with a sharp, strong taste that compliments the sweet-tangy taste of vine-ripened tomatoes. Other species and hybrids of … Read More
Lemon Verbena (Lippia citrodoro or Aloysia citrodora) When brushing past the foliage of a Lemon Verbena shrub, you are surrounded by a most refreshing perfumed fragrance, redolent of lemons. The leaves are light green, thin and pointed with a slightly sticky feel and a wonderful citrus aroma. This versatile plant which originates from Chile, could … Read More
This is one of the busy times in the garden when many of the fruit trees will start to ripen their fruit. Berry fruits are well through their season so a tidy up of any branches that have finished fruiting will give room for new growth in preparation for next year’s fruit. Strawberry plants can look … Read More
December is a very busy time in the garden! Berry fruit are ripening, plants are growing fast and the first of the stone fruit are ready. Regular weeding and watering are most important at this stage if we expect to get the best from our flowers and vegetables. Once the tops of the spring bulbs … Read More
Edible Flowers With spring blooms starting to colour our gardens after winter, and many of us planting seeds for the coming season, I am excited to propagate a very special set of edibles in my garden – flowers. Edible flowers have seen a revival in interest in recent years as celebrity chefs and home cooks … Read More
It is that time when overwintering pests are starting to venture out. One pest that is not affected by seasons is the common indoor plant annoyance, the sciarid fly or more commonly known as, a fungus gnat.
At our July 2021 meeting, we had a very informative talk by local Naturopath, Rachael Stott. Rachael was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her mid-30’s. As a means to better her health she studied Naturopathy and became a Naturopath and medical herbalist . Rachael lives in Temuka and travels once a month to Christchurch and … Read More