First off all DON’T FORGET MUM THIS MOTHERS DAY! We have cut lily flowers, potted cyclamen (the most popular of houseplants to give on mothers day pictured below) and of course gift vouchers. Oderings also offer free gift wrapping on request when in store. As a reminder if you want to buy your Oderings vouchers or gifts online do so before Wednesday lunch time; if left until Thursday it may not get there in time!

Wow is it getting cold or what!  At least frosty mornings generally bring beautiful sunny days. Sit back a little more this month and start doing some research. In late May, June and July our garden centres start getting in the fruit trees and roses. To help you pick the best fruit tree look at this website  waimeanurseries.co.nz .

For Oderings rose catalogue look at oderings.co.nz  under the section online store; or come in and get your free copy. Did you know Oderings have the full range of roses for sale online? You can pre-order now and we will send them to you in June; its that easy.

Now is the start for the onslaught of leaves. Clean and tidy is the key to stop the spread of insects and fungus. You should always spray with Copper at leaf fall on roses and deciduous trees to prevent leaf scars from fungal infection. Also GARDENERS BEWARE, save yourself time and money and invest in some frost cloth NOW !

Plant...

• Now is the time for the cold loving veggies. This includes parsnip, brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, swedes, silverbeet, spinach, onions, leeks and radicchio.
• Plant green crops now. For the best of both worlds Oderings have mixed bags of blue lupins, mustard and grains.
• Sow broad beans.

Prepare...

• Summer annuals should be finished; pull out and add compost to the soil. If you are planting winter annuals it is time to do this now, or do what i do and plant tubs of colour. That way when we get snow (here in CHCH) i can bring them under the eave of the house.
• Prepare the garden for new seasons roses, bedding and trees. Dig in plenty of Oderings Compost or peat to improve soil, drainage and aeration.

General gardening...

• Apply slug bait around annuals and vegetables.
• On lawns use Sulphate of Ammonia at 30grams per meter, this will suppress the growth of broadleaf weeds and excel the growth of your lawn.
• Lift dahlia, gladioli and tuberous begonias and dust with Flowers of Sulphur to prevent from getting mites or mildew.
• Finish harvesting tamarillos, feijoas, passionfruit, late apples and kiwifruit.
• Prune back shrubs that have finished flowering by a 1/3.
• If your garden needs watering only do it during the morning. If you water in the afternoon or evening the plants will not have enough time to dry out and therefore get mildew and other nasty types of fungus, let alone frost damage.   

Any suggestions...

• Would you like to see a topic covered in these newsletters or Oderings Live & Grow magazine? If there is something that interests you then let me know by emailing pamela@oderings.co.nz