This month we're talking 🗣️
what jobs need doing?
what's in season
spotlight on another 2 local artisans stocked in The Collective
meet a Greenie! Introducing another greenie 💚
what's on sale at The Greenery this month?
garden giggles, weird and wonky chuckle-worthy gardeny bits
#shareyourgreenery what's going on in your garden? Show off!
Jobs
It's well and truly time to prepare your winter garden. Here are 5 tasks you could get into!
Plant Winter Vegetables: May is a great time to plant winter vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, and Brussels sprouts. These crops thrive in cooler temperatures and will provide you with fresh produce throughout the winter months.
Prune Fruit Trees: May is an ideal time to prune fruit trees before they start to bud. Pruning helps to shape the tree, promote healthy growth, and increase fruit production. Remove any dead or diseased branches, as well as any branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other.
Mulch Garden Beds: Yes we're still talking about mulch! Mulch is the best. Make sure you apply a layer of mulch to your garden beds to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate the soil temperature. Organic mulches such as compost, straw, or bark chips are great choices. Make sure to leave a gap between the mulch and the base of plants to prevent rot.
Divide Perennials: Divide overcrowded perennial plants (like lillies, daisies, peonies etc) to rejuvenate them and improve their overall health. Dig up the plant clump, carefully separate the individual plants, and replant them in new locations or share them with friends and neighbours. This process encourages vigorous growth and blooming.
Prepare for Frosts: As temperatures drop, be prepared to protect tender plants from frosts. Keep frost cloth or blankets on hand to cover susceptible plants overnight. You can also move potted plants to a sheltered location or group them together to keep them cosier. #huddle
PRO TIP
Outside is colder, the soil is colder but there's gardening to be done! Try a double glove situation to keep those hands warm!
Or maybe a hottie tucked in your sweater? #keepcosy
🧤 🧤
What to plant?
🌱 May Planting Guide 🌼
Plants to eat
Leafy Greens: Go for spinach, lettuce, kale, and silverbeet. They’re cool with cooler temps and will do their thing happily during the autumn days.
Root Vegetables: Get those carrots, radishes, turnips, and beetroot in the ground. Make sure the soil has no big rocks, so their roots can spread out.
Brassicas: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are all good to go. Start them indoors or pop the seeds straight into your prepared garden beds.
Peas and Beans: Time to stick some peas and broad beans in. They love the cooler weather, but give them something to climb on if they're the tall type.
Onions and Garlic: Plant those onion and garlic sets. Find them a cozy spot in well-drained soil with lots of organic goodness.
Herbs: Get your parsley, coriander, chives, and thyme going. They’ll happily hang out in pots or straight in the ground.
Lettuce and Salad Greens: Plant lettuce, rocket, and all those good salad greens. Keep ‘em hydrated so they don’t bolt, especially in the cooler weather.
Mulching and Watering: We'll never stop saying mulch 😂 mulch mulch mulch! Mulch your beds to keep moisture in and weeds out. Water regularly, but don’t drown them - they don’t need as much in the cooler months.
Plants to admire
If you haven't already got your new trees in get that done. Same with any hedging - Camelia setsugekka is one of our favourite flowering hedges.
Then it's time to think about lovely winter colour.
Pansies
Pansies are troopers, often blooming from autumn well into spring, adding splashes of vibrant colour to your garden beds or containers. They're cold-hardy and can withstand frosty temperatures, making them perfect for adding cheer to your winter garden.
Winter Roses (Hellebores):
The Greenery happens to be home of the Helleborus Pukehou Hybrids. They bring a burst of colour to your garden with apricot to black-purple flowers atop sturdy stems. These low-maintenance perennials thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, reaching about 50cm in height. Perfect for cottage or tropical gardens, mixed borders, or as a winter colour accent. Resilient to frost, they bounce back in spring, creating a stunning display whether planted individually or en masse. With their vibrant blooms and easy care, they're sure to make a statement in any garden.
Daphne
Ah, the unmistakable perfume of daphne! Few fragrances rival the sweet, citrusy scent of daphne blooms. These evergreen shrubs not only perfume the air but also offer glossy foliage year-round. Plant them near a pathway or entrance where you can enjoy their delicious fragrance up close. We're known for our big and bushy daphne plants so if you need any pointers come see us!
All three of these plants are excellent choices for extending the beauty and interest of your garden through the cooler months.
Artisans in The Collective
Colourz on Fire
If you've been in over the last couple of weeks you would have definitely noticed this gorgeous pop of colour!! Colourz on fire creates handcrafted alcohol ink painted coffee, hot pot, wall and platter tiles. These tile designs are hand blown with alcohol inks, they are then finished with a heatproof and food safe resin and left for 7 days to dry. The paintings are literally colourz on fire as Christine sets fire to them in her garage. She's super passionate & each each piece is unique and vibrant. "I have loved creating them for you, and I hope their beauty brings you pleasure." Christine Auckram
Frank and Wild
We've had Frank and Wild in The Greenery Collective right from the start! Created by the glorious Foxton local, Lou Praat, who brings her artistic magic to life with stunning handcrafted prints.
Lou isn't just a local talent, but her creative spirit perfectly embodies our love for nature! Every piece from Lou is infused with a passion for Mother Earth.
She uses unique, natural materials like carrot skins and onion skins to create dyes for her gorgeous bags and decorations. Her lino prints boast an organic essence, evoking a sense of peace and a connection to the simpler things in life. Just like a walk through our garden center, Lou's art invites us to reconnect with the beauty of the natural world. ✨
Lou's incredible creations are the perfect gift for any special "greenie" in your life!
Whether it's a birthday, a housewarming, or you just want to show someone you care about the environment, Frank and Wild has something beautiful and unique.
Pop by The Greenery Collective to explore Lou's work and discover the perfect piece to bring a touch of nature into your home.
Meet a Greenie!
Meet Bella 💚
Bella is a ray of sunshine here at The Greenery - she loves her work and that shines through all of her interactions with people, she's a joy to have on our team!
What's your favourite part of your work?
Oh I love seeing the end result of big jobs like production, seeing the plants ready to go and knowing that you've done that from seed and your hand will end up all over the district, little pops of life you helped raise!
What makes you go wow?
When you get a vibe on from customers, connecting and helping each other. I’ve learnt so much from our customers, this job is really about an exchange of knowledge and it goes all ways!
I had a customer recently who had owned a Buxus nursery in the Netherlands and he gave us lots of advice on Buxus and we’re seeing the results of that advice - a few tips from him has taught us something so useful and our buxus is thriving.
Something that surprised you?
I never thought I’d be working with plants or that i’d get so much satisfaction out of working with plants - I need constant stimulation and the never ending learning here and dynamic of this place is a vibe. I’m lucky to have a job where coming to work fills my cup.
What's on sale?
Harakeke!
We've got a fantastic deal on established Phormium tenax (flax) plants - 6 for just $45 These aren't your average seedlings, these are one-year-old beauties grown right here with our loving touch ✨
Add a touch of drama and texture to your garden.
Flax are low maintenance: These beauties are easy to care for, perfect for busy gardeners.
Versatile: Flax looks great in borders, containers, or even mass plantings.
Garden giggles
Check out the cross pollination creations we have here 🙈 can you guess who's been mingling with who?
Now that we're at the end of Tomato season, check out this VERY happy cherry tomato plant that found it's home in Levin WOW. Non stop toms pumping from this plant! Happy days ❤️
Do you have something you're stoked with in the garden and would like to share? Reply to us with a pic and a yarn, we'd love to feature your #shareyourgreenery moment 💚
Ask us
Got a garden question? Shoot! We'll answer it on our social channels and maybe feature it in our next blog if it's a real goodie!
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