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Swallow gardening

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Swallow gardening

My focus is on sharing my knowledge and learning together. Your garden needs to suit your lifestyle and budget. Healthy soil - let’s get those earthworms busy.

What will thrive in your particular garden, and most importantly let’s have some fun!

04/11/2026

This morning I went on a tour with Nick, head gardener at Tupare (garden managed by Taranaki Regional Council). Sir Russell Matthews bought it with his wife Mary in 1932. They owned the first bitumen company in NZ.

Anyway, I loved the Deutzia Niko plant which is the white ones in the pics.

There’s a pic of Sir Russell’s garage where he cut a hole in the back to fit his new Bentley in.

It is SO hot up here, high humidity.

Last pics are of the old 1845 vicarage around the corner from the cemetery. One of oldest stone buildings in NZ.

This trip reminds me of when I was overseas on my own. Today I sat at Kahikatea gardens and talked to a couple while having Devonshire tea. Was a good 45 mins, talking about gardens, the state of the nation. Love those interactions.

03/11/2026

This afternoon I visited Te Henui Cemetery. The first grave went in around 1861. It has a RSA war veterans area which was sobering seeing so many of our soldiers killed so young in WWII.

Volunteers got permission from the council approx 17 years ago to plant around the individual plots. There are 8 volunteers and they have done an amazing job.

There are a lot of maples, evidently a “nurseryman” donated a whole lot of maples a few years ago. People have donated a variety of plants and the result is stunning.

This week so far has been over whelming for me. I was in paradise this afternoon exploring the nooks and crannies of this cemetery. It’s a world class work of art.

If you are up this way definitely visit! It’s so unique and beautiful.

02/11/2026

Some of the succulents in this Mediterranean garden at Magnolia Grove looked like they were going to jump out and grab me yesterday…..

01/11/2026

Today I visited Bee Valley Flower Farm in Lepperton. Christina gave us a tour, she is really creative and has all sorts of cool things on the go.

Pick your own flowers, workshops - candle making, flower pressing - they having a cool room for drying flowers, glamping accomm…. the list goes on.

What I loved is that Christinas family is part of it - her niece provided the beautiful baking and has her own business, her grandson’s gorgeous ladybird greeting cards were on sale, her husband welcomed us all and the grandkids have their own vege garden they look after when they visit.

It’s creative, has wonderful character and was an absolute delight to visit.

31/10/2026

I saw five gardens yesterday and Riverlea was my favourite. Anna and Vince Naus know their plants and where to put them. I’ve never seen nandina look so healthy.

The couple used to own Big Jim’s garden centre which is a nursery up here so all makes sense. And their home is for sale.

They have a very long perennial garden with a seat and wedding cake tree at the end of it. The garden has so much going on. My cortisol levels were reasonably high due to all the excitement.

And their pots … just wow….

31/10/2026

I’m up at the Taranaki garden festival. Went on a tour today with Chris Paul, a well know landscape architect in New Plymouth.

Chris was talking about the importance of shelter from the wind, they cop a lot up here at times too.

The soil up here is full of nutrients - it’s dark, rich and volcanic. Interestingly, growing perennials isn’t straight forward as they take work to manage due to how vigorous and quickly they grow.

I was envious of the soil today working mostly with clay back home. So keep laying on that organic matter, grass clippings, sheep pellets, compost, mulch for the soil and fertilizer to keep those plants growing.

It’s a big week for Taranaki, lots of gardens, workshops to attend. I’m here for the week.

24/10/2026

Weekend task - add sheep pellets, lime and liquid fertilizer to my flower garden.

Spring is such a busy time for me …. Everywhere I look there is something to do in own garden.

My mum has been adding liquid fertilizer to her garden and the flowers are literally blooming and loving it. Liquid blood and bone, I’m using nitrosol. Goes straight into roots now, can add granular fertlizer too but that’s more of slow release for spring.

21/10/2026

The first pic is a Silver Germander hedge. Very easy to maintain, has a blue colour, great coastal plant, likes full sun, drought tolerant.

Second is corokia with buxus in front. Landscaping - creating structure and clean lines.

Not my gardening - at my mums retirement village.

14/10/2026

Adding thin layer of lime while there’s rain to help heal some of our lawns bare patches

11/10/2026

This is eco coir matting. Great for soil erosion on banks. Buy it in rolls and use weed-pins to secure.

Can still plant on the bank, ground cover growing down bank or climber from the bottom like a star jasmine.

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