Win 1 of 5 Weekend Gardener 6 month subscriptions for Mum!

Weekend Gardener magazine is New Zealand's fortnightly do-it-yourself gardening magazine for people who love gardening and those who want to learn more about it. The magazine has an accent on the practical, DIY with gardening experts around the country providing helpful advice with their all-year-round experience.

TO ENTER

Go in the draw by emailing your name and contact details to info@tuigarden.co.nz with 'Weekend Gardener'
in the subject line.
Prize drawn Friday,
May 11.

To find out more about the Weekend Gardener click here

The winners of
the Heilala Vanilla
Hampers are:

Baking Hamper:
Natalie Wilson, Wellington

Sweet Hamper:
Andrea Martin, Ohakune
Derek Cameron, Matamata

Gardener's Diary - Autumn - Flower Garden Diary

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner and it is always nice to spoil your Mum on this special day. If you're a bit stuck for ideas this year, here are the Tui team's top picks for the gardening Mum. From books to baking, we have gorgeous gifts for a range of budgets.

Home accessories: Wild Bird Antique Feeders

Attract bird song to your backyard with Tui's new range of Wild Bird Feeders, designed to appeal to a variety of birds. The feeder's distinctive style makes them a beautiful addition to any outdoor area.

Feeders priced from $14.95

Home Baking:

Some of the most thoughtful gifts are those that we make ourselves. Why not do some cooking for Mum this Mother's Day - even better if you can use the produce from your garden.

We have some recipes like lemon cupcakes and creamy cauliflower soup to get you started here, or try www.foodlovers.co.nz

More Mother's Day gift ideas

In Focus: Tamarillos

The fruit formerly known as tree tomatoes! Tamarillos fruit over a long season through late winter and into early spring, making them a great option for this time of year when there is not a huge range of other fresh fruit available.

Top Tips

• Tamarillos are a subtropical species, best grown in the warmer areas of New Zealand, in greenhouses, or in other frost free areas.
  
  
• They are best planted in late autumn or early spring.
  
  
• Seeds and cutting can be used for propagation.
  
  
• Seeds result in high-branched, straight trees.
  
  
• Cuttings result in a shorter bushy plant with low-lying branches.
  
  
• They can be raised in containers so long as they are adequately watered.
  

Extract from The Tui NZ Fruit Garden

Nutritional Information

Tamarillos are full of the mineral potassium, antioxidants and vitamin C. After berries and citrus Tamarillos are one of the lead sources of natural vitamin C. They are an excellent food for building resilience to the day to day stressors of life and helping us to feel and look our best.

More nutritional information

Garden Question of the week:

What is the difference between organic and inorganic fertilisers?

Organic fertilisers are derived from plant and animal residues, for example blood and bone, sheep manure pellets, fish meal, green crops such as lupins, seaweed and wood ash. The nutrient content is quite low and they require a breakdown process so that the plant can use the nutrients. Organic fertilisers have the advantage of conditioning the soil.

Inorganic fertilisers are manufactured by chemical reactions. These fertilisers are more instantly available to the plant and so there is much more rapid growth than with an inorganic fertiliser. There is less benefit to improving soil structure using inorganic fertilisers.

More information

Send your gardening questions here with 'Veggie Club Question' in the subject line.

Helen Jackson's Autumn Kitchen Garden

Autumn time in the edible garden is the one I find the most challenging. While I know that I should be pulling out the remainder of summer in order to have vegetables ready for picking when winter arrives, I just don't like letting go and hang on fiercely to the last of the basil, courgettes, tomatoes and eggplants. Thank goodness the figs and quince with their huge amount of fruit are able to provide some welcome distraction...

Continue reading

COMING UP IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER
WE LOOK AT GARDENING TOOLS.

We would love to see pictures of your gardens - remember you can post them on the Tui Garden Products Facebook page. You can also post questions, get great tips and find out about exclusive member giveaways here!

Happy Gardening from Katie Karrot and the Tui Team!