Autumn Gardening Tips

I got to thinking, why are there not many traditional sayings that are accurate when it comes to the New Zealand seasons? I’d love to see tulips and daffodils popping up in June, and snowdrops in December. As for a white Christmas, I’ve yet to see that too, even though the songs are predicting it will happen every single year!

I’ve put my thinking hat on to come up with some NZ themed sayings, but in the meantime, I have to share with you some of my autumn gardening tips. And Squeak.

Autumn Gardening Guide

The days are shorter, and the woollies have come out of the drawers. It’s time to head outside and do all those jobs before winter strikes:

Plant trees – fruit trees, native trees or exotic trees, the cooler weather helps them settle in well to their new homes

Prune trees – remove any diseased or dying branches, and trim branches that are shading the house

Replenish your compost – gather up all those fallen leaves and pruning pieces to add to your compost bin

Prepare for Spring – for a lovely crop of spring flowers, now is the time to get those bulbs in the ground

Fertilise the lawn – if you love mowing the lawn, or you simply enjoy green grass, give your lawn a feed of fertiliser. There’s even a handy weed and feed option which kills weeds hiding in the grass…

Become over protective – start covering frost tender plants or move them to warmer areas for the winter months

 

Squeaks Gardening Advice for Cat Lovers

I have been reliably informed that Squeak knows everything. As such, he has made a list of plants and accessories that every NZ home with a cat requires:

Catnip and catmint, to spend hours rolling in and eating

Warm sunny spots from which to supervise the humans

Hiding spaces for when the humans become annoying

Mulched pathways, to ensure a gentle landing for little paws when jumping from trees

Bugs and leaves to chase when one feels like it

 

As you would have seen from Squeak’s latest social media appearance, he enjoys supervising me from the top of the fence. He was quick to point out that he simply uses the grapevine as a camouflage tool and not as a snack.

Remember, he knows everything including grapes are not suitable cat food. He prefers raw salmon and cream; we’re still negotiating that one!

Lynnette and the Tree Gifts Team
... and Squeak