Add colour with calendulas

Add colour with calendulas

Body: Calendulas. Every garden should have them. Not only are they attractive, they've got some amazing anti-viral, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties.

Commonly known as winter marigolds, calendula are quite different to summer marigolds. They look different and they will seed down at the end of the season – something your regular marigolds don’t do.

Growing calendulas is really straightforward, and even easier if you have a stream in or around your garden as they love moisture.

All you need to do is dig a hole, approximately 3cm deep, spacing each seedling about 10cm apart. Place your seedling inside the hole and cover its roots with soil.

If you're not one for order, you'll be pleased to know you don't have to line the seedlings up in rows like many other types of plants. That's because calendula like to sprawl across the soil.

In about four to six weeks your calendulas should start to flower. At this point, they’ll probably need a bit more watering than normal. To check how thirsty they are, simply put your finger in the soil about 2cm deep. If it’s dry, they need a drink.

If you don't have a large garden, don't fret; you can also house the picturesque plants in hanging baskets or pots. Once in bloom, calendulas add much-needed colour to winter gardens.

After seeding down at the end of the season, calendulas will pop up again the following one to, once again, brighten your garden. Just don't forget to pick off any deadheads to keep your plants flowering longer. And stay away from overhead watering as it spreads disease.

Broaden horizons with beans
Copy: Broad beans are one of my favourite veges to grow and, of course, eat.

Like most of the over 200 varieties in Awapuni’s seedlings range, they’re super simple to plant. They’re lots of fun to grow with kids. And, they taste great.

Did you know, as well as being able to eat the beans, you can also chomp down on the tops of the plant itself? Cover your eyes vegetarians – bean plant tops mixed with a pork bone and some potato taste fantastic!

However you like to eat your beans, I’ve got some tips on how to grow them.

First of all you need to grab some seedlings. So, next time you’re down at your local supermarket, Bunnings or The Warehouse grab some of our Traditional Value broad beans. Alternatively, head to our online store at www.awapuni.co.nz and get your seedlings delivered direct to your door.

Next, you need to find the right spot to plant. The common misconception about broad beans is they need something to grow up. Not true. Broad beans will need to be tied up, but they lean against each other and grow across the ground.

What’s important is ensuring the soil where you plant them has a high pH (around 5.5 to 6.5). Not sure what the pH level of your soil is? Most garden centres sell kits alternatively there are also companies which will test your soil for a small fee.

If the pH level of your soil could go higher, try adding a little bit of lime. If you’re still not sure of the pH level, I recommend adding some lime for good measure anyway.

Once you’ve got the soil acidity levels just right, you’re ready to plant.

If you’ve never seen a broad bean seedling it can give you a little bit of a surprise when you unwrap the newspaper. While I’m probably teaching experienced gardeners how to suck eggs, for those who don’t know, broad bean seedlings are broad beans, which have been germinated (see the picture).

So, when you’re ready to get started, simply dig a little hole and plant each seedling around 15cm apart in rows approximately 30cm apart.

Depending on the weather where you live and, as a result, the soil temperature, your seedlings will take around eight to 12 weeks to produce beans ready for harvesting.

Once the plants are around one metre high put a stake at either end of the rows and loop a big piece of string around the whole lot to keep them growing together.

While broad beans take at least a couple of months to produce any actual beans, the plants grow really quickly. Got kids? Try taking a photo of the seedlings every few days and track their growth.

Even better, take the picture from the same spot each time and make a mini-movie. You can do this digitally, or print the pictures on your printer and staple or tie them together for your very own stop-motion video. Simply flick through the pages and watch the beans grow.

Using the last of your beans to create seedlings is another fun project to get the kids involved in.

At the end of the season take the beans out of the last of your pods and store in a container in a dry spot.

Next winter grab some used kids’ yoghurt containers, clean them out and fill them up with potting mix. Take one dry bean and press it into the soil in a yoghurt container. Do this for each of the beans. In around three weeks you’ll have some broad bean seedlings ready to transfer to the garden.

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