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Letters from our readers.

NZ GARDENER INSPIRED ME

It was your June 2020 issue that inspired me to startup my unique business. The article by Lynda Hallinan about positive aspects arising from lockdown covered the time people spent at home, the pull to green spaces and other “lockdown silver linings”. What an upbeat read.

When New Zealand entered level 4 lockdown, I had recently moved to a rural property and my future employment was uncertain. But I was at home with my first ever vege garden plan and a sewing room full of fabric. With extensive employment in fashion and costume, I made myself some bright zebra print cotton overalls and got stuck into the garden. Soon, I had a bed full of seedlings and a second pair of overalls – watermelon print, with extra pockets and a collar that flipped up to shield my neck from the sun.

I was enjoying my garden wearing something fun as well as practical and thought there must be other women who would be into that… so my business began. Thank you to the team at NZ Gardener for inspiring me to start Flouncy Gardenwear, and find my own lockdown silver lining.

I love what I do and love to know other women are now enjoying Flouncy Overalls in their gardens too.

Tracey Koole, UPPER MOUTERE

I LIKED THE DRYSTONE WALL PIECE

But the earliest drystone walls were not built by Dalmatians (or Austrians, as they were called back then), as it says in the July story, as they didn’t arrive in New Zealand in numbers until the 1890s. Probably the earliest walls were built near the Kerikeri Inlet by John Edmonds, a stone waller brought here from Britain by the Church Missionary Society to help complete the Kerikeri Stone Store. Later, he established a farm, building walls as well as a stone house between 1840 and 1858. Edmonds Ruins are now a New Zealand heritage site.

My book Stone Wall Country – the Dry Stone Walls of the Whangarei District is about to be joined by another: Stone Wall Country – the Dry Stone Walls of Kaikohe and the Bay of Islands. The walls in all these districts were built from stone originating from the fire fountain volcanic activity, the cones of which are so obvious in the landscape. The walls were built by a very diverse range of people, some coming to New Zealand with skills, others learning on the job.

Kate Ballard, WHANGĀREI

SOLVING THE SEEDY PROBLEM

I read in July’s issue in the grapefruit feature, that a ‘Morrisons Seedless’ labelled tree had seedy fruit. I’ve always believed that cross pollination with other citrus will make seeds form in this variety. Lemons are the worst culprits. A bee will visit all the citrus flowers on offer, spreading pollen between trees as it goes.

I checked in my fruit growing book, Growing Fruit and Nuts in NZ, by Paul Baxter and Cathy Jones, and they confirm “the fruit of these varieties are only seedless when grown in isolation from other citrus types”. Planting your lemon on the other side of the house from the grapefruit tree may be enough to reduce seediness in the other citrus.

Jo Halley, ARATIKA, WEST COAST

MY PRIDE AND JOY

I grew my spectacular chrysanthemum from two stem cuttings, taken 18 months ago. This autumn, it produced a wonderful show and it’s grown almost as tall as me! Pauline Thompson, AUCKLAND

I was given a bouquet of flowers, and in the middle was what I thought was a beautiful white rose. After a while, some of the flowers faded, so I unpicked the bunch and removed some flowers, and then got to the middle.

To my surprise, the rose turned out to be a stalk from an ornamental cabbage with the lower green leaves stripped away. The bloom lasted for ages and eventually, it was the only flower left from the bouquet.

Not wanting to throw it away, I stuck it into the soil in my tunnelhouse. It rooted and set seed and I took this photo last week. I am thrilled with it.

Sheila Pitman, MOTUEKA

PERFECT PARSNIP

After seeing Lynda Hallinan’s parsnips in the June issue, I just had to share a photo of one of many my husband produced in our good Golden Bay soil.

Marie Kilgour, TASMAN

I find the thin plastic rings from plastic jar lids placed over seedling and plants (with name tag to anchor them) easily identifies them. They are less likely to be disturbed or lost when foliage dies down. I enjoyed Jo’s humour and Lynda’s heartfelt line about being as “triumphant as a MasterChef” in the June issue.

Jill Carr, NEW PLYMOUTH

SUPER SHRUB

I have been very impressed with my luculia this year I thought that I would share it with you and your readers. My shrub is about eight years old.

Sandy Clements, NELSON

Since arriving in New Zealand 10 years ago, I have learned how to plant and grow, how to design a garden, and how to choose and plant the right plants. Now I have variety of flowers in my garden, which I have named Paradise Garden. Here is a picture. Your informative, enjoyable magazine has been such a help to me on my gardening journey. Hong Joo Yew, WELLINGTON