Swallow gardening

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!

This is pineapple sage. It flowers most of the year. Trying it in a pot - planted about 2 months ago and already getting...
18/08/2026

This is pineapple sage. It flowers most of the year.

Trying it in a pot - planted about 2 months ago and already getting tall. Needs a decent amount of space in the garden and gets quite tall and wide. But u certainly get plenty of colour. It’s got a strong pineapple smell.

Rose pruning - 3Ds, get rid of dead, diseased and damaged stems. Prune on 45 degree angle to outward facing bud and rem...
01/08/2026

Rose pruning - 3Ds, get rid of dead, diseased and damaged stems. Prune on 45 degree angle to outward facing bud and remove cross over branches that rub on each other. Nice open base shaped appearance. I prune back at least by 1/2.

Spray with liquid copper a couple of weeks after pruning.

Went to a pruning workshop recently at Palmers. John Muller took it. He’s very experienced and has a landscaping busines...
25/07/2026

Went to a pruning workshop recently at Palmers. John Muller took it. He’s very experienced and has a landscaping business in Wellington.

Some key takeaways:

Citrus like sunshine and don’t like wind so put in sheltered spot. Citrus likes magnesium/epsom salt

Feijoas do very well in our coastal Wellington area. The grey underside of their leaves reminds us they are drought tolerant and coastal hardy.

Grapes should be pruned now when leaves are off and no sap rising. Like sun and shelter.

Daphne likes iron sulphate.

Nectarine trees don’t do well in Wellington. Prone to disease. They like the very hot summers and very cold winters - Cromwell, Otago region.

Don’t fertilize when plants are dormant. Good time to treat soil with compost and sheep pellets. (If you have a dog they may try to eat the sheep pellets and make themselves sick).

Citrus, Mexican Orange blossom and Chinese Lantern are prone to borer.

Spray with liquid copper after pruning fruit trees, roses.

When ya tradie mates drive past on a Friday afternoon around 5pm and it’s cold and starting to get dark. I waved out and...
20/07/2026

When ya tradie mates drive past on a Friday afternoon around 5pm and it’s cold and starting to get dark. I waved out and one of them saw me just after they drove past.

They turned around and helped me with clean and pack up so I could get home too.

Thanks bros. Love yas.

Yesterday I worked with some delicious soil - dark, crumbly and loamy. Like a crumbly chocolate brownie. Was an absolute...
18/07/2026

Yesterday I worked with some delicious soil - dark, crumbly and loamy. Like a crumbly chocolate brownie. Was an absolute pleasure. The client lives close to an old pa site where they grew kumara and the land must be full of nutrients.

This old wall came down and we planted a hedge of corokia gentys green and transferred some old irises that were rootbound in a pot, to the front of this garden.

Can’t wait till spring to see all the autumn and winter planting take off!

This garden has had a couple of transformations. This is the most recent one with some edging and a new organic w**d-mat...
03/07/2026

This garden has had a couple of transformations. This is the most recent one with some edging and a new organic w**d-mat and bark mulch.

Darcy is a sun lover so we love watching her soak up those rays. She looks up to the sun like she’s drinking it in. She’s a bit of a cutie.

The last couple of days we have been finishing off laying natural w**dmat - and then adding bark chips. This bank loves ...
25/06/2026

The last couple of days we have been finishing off laying natural w**dmat - and then adding bark chips. This bank loves the w**ds so w**d suppression was the top priority along with new plants. Low maintenance.

Yesterday was so cold, we finished early. I had the best hot pie and hot bath mid afternoon.

This morning’s wind is wild. Wow. There will be a few trees down.

Some of my crew. Isaac B - edging, hedge trimming extraordinaire, Carter who is in between jobs/study, been a fabulous e...
18/06/2026

Some of my crew. Isaac B - edging, hedge trimming extraordinaire, Carter who is in between jobs/study, been a fabulous extra paid of hands for me June til Mid July, and Carters girlfriend Liv who has helped with cardboard/mulching, clearing sections.

My body is enjoying the extra helpers. Thanks team

Foraging yesterday in my garden. Our camellias are starting to bloom. Alstromerias, lavendar, straw flowers, daisies, th...
18/06/2026

Foraging yesterday in my garden. Our camellias are starting to bloom. Alstromerias, lavendar, straw flowers, daisies, the odd rose.

One of my favourite things to do! Take time out to enjoy the flowers.

A client’s tibouchina. Once they have flowered give them a good prune back. They come in various vibrant colours, they l...
08/06/2026

A client’s tibouchina. Once they have flowered give them a good prune back. They come in various vibrant colours, they like the sun and are hardy.

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Porirua

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