Lavish opportunities for lavender lovers this weekend!
Several Wairarapa lavender growers open their farm gates this weekend so you can experience something beautiful right in your own neighbourhood.
Lavender picking is great in itself and there's also the added bonus of taking romantic picturesque photos among the purple-hued rows of blooms. Capture yourself and loved ones at one of our local growers this weekend - a neat outing if you have friends and family staying.
Our growers also have their special products available for sale on site. Picking fields are located at Masterton, Carterton and Martinborough (details below) - each has its own unique offering, including one with evening star gazing!
Make the most of these special crops this weekend while the flowers are in abundant full bloom.
Martinborough lavender picking and star gazing
Saturday 14 January 8.30pm, Ranui Essentials, 284C Dry River Road, Martinborough.
Bring your telescope, a torch and an evening picnic for a 'Under the Stars' session with astronomy guides to help you navigate the night sky. Watch the sun set and pick some lavender. $5 entry per person, and kids are free.
Pick Your Own Lavender in Carterton
Saturday 14 - Sunday 15 January, Lavender Abbey, 351 Dalefield Road, Carterton.
Bring your camera, a picnic, and enjoy an outing with family and friends visiting over summer. PYO bunch of lavender for $5. Check out 'The Big Box of Lavender' shop while you're there.
Lavender picking and open day at Jaydee's Lavender, Masterton
Sunday 15 January, 78b Te Ore Ore Road, Bideford, Masterton
Lavender picking and open day. Come along to this lavender field and explore the new shop full of treasures and award-winning Grosso lavender oil. Remember to bring your scissors for cutting the lavender. Entry is by gold coin donation per person, per bunch of lavender.
There is also Lavender Magic, located at 61 Blakes Road, Mt Holdsworth, Carterton.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag