Plant your favourite
Working with nature here in Tapanui is a comforting mix of the predictable and the joy of what the new seasons deliver us. A perfect example of this is our Snowdrop and Pleione season. The season is short, but so beautiful! Plant your favourite snowdrops during late winter and early spring in pots, beds, borders or naturalise under trees and shrubs in dappled light.
Pleione’s are a group of small, semi-hardy, highly prized orchids and they are surprisingly easy to grow given the right conditions. In recent years, hybridization between various species and cultivated forms has led to a wide variety of exciting and colourful hybrids.
Blue Mountain Nurseries have a 40-year extensive breeding programme for snowdrops (Galanthus)- and Pleiones. See our online catalogues for new and rare additions under the bulbs tab at our website.
We are taking orders for snowdrops and pleione’s now. Call 03-2048-250 or order online at www.bmn.co.nz.
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Warnings about scams
This Fraud Awareness Week, we’re reminding everyone to stay sharp and look out for the warning signs of scams to stop them before they start.
Here’s what to watch out for:
🔍 Unrealistic offers or promises of easy money that are too good to be true
🔍 Pressure tactics: Scammers may rush or threaten you to act immediately.
🔍 Requests for personal info: Be cautious if you’re asked for bank details, passwords, or sensitive information.
🔍 Unusual payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
🔍 Unverified contacts: Emails, calls, or messages from unknown or suspicious sources.
How to protect yourself:
✅ Stop and think before sharing personal details or making payments.
✅ Don't click on any links until you know that it is safe.
✅ Verify the source: Contact the organisation directly using official channels.
✅ If something’s not right, it's OK to hang up, walk away, ignore it and move on.
If you wish to report a scam, contact Police on 105 or report it online via 105.police.govt.nz/use-105.
Tactile texture
Welcome texture into your room by using leftover Resene Anaglypta wallpaper to accentuate furniture and décor items. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.