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:here comes the sun Here comes the sun Seeing out the last of the winter days can be tiresome, but spring's around the corner and in the meantime we have some bright ideas on how you can bring colour back to the garden and prepare for the coming sunny weather. GETTING RID OF PRICKLES Onehunga weed is a fairly common occurrence in New Zealand lawns and prickles can be a nuisance, especially if you have children or pets. There are a variety of sprays and weed killers available to help get rid of these. If you spray in early spring it should eliminate the problem in time for summer. It helps if you can identify the specific weeds or prickles your lawn has, as you can then find a more specific weed killler with hopefully more effective results. SUNNY SIDE UP Sunflower planting can be done soon and is a fun project for the children, which adds cheer and sunshine to any garden. Plant them once the frosts have finished, spring's a good time to plant as they'll have a long period of sunshine ahead of them. Place them beside a wall or with a stake for support as they grow. Water regularly, particularly as the weather gets drier. GROWING TOMATOES If you have a glass house you can start planting tomatoes. If not it's best to wait till the end of September, when the frosts will be over and the warmer weather starts. Most tomato plants will need a stake to help support the vines as the tomatoes ripen. Regularly fertilise and water plants for best results. Some compost or mulch around the base can assist in keeping the moisture in for as long as possible. Light pruning can promote ventilation, resulting in a decreased risk of disease. Alternatively, you could also plant seeds in a windowsill box and transfer to the garden later. UP THE GARDEN PATH River stones can be an option for helping keep weeds down as well as being a nice landscaping addition. They can be used as an alternative to mulch and you may find stones more preferable as it can be easier to remove weeds and you can use a leaf blower to remove debris, etc., reducing maintenance. They also don't need replacing like mulch. Put some matting down before laying the stones to help discourage weeds further and to prevent them from sinking. Café Frock - Garden Update Watercress Coriander & An insect infestation hit the frock crops in the past month, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. A small flying bug threatened to finish off some of our crops, but with the help of a homemade spray of liquid soap and water soon their feasting was soon brought to an end. Another common pest, the cabbage butterfly, also made an appearance eating some of the brassica mesculin. However the parsley and celery crops have flourished, and we also have new a couple of new additions of coriander and watercress. Our lime trees, which were looking a little worse for wear at the beginning of winter have perked up with a helping of good fertiliser and next year's crop looks promising. 114 | www.hermagazine.co.nz