What vegetables you should plant in your garden this October

Oct 17, 2017

What vegetables you should plant in your garden this October

Spring is the perfect time to get that kitchen garden going. Use this quick and easy guide to discover what to harvest plant and sow in October

What to harvest in October

+ Harvest cabbages when heads are firm and not too big or risk plants running to seed (flowering).

+ When picking broccoli make sure the florets in the centre head are still tightly closed. If they’re starting to open you’ve left it a bit long as the broccoli is about to flower. If you can’t eat all of your broccoli crop, try blanching for 3-4 minutes and freezing.

+ Never leave lettuce too long in the garden as it can turn bitter and tough very quickly.

+ Likewise with celery. Stalks become woody if left in the ground too long. If you can’t eat the whole plant, just pick off a few stalks at a time.

What to plant in October

+ Spring is here so it’s time to plant out seedlings of warm-season veges. Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops in this group. Plant these and other tall crops (eg sweetcorn) at the southern end of your vege patch so they don’t shade smaller crops. Good drainage is essential as is plenty of organic matter in the soil. Tomatoes are traditionally planted outside on Labour Day but if your garden is not frosty they can be planted now in a sheltered spot. Space seedlings of staking tomatoes 50-60cm apart.

+ Southern capsicum fans can plant seedlings out into greenhouses now. Further north they can go into the garden when temperatures are 18-25°C. Seedlings are generally ready to be planted outside when they are starting to flower. Use cloches or frost cloth to protect them if it’s still chilly at your place.

+ Sweetcorn seedlings can also be planted out into the garden if the soil is not too cold (above 16°C). Soil should be well drained with plenty of compost or other organic matter added before planting. Keep seedlings well fed for best crops. Plant in blocks to ensure good pollination – sweetcorn is pollinated by the wind, not by bees.

What to sow in October

+ Once soil temperatures regularly reach 15°C you can start sowing summer-cropping beans into the garden. In warm regions you can sow year round. Planting in containers is a good option in cooler areas or if space is limited. Sow at regular intervals through spring and summer.

+ In warmer areas you can sow cucumber seed into the garden from the end of this month to early summer. In colder areas you may need to protect seedlings with a cloche at first.

+ Soil quality is vital for carrots. They do best in light, well-drained, fertile soil. If you find sowing fine carrot seed tricky, mix it with radish seed to help thin it out. The radishes mature faster, leaving space for the carrots to develop.

+ Lettuce does better in cooler temperatures so you’ll need to sow seed now if you want a crop before summer in warmer areas. Cos is one of the most heat-tolerant lettuce types.

+ Courgettes are easy to grow from seed but don’t go overboard as the plants are very productive. Sow in individual pots and keep in a warm, sunny position. Plant out as soil warms, giving them plenty of space, a sunny position and fertile, well-drained soil.

Words by: Carol Bucknell. Images via: Getty Images.

Not many houses left for sale in New Plymouth

Aug 01, 2017

New Zealand homes could ‘sell out’ in weeks

1 Aug, 2017 12:00 pm

Record fall in listings could see some of the country’s housing stock ‘sell out’ in weeks.

If no new listings come onto the market – many areas around the country could sell out in a matter of weeks.

The statement has come from one of the country’s largest property websites after July saw a “record fall” in new listings on realestate.co.nz

The latest statistics from realestate.co.nz indicated based on historical sales trends, stock in the capital would sell out in a mere six weeks.

Wellington had just 899 properties available for sale and in July saw just 582 new listings, 12.5 per cent less compared to the same period in 2016.

And if no new houses are listed for the country’s largest city, in a mere five months Auckland’s property stock would “sell out” in 23 weeks.

In Auckland new listings this July had dropped 13.9 per cent to 2,703, compared to July 2016.

The total number of residential properties available for sale in the city was 8,019 in July.

Realestate.co.nz spokeswoman Vanessa Taylor said the 7,933 new listings nationwide was the lowest number in any July month since its records began in 2007.

The site represented 97 per cent of all properties listed through registered real estate agents.

Taylor said elsewhere in the country the figures were also trending downwards.

“Of the 19 regions in New Zealand, all but one region (Nelson, which remained static), experienced a decline in the number of new listings in July compared to the previous year.

In the North Island the area that saw the most drop in listings, compared to the same period last year was the Waikato, a total of 612 new listings down 27 per cent, Bay of Plenty, 565 down 26.3 per cent and Taranaki, 163 down 22.4 per cent.

Meanwhile further south, the drops were even bigger with only 150 new listings in Central Otago/Lakes falling 32.4 per cent compared to July 2016, while Otago listings dropped by 28.8 per cent, with just 237 new ones this month.

Taylor said at the same time New Zealand’s average asking prices for homes fell by only 0.3 per cent from June, to $626,413 in July this year.

“It’s a classic case of supply and demand, we have seen a tightening in supply along with a decrease in demand which means a stable price environment.”

However, despite prices remaining steady overall a few regions did buck the trend with lifts in asking price of more than five per cent.

The largest rise was in the Coromandel, with an 11.2 per cent lift in asking price, to $761,096, compared to the previous month.

Northland followed with a 5.6 per cent rise to $557,564, Marlborough was up 5.4 per cent to $485,460 and the Central North Island up 5.1 per cent to $461,910.

At the other end of the scale, the largest falls in asking price for July compared to June were in Otago, down 7.9 per cent, to $351,729 and the Wairarapa down 7 per cent to $400,208.

12 WAYS TO CREATE INSTANT STREET APPEAL

Aug 23, 2016

12 ways to create instant street appeal

Article by YOUR HOME AND GARDEN

Whether you’re looking to sell or stay put, our handy guide explains how your house can create a fabulous first impression before you even open the door

How to create street appeal whether you’re selling or staying

Real-estate agents love to bandy the phrase “street appeal” about when selling houses – but there’s no doubt about it, people generally judge a house on how it looks from the street. Even if you’re planning to live in your home for ever, it’s still nice to think that the face it shows to the world is one that looks loved and cared for. Sadly, a scruffy front garden with cracked paving or a broken letterbox says the opposite. Here are 12 easy projects to help your house look its very best from the street.

1 Front of house

It may seem obvious but there’s no underestimating the impact a freshly painted front door can make on the look of a house. Or, if it works with the style of your place, you could buy a ‘designer’ door with hardware to match. Make sure the letterbox is up to scratch, too.

Pure soft oval pots, from around $75, from Palmers.

2 Clear the way between the gate and the front door

The route between gate and front door may be short but it also needs to be very obvious. If this is not the case, to avoid visitors stumbling around the garden trying to find the entrance, try placing a large pot or piece of sculpture on the path as a pointer to the door. Rerouting the front path might also be worth considering. But make sure new paths follow a natural access pattern to the door or you’ll risk people cutting through garden beds.

3 Separate spaces between the driveway and the pavement

If space allows, separate pedestrian and vehicle access with planting such as low hedges or tough perennials like dietes, dwarf flax or lomandra. Even simply using different paving materials for cars and people will avoid the front garden looking like a parking lot.

4 The right-size pathway

The path to the front door should be generous, 1200mm wide at least. Replace chipped and stained pavers, or remove old-fashioned paving units and lay more up-to-date ones. Larger pavers create a more spacious feel and can often be laid over existing concrete. Ideally, select paving colours which work well with existing materials in the garden and house exterior.

Pure ball pots, approx. $199 each, from Palmers.

5 Create a sense of arrival

Signal to visitors that they have arrived at your place with a lovely feature such as a large handsome pot, piece of art, decorative screen or architecturally shaped plant.

Portrait of Mass and Separation, 2012, by David McCracken, POA, from Gow Langsford Gallery.

6 Create an area to pause and admire the garden

If you have the room, create an area where people can pause and admire the garden en route to the front door. Place a bench or raised pond with wide edges for seating alongside the path perhaps, or add a lovely artwork.

Style slat fencing, 1200mm high, $188 per linear metre, from stratco.co.nz.

7 Get your front fence in shape

That front fences need to be in good nick goes without saying. If building a new boundary structure, consider stepping it back from the footpath a little so you can plant in front. This also leaves space for a lovely threshold area at the gate, separate from the public footpath.

8 Street wise

A great way of connecting your garden to the street is with screened openings in fences and walls. Burglars love high, imposing walls where no one can spot them from the street; strategically placed gaps would put a spanner in their works as well as allowing more light into the garden and creating a more interesting boundary structure.

9 Open up

Many contemporary homes, especially small ones, are opting for no boundary structures at all. This makes the front garden feel much bigger and sets off the architecture of the house beautifully. Carefully positioned trees, rocks and mounds can deter passers-by and animals from straying into the garden.

10 Create a planting plan

Without a fence, the planting in front gardens needs to be top-notch. Your plant selection should reflect the style of the architecture and be based on well-performing species. Don’t rely on annuals unless you plant them in pots and replace them regularly. Better to use low-maintenance species that have good form and foliage such as bromeliads, camellias, coloured flaxes, libertia, succulents, corokia, box and michelia.

11 Gateways

Like your front door, the front gate is a portal to the space between street and house. Its appearance is a marker of your personal style so don’t settle for the bland or average, particularly when there are some great custom-built designs around. Make sure existing gates are in good condition.

Orbit Dieter exterior wall light in copper, $49.98, from Mitre 10 MEGA.

12 Add some outdoor lighting

Well-designed outdoor lighting which highlights lovely architectural and garden features will significantly enhance the front of your house at night. Downlights marking steps, paving edges and the front porch are also essential.

Words by: Carol Bucknell. Photography by: Tobias Kraus; Robert Reichenfeld; Maree Homer; Anson Smart; Matt Lowden; Andrew Lehmann/bauersyndication.com.au.

Womad New Plymouth is planning to crack down on camping chairs

Jul 26, 2016

Womad New Plymouth is planning to crack down on camping chairs

TARYN UTIGER

Womad New Plymouth is planning to crack down on camping chairs.

Organisers of three-day music festival have received a number of complaints about camping chairs blocking views at various performances at Womad, which is held in New Plymouth’s TSB Bowl of Brooklands every March.

As it turns out, there’s always been a no camping chairs rule, but people haven’t been following it, Taranaki Arts Festival Trust chief executive Suzanne Porter said.

“We’ve always said no camping chairs – it’s even printed on the tickets, but it’s something that hasn’t been policed in the last few years,” Porter said.

Porter said this year’s post-festival survey had shown an increase in those who had an issue with the camping chairs, so action had been taken. However, sand chairs, which are lower than camping chairs, would still be allowed, she said.

The festival team announced the new enforcement on social media last week, and while many praised the decision, not everyone was happy.

Some said the decision was “stupid” and “ridiculous”, with one saying it would “alienate the oldies who can’t get up and down easily on sand chairs”.

“It is hard to please everyone in these sorts of instances. We’re monitoring the responses we’re getting on Facebook and taking note of the feedback against the policy. This decision is open to debate and we are happy that we’re getting varied responses in regards to the issue.”

Porter said if the ban was enforced there would still be a number of other options for people, including sand chairs.

“And we have the TSB Bank viewing platforms at our three main stages for over 65s. There is also an abundance of chairs in the global village food court and a number of areas with seating across the site.”

She said the Womad team was constantly seeking to improve the experience for festival goers and any feedback was taken seriously.

“I as chief executive read every comment and then we look for strong themes, issues and concerns coming through. We think debate is good and we want to keep our conversations going with our audiences,” she said.

Another change in the pipeline for Womad 2017 is that water in plastic bottles will no longer be sold on-site. Instead, the site will feature up market public water fountains.

“We’re also offering pre-wrsitbanding for all ticket types, and we’ve got some new site design pieces,” Porter said.

The full line-up for Womad 2017, set to be held on March 17 to 19, will be announced on October 18.

Three-day early-bird tickets go on sale on August 22, while the ezipay tickets are already available.

“We’ve had over 70 people sign up to the ezipay option, it seems to be growing in popularity each year,” Porter said.

“We get a variety of people – some paying off their own tickets, others paying off bundles of tickets for Christmas or birthday presents.

“We’d like to see more uptake of the ezipay option, it makes Womad affordable for everyone. It works out to be $6.68 a week if payed over 40 weeks for a three day ticket.”

– Stuff

Seaview Opportunity One Hour North Of New Plymouth

Jul 26, 2016

Seaview Opportunity One Hour North Of New Plymouth

KIRSTY MCMURRAY

Outstanding coastal opportunity just one hour north of New Plymouth, Mokau’s Seaview Holiday Park has been on the market since April but has not sold.

Realtor for the site, Alan Johnston, said there had been plenty of interest in the 43931m2 beach-front property but none of the tenders submitted had been acceptable to the owners

The campground has been granted resource consent to sub-divide the land into 31 sections and build 24 permanent freehold bach dwellings, a cafe and six character cabins.

In April some Mokau residents expressed concern the subdivision of the site would ruin the classic kiwi feel of the campground, but Johnston said most of the people who had been interested in the site had indicated they wanted to keep it as a campground.

“These people want to run it as it is,” he said.

Johnston said there had been some inquiries from locals and even more interest from people outside the region.

He said the property had not been on the market long and it was simply a matter of finding the right buyer.

“We’re just searching for the person who has the vision for this property.”

They were still fielding about one inquiry a week into the campground, he said.

– Taranaki Daily News

New Plymouth man’s quest to create free food for all

Jul 25, 2016

New Plymouth man’s quest to create free food for all

JEREMY WILKINSON garden

Everybody loves free food, and New Plymouth man Steve Brill is hoping to make home-grown food available to all.

Inspired by Guerilla Gardening in the United States, Brill has started a roadside garden project simply named “Food is Free” and is calling on the Taranaki community to start planting food crops in often unused roadside grass plots.

His idea is simple – people plant on their property bordering the roadside and put up a sign offering passers-by an opportunity to harvest what they need.

Brill is leading by example, having set up seven of the gardens around New Plymouth, growing everything from kale, cabbage and corn to strawberries.

Brill has been donated 20 of these signs, he just needs more gardens to post them on.

“It’s pretty much just me at this stage, and it’s a lot of work,” he said. “Although, I’ve got a few techniques up my sleeve like using mulch and cardboard to limit the time I spend weeding and watering.

“Mulch also holds water really well, means the gardens are very low-maintenance and you don’t have to water them too often, although this winter rain helps, too.”

However, Brill is in need of volunteers and donations of mulch and compost, but most of all he just needs more people to start planting.

“I don’t care if you’re a millionaire or don’t even have a dollar, the idea behind these gardens are they’re for everyone,” he said.

“Essentially, the more people that get behind it the better.”

Brill said he hadn’t always been so keen on healthy eating but after experiencing a few health issues a few years ago he began to get more interested.

“If you eat crap food you feel crap, if you eat good food you feel good, it’s that simple really.”

So far Brill’s gardens are up and running but the plants in them are still growing.

There are two free for the public to access on Omata Rd in New Plymouth.

Taranaki Daily News

New Plymouth’s CBD proves a success and shows growth

Jul 25, 2016

New Plymouth’s CBD proves a success and shows growth

BRITTANY BAKER - Taranaki Daily News

Retailers on Devon St say business is booming despite it being winter months, shining a positive light on the CBD's growth. — ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax News

New Plymouth District Council group manager of strategy Liam Hodgetts said fears profits were being steered away from the CBD were unfounded and moves were in place to ensure the inner city remained vibrant.
Venture Taranaki’s most recent statistics from 2015 show New Plymouth had a retail spend $438 million during the six months from July to December – $10 million more than the same period in 2013.

Of these profits, the CBD contributed 47 per cent while urban areas – which includes The Valley Mega Centre – accounted for 48 per cent. The remaining 5 per cent came from other areas in the district.

“We are looking at recent data that shows spending increased in the CBD by 11 per cent while The Valley dropped by 9 per cent,” he said.

An informal survey counting the number of empty stores on Devon St – between the Queen and Gover street intersections – shows 15 buildings are currently uninhabited. In comparison, in July 2011 when the same survey was carried out there were more than 20 empty stores.

Hodgetts said the city centre was in fact growing and The Valley had almost no impact on CBD retail

“The CBD offers specialty shopping and an experience whereas The Valley is more bulk shopping. I think there is quite a nice balance and they coexist nicely.”

Ten years ago, when the Valley Mega Centre was built, city shop owners worried the site would take profits away from the CBD.

Concern also surfaced recently when the public called for Kmart to move into the Ravensdown’s Waiwhakaiho site which is currently up for sale.

However, Hodgetts said it was unlikely a Kmart would open, despite current laws that prevent the council from saying no to a major outlet if they wished to purchase the site.

“We are being told that New Plymouth, and Taranaki as a whole, isn’t quite big enough to have a major outlet open here. We just don’t have enough catchment,” he said.

“That means the CBD has some time to develop and gives the council a better chance at protecting it.”

Protecting the CBD is also the focus of a district blueprint, a 30-year spatial plan that will guide council decisions to deliver more integrated social, economic and environmental outcomes for the community.

The blueprint is still in draft and will not be practised until September 2017.

Part of the blueprint included the Shaping Our Future Together initiative – a collaboration between the council, the Chamber of Commerce and the Business and Retailers Association.

Its focus will be on structural growth for the CBD and allow for more control from council, Mayor Andrew Judd said.

“The CBD is a challenge for all of us. We need more strategy and planning,” he said.

“We want to create the environment to encourage growth. Since the CBD is so stretched, we’re working on getting precincts across Devon St.”

The start of precincts began with the construction of the Len Lye Centre – which has increased the number of outside visitors and spending in the CBD by 40 per cent – chamber chief executive Richard Williams said.

“It’s the way of osmosis. The Centre has attracted art shops and galleries close to it. The West is turning into the artsy side of Devon St,” he said.

– Taranaki Daily News

Zoe Hobbs breaks New Zealand women’s under-20 record for 100-metre sprint

Jul 22, 2016

Zoe Hobbs breaks New Zealand women’s under-20 record for 100-metre sprint

Zoe Hobbs made her mark on the International Association of Athletics Federations world under-20 championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland this week by setting a New Zealand record in the 100m sprint.

Hobbs flew out of the blocks in her heat and stormed down the track to finish third in 11.53sec to secure an automatic qualifying position into the semifinals and set New Zealand under-20 and under-19 records in the process.

The 18-year-old-from New Plymouth, now living in Auckland and training under recently retired 2015 national 200m champion James Mortimer, said she was thrilled with her run to make the semifinals.

“I couldn’t believe it. I’m just amazed that I’ve broken the national record,” she said.

Hobbs, also a New Zealand surf lifesaving beach sprints representative, sliced 0.11sec from her personal best, which she set just five days earlier at a warm-up meeting for the New Zealand team.

Her time run saw her jump from 10th to fourth on the New Zealand women’s all-time list for the 100m event as she surpassed the record set by Hawke’s Bay teenager Briar Toop in 1990 at the Auckland Commonwealth Games.

“I got a good start and I knew I had to stay with them. I fought really hard to the end and realised I was very close to the second girl,” she said.

Hobbs was unable to secure a spot in the final eight to compete for the medal, however, as she finished fourth in her heat.

With a time of 11.67sec, she finished 0.9sec outside of the final qualifying spot and would have needed to reproduce something close to her stunning early run to have a chance.

– Taranaki Daily News

New Plymouth’s Marfell housing project overdue

Jul 22, 2016

New Plymouth’s Marfell housing project overdue

DAVID BURROUGHS – Taranaki Daily News

The Marfell housing project it overdue and needs to be sorted urgently, Labour says.

Labour spokesperson for social development Carmel Sepuloni talked with a number of key stakeholders in New Plymouth’s social welfare section on Thursday and said it was time for something to happen in the area.

“I did see Jonathan Young said it was time for progress in Marfell,” she said.

“Well it’s eight years ago that development was promised. It’s overdue, it’s not time for progress. Progress is way overdue.”

She said she would be looking to ask questions of Housing New Zealand about the state of the project.

“Often the way to prompt the government into action is to ask some really hard questions through official information act requests, because once you get all of the information required, once you make that information public, that can often affect them to shift into gear,” she said.

In 2008 a multi-million dollar project was promised for the area with plans drawn up to create reserves and improve roading.

A further 20 tenants were told to vacate their houses in 2012 but the entire plan was scrapped in 2014 due to the cost of the project, leaving about 30 houses sitting empty.

Sepuloni said housing featured heavily in the discussions she had while in New Plymouth, as well as the waiting times between switching onto benefits and the pressure food banks are under.

One of the issues was the fact students had to wait a week without money in between switching from a student loan to a benefit.

“They can’t save money to make up that one weeks rent,” she said.

“If you’re already on minimum wage, how are you going to save to cover rent, how are you going to buy food?”

– Taranaki Daily News

New Plymouth: The new hot spot

Jul 21, 2016

Aucklanders eyeing up investment and commercial properties in Taranaki

HANNAH LEE – Taranaki Daily News

Joe Carey, 26, and Vanessa Blyth, 24, have recently bought a house in New Plymouth after opting out of the near-impossible Auckland housing market.

Property investors are turning away from Auckland’s overheated property market and setting their sights on Taranaki’s residential and commercial buildings, industry figures say.

But despite sales volumes in June being 30 per cent higher than the previous year, with deals wrapped up 10 days faster, first-time buyers in Taranaki have been told there will be no repeat of the crisis currently affecting the country’s biggest city.

Garry Malcolm, owner/broker of RE/MAX NZ Team Realty New Plymouth, said as well as continued demand for residential properties, out-of-town buyers were beginning to eye up investment and commercial properties.

“We are certainly noticing greater interest across the board actually and we’re seeing a lot more investors coming from Auckland and looking at hotels and blocks of flats – that’s been quite prevalent in the last two months.”

However for less than half that price they have secured a five-bedroom house with a backyard – something they wouldn’t dream of back in the big smoke, he said.

“It was tough doing it from Auckland,” Carey said. “The selection was great, though houses were going really quick, especially in that $300,000 to $400,000 price bracket.”

They looked at a total of 19 houses in the area, fell in love with three and made offers “on a bunch”, before settling on a house in the suburb of Merrilands, he said.

Bayleys’ Property Beat monthly update reported June sales volumes for Taranaki rose 30 per cent compared to June 2015 figures.

It also took an average time of 39 days, 10 days less compared to June 2015, to sell houses in the area.

Neale Parkinson, of Bayleys, said they were seeing constant interest from Auckland in their commercial and residential listings.

“It’s a long way from the majority of our business but it’s certainly a factor in it to the extent where we had an expo where we took New Plymouth properties to the Auckland marketplace.”

The lower prices made it more appealing for commercial and residential investors to look to the regions, Parkinson said.

“The yields are so much better than what people can achieve in Auckland.”

Bayleys recently sold the former chief post office building in New Plymouth, reportedly for well over its 2013 Capital Valuation of $9,325,000. The unconditional sale will be finalised in early August.

But Professionals NZ agent Kris Rasmussen said interest from residential buyers coming from Auckland was neither new nor increasing from what he was seeing.

“I wouldn’t say it’s increased, we’ve seen Auckland buyers here for a while, it’s not quite what they’re saying that they’re flooding the gates.

“Anything under $450,000 we’re seeing multiple offers on and they’re not lasting on the market.”

Stories like the Careys were not uncommon with the median sale price in New Plymouth being $373,000, whereas Auckland’s median sale price sat around $820,000, Rasmussen said.

But there was most definitely a shortage of listings in New Plymouth, he said.

“I think it’s a worry for our buyers – they’re finding it really hard to find properties.”

– Taranaki Daily News

New Plymouth Local

What vegetables you should plant in your garden this October

What to harvest in October

What to plant in October

What to sow in October

12 ways to create instant street appeal

How to create street appeal whether you’re selling or staying

1 Front of house

2 Clear the way between the gate and the front door

3 Separate spaces between the driveway and the pavement

4 The right-size pathway

5 Create a sense of arrival

6 Create an area to pause and admire the garden

7 Get your front fence in shape

8 Street wise

9 Open up

10 Create a planting plan

11 Gateways

12 Add some outdoor lighting

Womad New Plymouth is planning to crack down on camping chairs

Seaview Opportunity One Hour North Of New Plymouth

KIRSTY MCMURRAY

New Plymouth man’s quest to create free food for all

New Plymouth’s CBD proves a success and shows growth

Zoe Hobbs breaks New Zealand women’s under-20 record for 100-metre sprint

New Plymouth’s Marfell housing project overdue

Aucklanders eyeing up investment and commercial properties in Taranaki