Ashburton Courier: August 13, 2020

14 Ashburton Courier, August 13, 2020
ADVERTISING FEATURE
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
HOME &GARDEN
New garden nursery growingstrong
Paul Woodhouse has
reconnected with gardening
and is keen to share his
knowledge with others. He
operates ahome­based nursery
off Harrison Street, in Allenton,
selling vegetable and herb
plants of all varieties, tiger
worms, worm feed andfree
range eggstothe public.
He says it wouldn’t be
possible without the support of
his regulars who frequented
Paul’s former business, which
he ran withhis father, Kevin, on
Bridge Street, in Netherby.It
was agardening enterprise
where the men passionately
nurtured seedlings for
gardeners aroundthe district
until Kevin’s retirementlast
year when the business was
closed.
“If it weren’tfor the regular
customersfrom Bridge Street, I
wouldn’t be doing this.”
Paul was working at
Wastebustersand just prior to
lockdown sought achange of
direction. He left that jobin
February–thinking he might
enjoy aholiday before working
again. Then Covid­19 struck and
he got alonger holiday than
planned.
Paul has now picked up the
mantle –orinthis case a
Paul Woodhouse, of Paul’s Garden Nursery, reconnecting with gardening at his Allenton home.
gardening fork –and reopened
his own nursery venture, with
the support of partner Sandra
Hall, out of their home. The
entrance is via Clark Street.
Paul’s Garden Nurseryisnot
only offering vegetable, flower,
tomato andherb plants, free
range eggs and tiger worms, but
there is aselection of artworkspainted
by Sandra ­also
available for viewingand
purchase.
“Lockdown forced me to do
this,” he said, but he couldn’t be
happier. He has restocked his
backyard garden, kitting it out
with sheds, agreenhouse and
worked getting endless planting
trays of stock to differentstages
of growth. Paul says anything
not grown or made on site is
sourced from within Mid
Canterbury, such as the free
range eggs which were from
reliable supplier, Charlie’s
Chooks of Mayfield. His
operation, which has eftpos, is
open daily; from 9amto5pm
Monday to Saturday,and
Sunday 10am to 3pm. People
visiting canpick up theirgarden
and vegetable plantsand get
gardening advice. And as
before, Paul is keen to help
make vegetable gardening
affordable for peopleonlow
incomes.
Hotselling items are always
the tomato and courgettes
plants, but Mid Cantabrians also
like theirleeks, which Paul will
plant and sell in bundles. He
always sells out of leek plants.
Everything for sale is able to
be planted into the ground. If
it’s notonsale, it’s too earlyfor
planting, he said. Paul is keen to
teach people how to garden–for
those new to the idea of growing
their own vegetables –and he
can show them what to do, what
grows when andhow best to
grow produce. He is an advocate
of good composting and sells
tiger worms, in 250gram lots, as
well as sourced worm juice to
help break down food scraps
and fertilise the soil. He said
tiger worms weredifferent from
aregular garden variety, and
designed to break down food
scraps butnot bone, egg shells
or onion skins.
Vegetable planting
Gardeners can be seducedby
mildweatheratthis timeofyear,
as the temptationistosow seeds
in open ground, even though the
soil is cold andwet.
Those who succumbtothe lure
of awarmer day or two will lose
mostseeds.Main­crop carrots,
parsnips,peas, beet andpotatoes
can wait until the endofnext
month to be sown. Patience will
pay off with strong, healthy plants
as the reward for delaying
sowing.
However, small quantitiesof
spinach,stump­rooted carrots,
hardierlettuce,mustard, cress
and turnips can be sownnow.
Peasand leekscan be sownunder
cover, for planting out later.
If dwarf, quick­maturing peas
(Earlicrop Massey or Novella)are
sownatthe same timeasmaincropvarieties,
such as
Greenfeast,anatural succession
of cropswill occur. Althoughthey
are more resistant to frostifsown
in autumn, broadbeanscan be
sownnow, as the seedwill
germinate at low temperatures.
Onions can still be sown, if soil
conditions allow. Hoearound
springcabbages to stir soil
hardened by winter rains.
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