Fresh or dried, herbs add zest to cooking, perfume the house and have natural medicinal and cosmetic benefits. The fun of making pot pourri, tussie mussies, infused vinegars and pestos from your own garden is most rewarding. 

If you want to harvest tasty sweet peppers and fiery chillies this summer, here are some quick an easy growing tips and tricks:

Fruit trees provide delicious fruit full of health benefits and antioxidants but they can often also perform additional functions, such as shade in summer, blossom in spring and sometimes coloured leaves in autumn. Such a beautiful addition to any garden, and many can be grown in most areas, while a few have more particular requirements.

Once upon a time fruit trees could be found in every New Zealand garden but with today’s smaller gardens it is more difficult to find space. With careful selection, however, and knowing where to plant these trees can be accommodated and can thrive.

Easily grown outdoors throughout the season or in the glasshouse, these nutritious greens are a great addition to salads and sandwiches and are full of antioxidants for your better health.

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh vegetables straight from the garden. Add to this the satisfaction and sense of achievement, the savings, the knowledge that your vegetables are free of pesticides and you have some very powerful reasons for growing your own vegetables.

Tomatoes would easily be the most popular vegetable grown in the home garden. There is also something immensely satisfying about picking your own tomatoes for months on end. They produce more than other vegetables from a small space with yields of 5 kg per plant not being uncommon.

There is nothing quite like the taste of new potatoes straight from the garden. Add to this the satisfaction and sense of achievement, the knowledge that your potatoes are free of pesticides, and the savings in money...now you have some very powerful reasons for growing your own!