what's new at anita's garden this season

We’re now into the month of February, which is typically the hottest month of summer but has strangely been feeling like the start of autumn.  I thought it would be a good time for a seasonal update to keep you posted with developments around Anita’s Garden

Anita’s garden plant nursery is open!
I have some fantastic news.  I have re-opened my boutique plant nursery and am selling plants again.  I have a fantastic range of autumn and winter seedlings, which I hope to add more to over the coming months.
To make an appointment to visit the nursery, please text me on 021 02762091 (text is better than calling as I’m often out in the garden and can’t pick up).  Click here for a list of available stock.

Plants for autumn and winter
As you will have gathered from the re-opening of my nursery, I have been busy raising seedlings for autumn and winter.  One star variety which has done really well is the mini cabbage “Ranfurly” from Egmont Seeds.  The rate of germination was excellent and the seedlings look strong and healthy.  These plants have proved popular among customers so far and I look forward to growing it in the garden myself this winter.

You may recall me mentioning in a previous blog post that Egmont Seeds kindly gave me a variety of seeds to trial in the garden over autumn and winter, including a complete set of their range of broad beans as I was eager to do a growing trial and report back on the results of these different varieties.  Among them was a red-seeded broad bean which will hopefully form part of their collection and will probably be called Lucifer.  I am excited to be carrying out this work in collaboration with Egmont Seeds.

Egmont Seeds also gave me a range of pansies and viola to grow this season and I am pleased to report that they have been germinating well. I am looking forward to transplanting them into my hanging baskets and containers when they are large enough.  I will post photos to my Instagram account in due course.  To purchase seeds from Egmont Seeds, visit https://www.egmontseeds.co.nz/

The lovely Gillian Hurley-Gordon from Italian Seeds Pronto, the New Zealand distributor of Franchi seeds, has also given me a range of autumn and winter seeds from her range, including Black Tuscan Kale, Broccoli Calabrese, Cauliflower Romanesco, Cauliflower Macerata and the Onion Tropea Rosso Tonda.  I have already started to sow these seeds and look forward to having them in my nursery and garden this season.  To purchase seeds from Italian Seeds Pronto, visit http://www.italianseedspronto.co.nz/#
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Collaborations
At present, I am collaborating with the following gardening businesses:

• Egmont Seeds, New Zealand’s leading commercial and home gardener seed supplier
• Italian Seeds Pronto, New Zealand’s distributor of Franchi Sementi seeds from Italy
• Awapuni, a company which delivers seedlings and plants directly to your door

I am always on the look out for new businesses to collaborate with.  If you feel that you would like to work with me in promoting each other’s businesses, email me at anitakundu.nz@gmail.com
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Selling cut flowers
As many of you will be aware, I grow an exquisite range of flowers for making bouquets.  So far, we have just used these for ourselves in our house, but I am exploring whether it may be possible to sell them.  In particular, I am interested in supplying cut flowers from our garden on an on-going basis.  If you know of someone who may be interested – whether a restaurant, hotel or other business – please get in touch with me by email.  You can write to me at anitakundu.nz@gmail.com