A LITTLE PIECE OF ‘THYME OUT’ FOR YOU

Bi-Monthly Newsletter – November to December 2009

Wow, almost the end of the year – eek!!  My how time flies when you’re head down, butt up.

Right, got your drink, slippers, feet up…

Jobs to do in your garden during November include:

• Make the most of the fine weather we’re going to have – that’s positive thinking!
• If you haven’t prepared your vege garden, get in, turn it over and add lots of compost.
• Don’t plant the same crop in the same place, rotate your crops to prevent diseases and clever little pests from gathering in one spot.
• Basil planted next to tomatoes increases their flavour – yum.
• Get happy and experimental with seeds – have a ‘fling’!!  Wildflowers are great – they look wonderful, colourful and attract bees and butterflies – it’s all good.
• Spud time is here as the soil is nice and warm.  Remember to mound them up.
• Be ever vigilant for pesky slugs, snails, caterpillars, white butterflies and the like
• Fertilise your fruit trees and make sure they have plenty of water.
• Remember to deeply water newly planted plants every couple of days if it doesn’t rain.
• Definitely the time to ramp up the rose spraying.  Remember to alternate sprays each week.
• Treat your lawns as precious.  Don’t cut too short especially if the ground is still soggy.

Jobs to do in your garden during December include:

• Finish your Christmas shopping – yeah right!  That could be a ‘Tui’ ad.
• Think about organising your indoor plants if you’re going away – put them in a bath/tub of shallow water.
• Ensure your outdoor pots have water crystals in them – they’re fantastic!
• Keep an eye on your vege garden, it may need a spray of copper to keep powdery mildew at bay.
• Pinch out laterals (side shoots) on tall tomatoes, stake and feed weekly – or organise a neighbour to do it for you.
• Spray your fruit trees with copper.
• Have you gotten crazy with sowing flower/vege seeds yet?
• Don’t cut the leaves off your bulbs that have finished flowering.  They store the goodness for next year’s flowers!
• Fertilise your lawn and spray for prickles especially onehunga weed – OUCH!
• Mow your lawn a little higher as it gets warmer.  It’ll keep the moisture in the ground longer and your grass won’t die in the heat that we’re going to get – yep more positive thinking!!
• Breathe!

Did you know?

There is a new carpet rose out?  It’s called ‘Amber’ and was released in early October.  Bred for disease resistance more than ever before and therefore ‘loves’ the planet by reducing the sprays you normally use on roses!  Early spring sees blooms appear till late autumn and like all other roses needs 4-5 hours sunlight to flower.  No special pruning required – have you got hedge shears?  Then you can do it!

Especially for you:

• Set yourself time aside to do your Christmas shopping – don’t get caught up in the crowds.  I’d hate to see you on the 6 o’clock news trampling fellow shoppers!
• Get your 30 minutes a day of exercise.  Even a walk at lunchtime will make you feel so much better.
• Find a friend, go through the phone book and explore cafes around your local area – you’ll be amazed at what is out there.  Plus it’ll keep your dollars spent with local businesses.

I am so excited.  I have rewarded four clients in October with $50 ThymeOut vouchers – congratulations and thank you for referring me!

So, if you refer a friend/ relative/neighbour to me and they turn into a client, you’ll also receive a $50 ThymeOut voucher to use with me as my thank you.

Remember, do nothing and you’ll keep receiving my newsletters.  However, if you do not wish to receive them, please by all means let me know.

Take care, take Thyme Out and Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas to you all!

Regards,

Jo