The rose garden at the hospice became a haven in the weeks leading up to my mother’s death 25 years ago.

A West Auckland home gardener's hope of cutting her water bills by fitting a $150 irrigation meter has been dashed after Watercare Services quoted her $1500 for installation.

What fascinates me most about ti kouka is the flower.

It's the hottest day of the summer so far when I meet Tom Wichman.

The National Poisons Centre has analysed more than 11,000 inquiries it received after people came into contact with or ate poisonous plants and fungi.

What's in a garden? Well plants for a start, some paths and a bit of lawn, sometimes water but all together that doesn't make a garden. The one thing a garden always has in it that the natural world doesn't necessarily, is people.

Each week the Te Whanau O Waipareira Trust gives out 65 food parcels of rice, flour and tinned food. There's no fresh fruit or vegetables, but that's about to change with a community garden.

As far as useful plants go, nothing is quite so maligned as the poor old common mint. The connection between the plant and the phrase implying something is near new or "flash"

I love how the festive season gives us license to let loose and be creative in all sorts of areas. Some people bejewel their homes with fairy lights; most tackle the interior in some way to evoke Christmas for family and guests.

Today's lesson is about tree training. If you lop off a branch so your gordonia doesn't scratch your car as you back down the drive way, you are tree training.

The bees love it and so do we. Justin Newcombe extols the virtue of a purple garden treat.

Landscape gardener and Life columnist Justin answers your questions.

Justin Newcombe admits the error of his ways and gets rid of a nuisance tree in his garden.

For superior-scented lavender it helps to tweak growing conditions to imitate that of Mediterranean foothills, notes Meg Liptrot.

A good lawn makes a good garden, so it's worth a bit of hard yakka, says Justin Newcombe.

Landscape gardener and Life columnist Justin answers your questions.

Good companions will join forces to weed out the nasties, says Meg Liptrot.

Justin Newcombe shares his sure-fire methods for making black spot and blight walk the plank.

Alexia Santamaria rounds up some of the Auckland eateries serving up what they grow.

With so many admirers of his new deck, Justin Newcombe decided it needed easier access.

A Kiwi summer is about getting out in the backyard. Danielle Wright discovers that can mean a lot more just having than a sausage sizzle.

Clusters of themed pots can lift your garden's mood, says Meg Liptrot.