Far from being boring, winter vegetables jazz up our meals.

If your pruning is behind take a brave approach with secateurs.

Clever planting and decorative touches hint at maturity, writes Carol Bucknell.

When we talk about the French urban garden it conjures images of a courtyard with cafe-style iron table and chairs to sit at for a coffee in the sun.

We kiwis love a good deck. They suit the design of most of our houses, are perfect for the casual barbecues we love so much.

Hope, recovery and restoration are what Matariki and the Maori new year are all about and this Auckland project has it in spades.

Good outdoor furniture can move your living spaces outside, writes Carol Bucknell.

After days of anticipation the Auckland Domain Winter Garden's 'corpse flower' is expected to come in to full bloom today.

When planning A food garden, understanding your site is the key to success. Analyse the conditions of your site and you'll be harvesting tasty crops in next to no time.

While our gardens take a breather over winter and we retreat from life in the gardening fast lane, this is a perfect moment to take stock of your site and get planning.

Earth and all its occupants need trees, so let's get digging.

Plants snooze about now — the time to prune and transplant them.

The gold-standard autumn destinations in New Zealand are in the South Island. Our leafy colonial settlements are up there on the world stage for autumn beauty.

The colour red gets attention. It is the primal colour of fire, evoking passion, vitality and celebration in many cultures.

All mums deserve pampering, and Mother's Day is the official day when that special treatment is obligatory.

The Flanders poppy is the real plant behind the red flower which has become an international symbol of remembrance for soldiers who gave their lives during the world wars.

Autumn might be wind-down time for many plants but the slightly cooler temperatures and increased moisture in the ground make it the ideal time to sow new lawns and rejuvenate existing turf.

Take advantage of the daylight hours and make hay (or compost) while the sun shines.

Seeds saved from your best crops will look after you in seasons to come.

Fruit harvesting is a topical issue where I live. Once again, we're in the the eye of a biosecurity storm and troops of fluorescently clad officers are walking door to door to curb the spread of the dreaded Queensland fruit fly.

On a baking hot afternoon in December, our 18-year-old nephew Mark drove us around remote roads in the high country above Kaikoura, doing a great job of showing us the local sights.

Sharpen your shears and take to the fruit trees to prepare for the coming winter.

Over the summer holidays we caught a sea shuttle from Kaiteriteri Beach and spent a week with my family at a holiday house in Awaroa Inlet in the Abel Tasman National Park.

Worm farms, compost heaps, beehives and vege gardens. Auckland businesses

Gil Hanly's garden is a verdant wonderland in Mt Eden. On a sweltering day a welcome wave of cool, forested air greets the visitor at the gate.

The Heroic Garden Festival offers the chance to visit 26 gorgeous Auckland gardens.

Herne Bay’s community garden will be under new management.

Renting can be hard for creative people because we want to enhance beauty and you're not allowed to change much, but gardening is one way you really can do that.