SandRa Timmins

It’s Not You, It’s Me…

November 25, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

How many times have I written this post without publishing it? Several times; it’s like trying to pen a break up letter to someone you’re actually in love with but you know it’s just not going to work out… It’s not you, it’s me. Honest!

In actual fact, this will work as a nice in to what it is I want to write; what I need to write.

Stoney Ground Herbs has been running for eight years now. It has taken me on some terrific and unexpected journeys. For one, I did not imagine I would send plants all around New Zealand, I set up thinking I would just be servicing the Kāpiti region (we were living in Paekakariki at the time). I did not expect to be supplying dried herbs for set designers working at TV production companies (cracker year that one!). I did not realise that my articles on Maramataka Māori would be more popular than any herb article I’ve written.

I have had successes, I have had failures, I have loved sharing my knowledge, I have wished I received more feedback, I have put my heart and soul into growing my plants and I have been rewarded knowing that most were going to gardens/gardeners with the same energy.

But it’s time to tread another path my friends.

I have loved supplying you with plants (or entertainment!) – but now I want to supply people with my own take on fruit wines (more often than not herbs are involved in my brews). Bit of a jump I know, but this is where my heart is now. I’ve been making fruit wines for four years but it’s going to take another year before I will legally be able to sell my wines. I don’t have a website yet (not much point until I’m legit) but if you would be interested in when I’ll be up and running, contact me through the contact form and I’ll put you on my mailing list. I have an Instagram account here @catalystfruitwines.

I was going to wait until the end of the season but covid has sped things along with sending difficulties and cancelled markets. I think it’s only fair to everyone that I shut up shop now. If you are on my white sage email list I will still contact you if and when I have plants available. But please do support these other businesses that I’m sure have been dealing with their own setbacks… or not! Support them anyway…

Kahikatea Farm permaculture, many herbs and trees, based in Hawkes Bay
Puriri Lane perennial specialist, herbs and flowers, based in Drury, Auckland
Marshwood Gardens Salvia and Artemisia growers plus more, based in Invercargill
Heirloom Perennial Plant Nursery the name says it all, based in Nelson
Meadowsweet, sells herbs from her gate in Waikuku, Canterbury, may sell seeds later
Shaman’s Gardens, herb plants and herb products, based in Motueka

If I find I just can’t help but propagate more plants I will possibly sell on Trade Me, but we’ll see… I might actually focus on my own gardens… and Catalyst Fruit Wines!

So there we go, do I push the publish button? Golly…

Well, I’ve just had a natter to my plants and yep, they are in agreeance that it’s time, all a bit nerve wracking; am I doing the right thing? Will I regret this? Will I piss people off? ~ actually, don’t care! Will my fruit wines absolutely rock your fkn socks off? I bloody hope so!

Remember to check out my insta account Catalyst Fruit Wines and contact me to go on my mailing list (you can just write Catalyst in the message or Wine, whatever!).

OK folk, love ya, grow well, keep on growing, look up Mark Manson, use your herbs (it’s the best way to keep them shipshape), support small businesses, be vocal, speak up, yes protest, but also tell people that they’re doing a stellar job or you love their stuff, be effusive (but not, too like, scary full on eh!), trust your instinct, do what you love, accept that passions ebb and flow, acknowledge when the tide of passion is out and not coming back, grow old gracefully, plant a tree, feed others, unless you’re hurting others~ don’t buy into guilt, you’re doing a great job. You are enough. I am enough and it’s time to stop blabbering… so hard to say good bye!!!! 😥😂 See ya!!!!!

Maramataka Māori for Whiringa-ā-rangi, 5th Nov- 4th Dec

November 5, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

Do you have a particular music album that you listen to to get you motivated? I have several, today’s choice is Keep on Pushing (2001) by The Black Seeds… Feel free to dance dance the night away as tonight is Whiro, New Moon (in Scorpio) while I keep on pushing writing our Maramataka guide for Whiringa-ā-rangi, the sixth month of the Māori year. (Good lord I hope there’s some old Black Seeds fans out there that get my drift here! 😂)

Reminder; I follow the Ātiawa version of te Maramataka Māori, other iwi will have differences in names of nights and/or their order.

OK, let’s get our hands in the dirt and forget about the outside world for a while eh…

Black elder plants for sale, new zealand — *_{Must be closer to summer, the elders are flowering!}*

Tirea + Haohaoata + Ōuenuku, 6,7,8th November

Plant comfrey root cuttings now if you haven’t already. Some people bemoan comfreys spreading habit, but it’s a wonderful plant as a living mulch under your fruit trees. Leaves can be used as a (stinky!) compost tea or laid in trenches before you plant your potatoes.

If shield bugs are an issue, plant mustard or cleome as catch crops (meaning, with fingers crossed, the shield bugs will go for these plants and not your prized tomatoes!)

Get mulches sorted if you’re in an area prone to dry summers. Mulch is just so important in this climatic day and age.

Keep on planting out your seedlings if weather is nice (it’s gone bloody cold here). And keep sowing crops for all summer eatting; corn, beans, cucumbers, late tomatoes etc.

Tamatea angaanga, 11th Nov

A good day for cropping/harvesting. Harvest herbs to dry; make sure it is a fine day and the foliage is dry before harvesting. Dry in a warm dark space like a hot water cupboard – don’t dry in the sun if you can help it. If you’re harvesting lemon balm to dry be real careful you don’t bruise the leaves.

Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis — *_{Lemon Balm}*

Māwharu, 16th Nov

Foliar spray the māra with your organic spray of choice. Plant/sow green beans and any other crop that is not intended for long term storage.

Rākaunui (Full Moon) + Rākaumatohi, 19, 20th Nov

Plant your root crops

Tanagaroa piri a mua, 27 Nov

Keep on doing what you’re doing; planting, sowing, checking for insects (got enough good ones?), diseases (mildew is becoming more common plus other fungal issues, if this is the case at your place check out this article here), weeding. Hopefully not putting out too many fires! (That’s a nod to you Ginny! 😜)

Mauri, 1st December

Tools down, take it easy, relax, rest. Coming up to the New Moon.

But if the world is all getting a bit too much, get back out there! Avoid social media if it’s making you angry, they want you angry, stay true to who are and what you believe in, hold the earth close, the best self care you can practise is caring for the planet, caring for Papatūānuku and caring for those you love. Keep it simple xx

Chamomile by Seed

October 24, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

This year I’ve had a few people ask me for Roman chamomile (lawn chamomile) plants in bulk- like 20 or so. And I, astute business woman that I am, tell them that I don’t have that many and they’d be better off sowing seeds.

To follow on with my astute business woman theme – instead of jumping onto this obvious need and making sure I have bulk quantities of Roman chamomile available, I’m going to tell you exactly how to go about growing your own. Let me empower you!

It really is very easy, but only if you know a couple of tricks that I’m going to let you in on…

These instructions as such, are relevant for both German and Roman chamomile.

To learn more about chamomile, why you should grow it, difference between types and uses, go to my article here.

German Chamomile plants for sale in NZ — *German chamomile, Matricaria recutita*

If you have seed already you’ll notice that it is really fine. (Seeds are available at Kings seeds). Trick #1 Mix the seed with sand or if you have no sand, a wee bit of your fine seed raising mix. Sprinkle this onto your seed raising tray (that is already filled with seed raising mix and pre-moistened). It will now be evenly distributed- no fiddly seed wrangling to be done. Cover very lightly with seed raising mix or vermiculite if you have it. Give it a spray and leave in a sunny sheltered spot.

Don’t let the seeds dry out, spray daily (just water eh!). Within seven days or so you should be starting to get a tray of greenery. You want to keep them in their tray until they start looking quite ferny. Trick #2 it’s to your advantage if they get a bit root bound at the bottom of the tray, so don’t be in too much of a hurry to move them on.

How to grow chamomile from seed — *_{Chamomile seedlings just coming up.}*

Whilst your seeds are growing you need to sort out the area where you’re going to be planting them.

German Chamomile; Get it weed free and don’t enrich the soil too much, if at all. Unless of course you want floppy stems, which trust me you don’t – makes for very tedious harvesting. More info on growing German chamomile can be found here… where I also happen to sell the plants themselves.
Roman Chamomile; Weed like your life depends on it, then leave to see if you get another flush of weeds- then get those buggers out because trying to weed an established chamomile lawn is a real bitch – especially if its grass or buttercup coming up.

Right. Everything ready? Here’s Trick #3… With a knife you’re going to cut up your tray of seedlings into about 1 inch blocks.

Growing Chamomile from seed — *_{Hairy blocks ready to be planted out}*

You can do this within your tray (easiest if you have a large tray) or gently tip your tray up and lay your whole block down and cut from here. It’s at this point you’ll see why it’s good to have roots a wee bit bound up.

Now it’s just a matter of planting those puppies out, for German chamomile (as pictured) go for about 30cm apart. Roman about 20cm apart, don’t worry, they’ll join hands soon enough and you’ll have a scrummy lawn to lie on in no time! (For more info on growing Roman chamomile go to my plant listing here.) If possible do your planting out on an overcast day.

If rabbits are a problem, fence your chamomile patch, Peter Rabbit is no joke! Damn you Beatrix Potter!

Maramataka Māori for Whiringa-ā-nuku, 7 Oct-4 Nov

October 4, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

The 5th month of the Māori year, Whiringa-ā-nuku, starting on Thursday 7th October (Oketopa)~

Kua tino mahana te whenua
The earth has now become quite warm

Thank the goddess as I’m ready for a bit more warmth. Warmth does drag its feet here in Eketāhuna but it’s still warmer than it usually is and things are a-happening.

*_{Art work by Sofia Minson, her work is amazing, check it out}*

So what to do to facilitate all this mad rush of growth? ~ Let’s get into by starting with the third day….

Haohaoata, 9th October

A very good day for planting kūmara or any seed. Basically, the gates are open kids, all seed is fair game (except seeds best sown in autumn, like coriander and a lot of brassicas). If you’re cool climate like me remember to sow your leek seeds this month, to be planted out in December.

Between New Moon (Whiro, 7th Oct) and First Quarter (Tamatea angaanga, 13 Oct) get stuck into your weeding, they’ll come up a dream. Prick out and transplant seedlings if your climate is kind. Keep a keen eye out for slugs and snails, Quash is the most acceptable slug/snail bait that I know of for an organic garden.

Māwharu, 28th Oct

Foliar feed your garden and fruit trees.*

Māwharu is a great day for planting out, but the produce won’t keep so well. So, for example, plant out your green beans (snap beans) but wait ’til Rākaunui to plant out beans you’re planning to dry.

Rākaunui, 21 Oct + Rākaumatohi, 22 Oct

Get your roots down; sow carrots, parsnips, main crop potatoes, beetroot, jeruselum artichokes, echinacea.

*For the following few days it is so so or not very good to be working in the garden according to the Maramataka. Which is a bit of a shame because it is Labour Weekend, a traditional gardening weekend in Aotearoa. But gosh, you know what, you don’t have to be a slave to the Moon calendar – like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, you’ve still got to use your common sense. Don’t foliar feed/spray your plants if it is raining… If you don’t have time to do something that the Moon calendar dictates on a certain day, don’t beat yourself up about it. If you do things out of sync the world isn’t going to fall apart and your garden isn’t going to die. This is a guide, not a rule book!

Korekore piri ki ngā tangaroa, 28th Oct – Ōrongonui, 1st Nov

Seed sowing, planting out, mounding up potatoes, dividing herbs, slug and snail hunting.

Get in there and enjoy 🍃

And then take a step back, admire what you’ve got going on and what you’ve set in place to happen…

Amazing and super exciting isn’t it?

*_{Borage and Calendula brightening the māra up}*

Maramataka Māori for Mahuru, 7th Sept-6th Oct

September 5, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

Hey ho! Kia ora and haere mai to this lunar months gardening guide. Mahuru is the fourth month of the Māori lunar year starting with the New Moon on the 7th September (Hepetema), running this guide to the 6th October (Oketopa).

I hope you have been holding yourself well during this lockdown, it’s felt a bit rougher this time hey.

But. Weren’t we lucky to have that stunning weather for the Last Quarter moon just been; hope you were busy in the māra making the most of it.

Haohaoata, 9th September

You’re good to go for seed sowing today. If you do successive sowing (sowing say, lettuce + spinach every 2-3 weeks so you have your food continuously and not in one glut) the moon has your back. According to the Maramataka Māori , ideal seed sowing days are Haohaoata (third day after New Moon), Rakaunui (Full moon) and Tangaroa piri a roto (one day after last quarter). Quite nicely spaced out aren’t they.

Ōuenuku, 10th Sept – Tamatea angaanga, 13th Sept

These are good days to be planting out, but only if you live in frost free areas or have cloches for your wee plants. Prick out seedlings into more nutritive potting mix.

Weed, weed, weed, keep on top of it- spring growth can make weeds grow bigger than your intentional plants!

A lot of herbs are prolific self seeders, you might have some catnip, lemon balm, motherwort, clary sage etc popping up. Let them be if they’re not going to overcrowd less rambunctious plants or pot them up and give away to friends.
In your weeding do remember that plants that have been dormant over winter will be coming up, echinacea, lady’s mantle, lovage and French tarragon for example, so don’t pull them up as well.
If you are weeding someone else’s garden please confer with the owner. One persons’ weed is another persons’ treasured plant. Plus they’ll be able to tell you where dormant plants ought to be.
And hey, how about checking out a foraging guide – those weeds might make a beauts spring soup or salad!

Māwharu, 18th Sept

He rā tino pai tēnei me te ono kai, he nunui te kūmara engari kaore e roa ka pirau he rā pai ki te hē ika.
A very good day for planting but the produce does not last for very long. A good day for fishing.

This is the day that I will be planting my early taewa (potato). The Jersey Bennes that will be eaten at Christmas and throughout summer for our potato salads. Early potatoes are called as such because they generally take 90 days from planting to harvesting, main crop potatoes take up to 120 days. Really, they should be called fast potatoes (earlies) and slow potatoes (main)… Just don’t be a couch potato! (sorry, couldn’t help myself!) Especially on this day; we’re three days away from the full moon and it’s swell timing to be foliar feeding the garden and fertilising your fruit trees too.

Rākaunui (Full Moon), 21 Sept + Rākaumatohi, 22 Sept

Sow carrots, beetroot, parsnip, radish, all those tap root vegies. Keep prepping your garden beds with compost and digging in your cover crops. Mulch any citrus trees you have. After Rākaumatohi have a wee break before we get to the Last Quarter period. Spring Equinox is on the 23rd, do something special perhaps.

Tangaroa piri a mua, 29 Sept – Ōrongonui, 3rd Oct

Last Quarter… If you can imagine me rubbing my hands together in glee, this is me every Last Quarter. It is a super productive time; harness the energy of this marama phase and get busy! From here until Ōrongonui all days are very good days for planting, sowing seeds, taking divisions, making compost and prepping beds.

As I said earlier, Tangaroa piri a roto (30th Sept) is the day of all days during this period, not only for sowing seeds but also for planting out your kūmara and main crop taewa (potato). If there’s still risk of frost in your area have frost cloths at the ready, potato plants have zero tolerance to frosty weather.

For ideas of what to be sowing look at last months (Hereturikōkā) guide.

Mauri, 3rd October

And we rest. As the moon moves into its darkness it is time to take stock on what we’ve achieved, or not, rest and relax.

And that folks might be me. I’m in the process of slowing things down here at Stoney Ground Herbs with my eye on following a different path… More news to come~💚

Level 4

August 21, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

Well, here we go again. Lockdown, Level 4.

_{Cheers to staying home, cheers to homemade Cherry and Elderberry wine!}

I’ll get straight to the point (well, as straight as I can get!). Courier agencies are putting it into businesses hands as to whether we regard our products as “essential”. The Government definitely has clear guidelines on what is essential, plants aren’t on it and couriers are recommending to hold off on sending perishables due to the delay in deliveries..

So. I will not be sending plants for the month of August. Come September, if we are still in lockdown levels 4 or 3, I am regarding my products as essential. Gardening is so good for the heart, soul, mind and body and by September we will need everything we can get that will keep us in a healthy state of mind and being. Not to mention that its optimum gardening time and to be totally frank I will need some cash flow happening by then!

Fortunately I stocked up on Daltons Organic Potting Mix weeks ago, and I had made a decision actually just days before the UN IPCC report that instead of buying new (uniform) pots for my plants this season I would first use up all my odds and sods. Cleaned and sterilised in the sun of course.

In the meantime, remember to check out my guide for gardening by the moon, Aotearoa styles for this time period, you’ll find it right here.

Stay safe, be wise and feel free to let me know what plants you’ll be after over the next few weeks, to be fair a lot are not going to be ready until October in any case, can’t rush these things 🌿

Maramataka Māori for Hereturikōkā, August 9th-6th Sept

August 7, 2021 By SandRa Timmins 3 Comments

Kia ora! And here we are in Hereturikōkā, the third month of the Māori year, starting on the night of the New Moon, the 9th August.

Hey so let’s talk about the months while we’re here… The months as we know them in English/Western world are based on the Gregorian calendar. At the moment it’s August. In te reo Māori, August is Ākuhata. Hereturikōkā is not another name for August, Hereturikōkā is the name for the third month of Maramataka Māori; the Māori lunar calendar. You follow? For a more comprehensive explanation go to this blog post from Tuhi Stationary (hmmm, their website appears to be down at the moment, I will update the link ASAP, Possible being the operative word!)

Gregorian Months in Te Reo

January…… Hānuere
February…… Pēpuere
March…… Māehe
April…… Āperira
May…… Mei
June…… Hune
July…… Hūrae
August……. Ākuhata
September……. Hepetema
October…… Oketopa
November……. Noema
December…… Tihema

Maramataka Māori, Lunar Months

1; Pipiri (generally in June/Hune from the first New Moon)
2; Hōngongoi
3; Hereturikōkā
4; Mahuru
5; Whiringa-ā-nuku
6; Whiringa-ā-rangi
7; Hakihea
8; Kohitātea
9; Huitanguru
10; Poutūterangi
11; Paengawhāwhā
12; Haratua

I’ve always felt a bit conflicted with my headings, i.e. Maramataka Māori for Hōngongoi/July. I don’t want to mislead people in thinking A) Hōngongoi is te reo for July B) That my guide is going to lead you from the 1st of the month to the last day. But I do want to make it obvious for people whom aren’t familiar with the names of the Māori lunar calendar (which I dare say is the vast majority) as to what time period on the Gregorian calendar we’re looking at. This has all led me to an Ah-ha! moment “Maramataka Māori for Hereturikōka, August 9th- Sept 6th” It will work for now, but I feel it will need more tweaking…

Anyway, less theory and more practical, what are we to do this month? Getting ready for some major action is what we’re doing. We’re coming up to the most busiest, changeable, exciting and nerve wracking time of the gardeners year; not just this month, but for the next 3-4 months… Plants are budding. Will they get nailed by a frost? Seeds are sown. Will they grow? Seedlings are coming up. Is a hail storm on the way? So many flowers and blossoms. When will this wind stop? Plants are ordered. Will they arrive in one piece? (Hopefully if you ordered from me they’ll be right as rain!)

Haohaoata, 11th Ākuhata (August)

He pō ahua pai tēnei mō te hī koura, tuna, koura ono kūmara ono hoki i ētahi atu kākano
A very good day for planting kūmara or any seed, also crayfishing or torching eels, especially if the moon is out of sight.

If you grow kūmara, today is the day to put the tubers into sand boxes for the tupu (young plants) to grow. Kūmara need at least 3.5 months of beautiful summer months to produce a crop. Failing that, I know a few people whom grow them as marvellous vining house plants! (Kūmara are part of the Convolvulacea family… convolvulus… Gah!)

I would only sow seeds at this time if you have heat pads and a glasshouse or conservatory to transfer the seedlings to. If you can hold on, wait until Last Quarter which personally is my preferred period for sowing seeds.

Tamatea angaanga, 15th Aug

Not really the place to say (i.e. we’re all about the māra (garden) here) but it is a a very good day for fishing today. Make a wicked brew for your garden from the guts and bones!

Māwharu, 20th Aug

A good day for planting and/or pricking out seedlings. Foliar spray your garden with a nice organic brew- seaweed, fish, compost tea, vermiliquid. Remember to water it down until it looks like weak tea. Steer clear of very young plants or else it would be like feeding prime steak to a breastfed baby!

Rākanui + Rākaumatohi, 23 + 24th Aug

In frost free areas you can plant your early potatoes during this period. If you have covers or cloches for your gardens you can direct sow carrots and beetroots.

Over the next few days get your seed trays cleaned and dried, work out where you’re going to do your seed raising, get all your bits and bobs sorted, seed raising mix, labels, heat pads, cold frames, seeds! Do a couple of night patrols for slugs and snails (head torch, bucket of hot soapy water, non squeamish children).

Korekore piri ki ngā tangaroa, 30th Aug

Kicking into the Last Quarter period now – get into the garden and get busy! Everyday is a very good day for planting and sowing seeds until the 4th September. Most exceptional day for planting of anything is Tangaroa piri a roto, the 1st September.

Seeds to sow in the north/frost free areas; cabbages, cauliflowers, celery, lettuce, radishes, silverbeet, spinach + spring onions, broccoli, cucumbers + zucchini. Tomatoes, capsicum, chillies and eggplant; in trays indoors, need 20© day and night to germinate so will probably need a heat mat.

Seeds to sow in the south/cold inland areas; broadbeans, cabbages, kohlrabi, lettuces, onions, radishes, peas, silverbeet. Tomatoes, capsicum, chillies and eggplant; in trays indoors, need 20© day and night to germinate so will probably need a heat mat. Zuchinni + cucumber can be tried inside too. But only do these last five if you have a warm place to put them when they’re ready to be pricked out and to grow on until it’s warm enough to put them outside/in the garden.

Mauri, 5th September (Hepetema)

Tools down. Relax. Plot where everything is going to go. Order some perennial seedlings (herbs of course 😉) as a lot will be coming available by now. And prepare yourself for next lunar month, we’ll be going flat stick!

Reminder; I follow the Āti awa version of Maramataka Māori, there are many other versions that will differ. For more info about gardening by the moon read this post here.

Hold Onto Your Britches, We’re Going Left Field…

July 15, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

Well, I was going to do a simple post about pruning Elder trees (Sambucus nigra). But I’m unable to keep it simple; because to prune an Elder it’s not enough to know technique, you must know legend as well.

I’m quite sure, if you follow me, that you know I talk to my plants, or at least have a fair idea that I’m a little hmm, quirky 😜. But even if you don’t feel like the plants are engaging in a conversation with you (some can be quite chatty!) it’s still an important thing to do (in my opinion). Tell them what you would like them to do (grow big and beautiful). Tell them they are big and beautiful. Tell them what you are about to do to them. The latter being the most important when it comes to Elder…

There is a wealth of folklore, legend and history that portrays the Elder tree as a powerful female energy of great wisdom. Known as the ‘Queen of the Trees’ and ‘the Witches’ tree’, the Elder has the calm wise energy of a Grandmother, Crone, elder or wise woman. She was feared as well as respected, for it was believed that she could wreck havoc if angered or offended. If an Elder needs to be cut back, let the tree know first and work with respect for its life force. If it is to be cut down completely, well, you had better have a good reason!
Glennie Kindred, from the book Earth Wisdom

Country folk back in the day would never dream of sleeping under her branches for fear of being whisked away to fairyland. Furniture would not be made from her wood (unless proper etiquette had been performed) for fear of the dryad Hyld-Moer (Elder tree Mother, Danish) following what she sees as her property and haunting the owners. But also, the Elder was planted near houses for its perceived protection from evil forces.

The take home message here is; give this tree a lot of respect and ask for permission before taking anything off her, whether its her leaves/flowers/berries or whole branches for pruning’s’ sake.

Lady Ellhorn, give me some of thy wood, and I will give thee some of mine when it grows in the forest.

One final note is do not burn Elder wood. There is a superstition, that to do so will bring a death within the family… And a practicality of the fact that the wood is crap to burn!

I present Queen Elder…

Keeping with practicalities let’s move onto the actual pruning… If you live in an area where Elder grows wild (as it is wont to do) you will know that it does absaloutly fine without human intervention. But if you have a tree on your property you may want to think about giving it a prune every two or three years. To ensure that it stays healthy and in check, and so that you can keep flowers and berries within relatively easy reach.

Late winter is the time to do this job, whilst the leaves are off and you can see what you’re doing but the leaf buds are only just emerging, so you can also see what branches are viable and where to cut. She does like to throw out some useless shoots!

This tree here, whom prefers the term ‘Queen’ than ‘Grandmother’ is of indeterminate age and has never been pruned. You can see why she called me over (I was pruning another); there’s a whole lot of useless water shoots, un-productive stems, crossing over branches and others reaching for the sky.

Like fruit tree pruning my main aim was to give her more air and therefore more light (and me bigger flowers/berry bunches). I went very slowly and carefully, asking before every cut whether she wanted me to cut here and there. If I was shortening branches I would cut just above a pair of leaf buds.

Well, I guess, unless we’re on the same page, that if you didn’t think I was weird before, I’ve really cemented it now. Ach well, at the end of the day, your belief is your reality, this is my reality and it certainly doesn’t have to be yours!

For more information about growing Black Elder and her uses go to my plant listing here Elder plants for sale, NZ.

All research here was done the old fashioned way, using mainly these three books…

Maramataka Māori for Hōngongoi/July

July 5, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

I hope you are having a special Matariki time (Matariki period is from the 2nd July to the 10th) and got up early at least once to see the stars~ ✨ I made a decision on the rising of Matariki to have a 30 day break/detox from social media. So far (on almost laughable day 4!) it’s been really interesting on what’s going on in my head, and I’m not even that much of a high end user. Quite the trip!

Anyway, we’re really into hōtoke (winter) now hey. That polar blast we had on the 29th June really cemented it for a lot of people, us included, with flurries of snow coming down randomly throughout the day.

Reminded me of when I was 18 and moved to Queenstown from Nelson ~ the first day it snowed I finally realised what the point of winter was; to watch snow gracefully drift down from seemingly nowhere!

So. What is the Maramataka Māori guiding us to do in the māra this month? Thankfully it’s mostly huddling by the fire still!

Kua tino mātao te tangata, me te tahutahu ahi, ka pāinaina.
Man is now extremely cold and so kindles the fire before he basks.

For most of us there’s a lot of relaxing to be doing- hopefully eating well from our winter plots, planting trees and if fruit tree pruning hasn’t been tackled yet this should be done this month. There’s a few other bits and bobs jobs to do though, so let’s look into the second month of the Māori year, Hōngongoi, the first day of which is on the 10th July (Whiro).

11th July, Tirea

The new moon period is a great time for taking it easy but if you’re itching to do something and the weather is nice, weeding is very satisfying during this time.

15th July, Tamatea kai ariki (and my big brothers birthday!)

Start of the first quarter period; you could start tidying up (or building) your covered growing areas- greenhouses, glasshouses, cold frames etc. Check for slug and snail families hiding under rubbish and pots.

How’s your indoor houseplants going? Keep their leaves dusted so they get as much light as they need. Most don’t as much watering during winter, unless of course they’re in a very warm room. It’s totally OK to moddle coddle and give them slightly warmed water instead of straight from the tap cold water!

Winter-less North; you can start prepping early potato beds. Everybody; Are seed potatoes available to buy in your area or online yet? Or, gulp, are they sold out already like Setha Seeds?!

22nd July, Atua

Great time to be thinking about what grew well for you in the past and what was eaten (radishes always grow well and easy, but do you and your whānau actually eat them?) and what you would like to plant this year.

I want you to really think about diversity in your garden – make sure you have plans to plant for our pollinators and our predator insects. Go here for ideas of herbs to grow for bees. Go here for aphid battle plans.

Check out your favourite seed supplier to see if they have what you want. From August/September more of my plants will be coming available. But there’s no planting of anything just yet, dreaming, planning, plotting and scheming…

2nd August, Tangaroa piri a roto

Well now, depending on your climate, what’s happening with the weather and what resources you have (cold frames, glasshouses, heat pads) you may want to start sowing seeds. It’s dicey times this early in August, if you’re a beginner gardener hold fire until next month for greater success. Moon wise it’s a great time to sow seeds but weather wise it may not be so.

Prune your fruit trees from now until the 6th August (Mauri), I wouldn’t want to do it any later. Get your berry sections in order now too if you haven’t already; prune, de-sucker, tie-up, manure…. Who wouldn’t want a bumper crop; do the mahi, get the treats!

6th August, Mauri

Tools down! We’re coming up to the end of the Māori month. Soon (depending on where you live!) all this relaxing and wintering will be all but a dream and you are going to be busy in the garden, making it your favourite place to be~

Hereturikōkā, the third month of the Māori year begins on the 9th August.. til then, stay warm!

Matariki, 2nd July- 10th July 2021. What to do in the garden according to Maramataka Māori, July.

Herb Plant Growth Types

June 18, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

A lesson in the meaning of plant growth types, as seen on my individual herb plant listings…

Woody Perennials

These are the herbs in your garden that have leaves all year round and have woody stems. They tend to have multiple stems and expand sideways through natural layering. They are there for all seasons but naturally slow their growth down during winter.

Examples of woody perennials are White Sage, Rosemary, Common Sage, Southernwood. Also Thyme, Hyssop and many others…

Purple sage plants for sale in NZ — _{Purple sage is a woody perennial}

Perennial Crown Herbs

Perennial crown herbs have a “crown” of growth at ground level that may divide and sloowly expand. Most of the perennial crown herbs go dormant in winter, dying back to the crown and come back up smiling in spring. Garlic is in this group and the only one that will show its face in winter (try leaving just one clove in the ground instead of harvesting it in summer, you’ll eventually get a patch of garlic greens).

Other herbs as an example; Chives, Figwort, Echinacea, Lady’s Mantle, Lovage, Wormwood. Sometimes pays to put a marker where they grow so you don’t accidently dig them up in early spring!

_{Echinacea purpurea is a perennial crown herb}

Spreading Herbs

Sneaky bunch are the spreading herbs… One minute they’re in one place next minute you spot their progeny up to 5 metres away (Horsetail and Passionflower looking at you)! Still connected to the mother plant!! What the whaaa!?

You gotta love them for their tenacity. What they have that others don’t, are runners. Underground roots that you may as well call stems as they all give rise to new plants. Most of these plants are dormant in winter so you don’t realise what mischief they’ve been up to ’til spring..

To control, most people grow these plants in containers and I recommend this practise… Even if I don’t practise it myself!

Example of spreading herbs are of course, the Mints, Tansy, Soapwort, Yarrow, Liquorice..

Soapwort (Bouncing bet) flowers — _{Soapwort is a spreading herb}

Expanding Clump Herbs

Expanding clump herbs are like spreading herbs (see above) but at a much slower rate, hence they create for themselves a dense clump that gets bigger each year. And they usually don’t surprise you by popping up somewhere un-expected but still connected.

They do most of their regeneration at or below ground level and you need to cut them back fairly hard to stimulate them to grow new shoots. So when harvesting or pruning, go right to the bottom of the plant, no tip picking!

Example of herbs; Lemon Balm, French Tarragon, Bergamot, Oregano, Comfrey, Dandelion.

Annuals, Biennials, Short-lived Perennials

An annual is a plant that will flower, go to seed (or fruit, like tomato) and die in their first season, though some will live onto their second year. Life cycles range from 3 – 15 months. Basil, German Chamomile, Calendula and Honesty are some examples.

Biennials normally don’t flower until their second year, then they’ll set seeds and die. Sometimes they’ll hang out a bit longer, sometimes shorter if there’s been a cold spell. Examples are Clary Sage, Teasel, Curly-leaf Parsley.

Short-lived perennials are plants that can live up to 2-5 years but have really done their dash after two and are best treated as annuals. Catnip is an example.

Lines can be blurred with these three growth types as depending on your climate things can be different. Plants that are usually perennial in their native setting are treated as annuals in less than ideal places. Clary sage always flowers in its first year for me because we’re in a cool climate (Eketāhuna) but the plant still lasts more or less two years. So yeah, a little bit of a curly one to set in stone, particularly between biennials and short-lived perennials.

Spicy globe basil, Ocimum basilicum — _{Basil is an annual (pictured is Spicy Globe Basil)}

Trees and Shrubs

Hopefully this one is pretty self explanatory but just to cover the basics ‘Tree and Shrub’ herbs are just like woody perennials but will form a trunk and branches and grow somewhat larger, ranging from 2 to 60 metres tall and will live for longer. Some are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in Autumn/Winter, examples are Elder, Hawthorn and Lemon Verbena. Some are evergreen, meaning they will always have leaves, Bay being an example.

I hoped this has helped clear up some botanical terms that you’ve always scratched your head at. Or that you’ve learnt at least one new thing (garlic is not an annual!).

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