Keeping it Fresh: Q&A with Dee Turner from Korito

Q: Is there a part of your garden you’ve changed, refreshed or even added, since the last Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival?

A: For the first time I will have a plastic house – I’ve never needed this before as being in town in New Plymouth and not at elevation, I can grow all the crops you would normally have a plastic house for outside. These include tomatoes, capsicums, chillis, cucumbers, melons and eggplant, which are much better grown outside as they tend to get covered in whitefly in a plastic house.  To raise seedlings, I use my plastic box system, so I haven’t needed it for those either.

 Q: Where in the garden have you made changes?

A: I have moved the nursery up to a new decked area, so the plastic house will go into the space vacated by the nursery.  The lasagne beds in the garden have already made lots of beautiful new soil, so I’ll use this in the new plastic house, along with the worm farm castings.

 Q: Why did you make this change?

A: So why do I now need a plastic house?  Well, I want to grow tropical crops such as ginger, turmeric and pineapple which, if you want a decent crop, you need the tropical conditions of a plastic house.  I’ve sourced the seed from an organic shop so I’m guaranteed they are not sprayed and will really enjoy all of these fresh in my morning smoothies.

Q: How important is it that you keep your garden refreshed?

A: I love adding new parts to the garden every year and this year I have a couple more changes with steps going through a new propagation area and an extension to the nursery.  My garden visitors love to see the changes every year.

Q: What does your garden mean to you?

 A: My garden is my working space, teaching space, learning space, growing space, experimenting space and relaxing space and is a reason to get outside every day!