Archives for November 2019

Like any form of physical exercise, warming up your joints and muscles before heading into the garden to prune, dig or plant is very important. While gardening is a great low-impact workout, it is still important to protect your joints and muscles so you can enjoy being in the garden for longer. Joint specialists at Churchill Private Hospital and Specialist Centre advise taking a few minutes before picking up your trowel or spade to do a few gentle stretches. Here are a few suggestions … [Read more...] about It’s not just the weather that’s warming up

Rebecca Fleming’s garden is for the birds. With tall gum and oaks, an abundance of pittosporums, kowhai, banksias, Pseudopanax, young totara and plenty of flowering cherries, there’s plenty of space for all types of native and exotic bird species to consider the almost six-acre Marlborough property a home and a food source. Rebecca, a registered nurse at Churchill Private Hospital for 16 years, has been gardening long enough to know exactly what will attract the tui, bellbirds, wax-eyes, … [Read more...] about Churchill nurse creates Marlborough garden oasis

A garden is never finished, says a Marlborough nurse who, after 32 years, is still discovering ways to change, transform and enhance her colourful oasis. “Most of the plants I originally planted aren’t there anymore,” says Churchill Private Hospital registered nurse Viv Vile. “I’m always changing it around.” When Viv and her husband first moved onto their bare Blenheim section they planted flaxes, rampant grevilleas, and natives but Viv gradually discovered her passion was for flowers, … [Read more...] about Change, colour and variety the secret to gardening joy, says nurse