Spring Newsletter 🌼
- henriettahood
- Sep 2
- 4 min read
Dear Avid Gardeners,
The garden is waking up, and so are we! Spring is a time of renewal, colour, and promise. Whether you’re growing fragrant herbs, juicy tomatoes, or a riot of wildflowers, there’s no better season to dig in and dream big.
Here are a few handy spring tips from our team to keep your garden happy and healthy.
Love, Hen & Pete xx 👩🌾👩🌾
What to Plant Now
Veggies:
Tomatoes (wait until late October), zucchinis, cucumbers, capsicums, lettuce, rocket, silverbeet, carrots, radish, and beetroot
Herbs:
Basil, chives, dill, coriander, thyme, and parsley
Flowers:
Sunflowers, cosmos, calendula, nasturtiums, borage, sweet peas, lavender, salvias
Download our Planting Calendar, specifically designed for cool climates. It’s available on our website for just $10. Great to save on your phone for quick reference or print it out and hang it in the garden shed.
Garden Recipe: Quick Pickled Veggies
Garden Recipe: Quick Pickled Veggies
If you’ve been growing radishes, cucumbers, carrots or even young green beans, this quick pickling recipe is the perfect way to preserve your spring harvest—and add a pop of flavour to your meals!
You’ll need:
• 2 cups sliced homegrown vegetables (try cucumber, radish, carrot, or a mix)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Optional: garlic cloves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill, or chilli flakes for flavour
Method:
1. Slice your veggies and pack them tightly into a clean glass jar.
2. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve.
3. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables, making sure they’re fully covered.
4. Add any herbs or spices you like for extra flavour.
5. Let the jar cool, then seal and refrigerate. They’ll be ready to eat in 24 hours and will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.
Serve with cheese boards, salads, sandwiches—or just enjoy them straight from the jar!
Spring Garden Jobs
Weed & feed: Remove weeds early and give your soil a slow-release organic fertiliser
• Mulch magic: Top up beds with straw, bark, or compost to lock in moisture
• Plant out seedlings after the last frost -watch the weather!
• Prune spring bloomers like lilac and viburnum after flowering
• Deadhead & divide: Tidy up perennials and give overcrowded clumps more space
Pollinator Paradise Tip:
Mixing flowering herbs (like thyme and basil), open-faced flowers, and shrubs will create a haven for bees and butterflies. Keep a shallow dish of water with pebbles nearby—pollinators need a drink too!
Spring Pests to Watch Out For – And What to Do About Them
As your garden bursts to life this spring, so too does a host of hungry visitors. While many insects are beneficial pollinators, some can quickly get out of hand if left unchecked.
Here are a few common springtime pests to keep an eye on:
Aphids
Tiny sap-sucking insects that cluster on new growth and rosebuds. They can distort leaves and weaken plants.
What to do: Blast them off with water, attract ladybugs, or spray with a gentle soap and water mix.
Cabbage Moth Caterpillars
Look out for small white moths fluttering around brassicas like broccoli and kale. Their caterpillars chew through leaves at an alarming rate.
What to do: Cover crops with fine mesh or netting and check leaves regularly for eggs or tiny green caterpillars.
Spider Mites
These almost invisible mites love warm, dry conditions and can cause stippled or yellowing leaves, especially on herbs and ornamentals.
What to do: Keep plants well-watered, mist leaves, and use an organic insecticidal spray if needed.
Snails & Slugs
Active after rain and at night, they love young seedlings and leafy greens.
What to do: Handpick in the evening, use crushed eggshells or copper tape, or set out beer traps to attract and drown them.
Ants (and their friends)
While not harmful on their own, ants often farm aphids for their honeydew.
What to do: Control aphids, and if needed, sprinkle cinnamon along ant trails.
Remember: a healthy, diverse garden is your best defence. Encourage birds, frogs, and beneficial insects by planting a variety of flowers and herbs. Observe often, act early, and your spring garden will thrive!
Recipe: Spring Herb & Feta Garden Tart
Make the most of your fresh garden herbs with this easy, flavour-packed tart!
Ingredients:
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 cup ricotta
• 100g feta, crumbled
• 1 egg
• Handful of chopped herbs (parsley, chives, basil, dill, thyme—all welcome!)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: cherry tomatoes or zucchini slices
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Score a border 1–2cm from the edge of the pastry, prick the middle with a fork
3. Mix ricotta, feta, egg, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper
4. Spread mixture over the pastry inside the border
5. Add tomatoes or zucchini slices if using
6. Bake for 20–25 mins until golden and puffed
7. Serve warm with a salad from the garden!
Kids’ Gardening Corner – “Grow Your Own Pizza!”
Let’s get kids involved this spring with a fun edible project!
What to Plant:
• Cherry tomatoes
• Basil
• Oregano
• Mini capsicums
• Strawberries (for dessert!)
Fun Tip:
Paint terracotta pots with chalkboard paint and write the name of each plant. Kids love watching their pizza ingredients grow - and they’ll be more likely to eat them, too!
Spring Activity Idea:
Build a mini bug hotel from sticks, bark, pine cones and a recycled can. Place it near flowering plants and check daily to see who moves in!
For more fun activities, have a look at our activity booklet. All orders get a free packet of seeds to kickstart your little avid gardeners growing journey.
“Spring is the season that whispers to the soul, ‘It’s time to grow again."
— Unknown
From the Team
It’s a joy to see your gardens coming to life. Need help choosing the right plants, pest control tips, or some garden design inspiration? We’re only a phone call or visit away.
Wishing you all the joys of a blossoming spring,
Hen & Pete xx
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