Feijoas light up the autumn

anywhere else. These prolific fruiting, dry-tolerant trees need very little care (I do absolutely nothing to ours). Their pretty pohutukawa-like flowers are pollinated by birds but, if you have the space, you’ll get a better crop if you plant a mix of varieties for improved cross-pollination. It also pays to choose a combination of early, mid and late season trees to enjoy feijoas from March until June. Varieties include, ‘Kaiteri’ for early fruit, mid-season ‘Kakapo’ and ‘Triumph’ for late fruit. Bushy ‘Opal Star’ is a great choice for hedging. Feijoas are hardy to -10°C and tolerant of most soils. be used as an organic mulch, incorporated into your compost bin, dug into garden beds, used to improve the composition of heavy soils or added in small amounts to barrels of homemade liquid fertiliser. Leaves are an excellent source of carbon. Rake up as many as you can, pile them into rows, then run them over with your lawn mower to help it break down. Pile the leaves into a homemade leaf cage, cover with carpet or corrugated iron to keep off the worst

of the rain and leave them to break down, turning over every month or so.

If you are a fan of pesto, why not freeze some to enjoy when fresh basil is no longer available? Get Growing reader Carol Houghton from Nelson likes to freeze pesto into ice cube trays for single-serve portions.

Fresh leaves can also be frozen for use in pasta sauces. Put the leaves in a freezer-safe plastic bag, extract the air and freeze. They can’t be used like fresh basil once thawed, but will still provide the taste of summer in the depths of winter. This column is adapted from the weekly e-zine, get growing, from New Zealand Gardener magazine. For gardening advice delivered to your inbox every Friday, sign up for Get Growing at: getgrowing.co.nz

antioxidants beta-carotene and lutein. Plus they look great in the garden!