Leaf to seed, dill is all good
Even if it bolts, dill is still a good friend in the garden, writes Barbara Smith.
Versatile dill
Dill is really easy to grow. It likes full sun, good drainage, rich soil and regular watering. If it dries out in summer it will bolt to seed, but that’s not really a problem as the flowers attract beneficial insects and the seeds are as useful as the feathery leaves.
Sow seed direct (seeds are available online from Kings Seeds) or raise in peat pots and plant out when very small as the delicate tap root doesn’t like disturbance. Plants mature in 6-8 weeks and successive sowings from spring to autumn will give you a steady supply.
Dill grows to 80cm tall. Stake or grow in a clump of several plants so it’s less susceptible to wind damage.
When the flowers turn brown, collect the seed heads in a large paper bag and hang them in a warm, dry, well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight to finish the ripening process. The seeds will fall out when they’re ready. Once seeds are completely dry (any earlier and they may rot or go mouldy), store them in an airtight container. Let a few plants drop their seeds and you’ll get self-sown dill seedlings for free.
Make more hydrangeas
Select your favourite hydrangeas and look for new growth (lighter green) stems which don’t have a flower.
Cut sections of stem about 10cm long with a clean, sharp knife or secateurs. Cut just below a leaf node and the stem should have at least one other set of leaves. Strip off all except the top set of leaves and cut these top leaves in half crosswise to reduce the leaf surface area where water is lost by transpiration.
If you like, dip the bottom cut end in hormone powder or liquid to stimulate root formation, although this isn’t always necessary as fresh cuttings taken now root fairly reliably.
Push the cutting into damp but free-draining mix of sand or pumice and potting mix.
Cover with a plastic bag or other clear covering and place in a bright, sheltered spot out of direct sunlight. Keep watered and the cutting should have roots in six to eight weeks.
Water is key to success this month
Plants can dry out extremely quickly on a hot day, especially if it is windy.
Remember that watering deeply every so often is better than giving plants a sprinkle every day (dig down into the soil and ensure the water has soaked through to at least a hand’s depth), but always water a plant as soon as you notice it’s showing signs of water stress.
It should improve your yield – tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and beans will all keep producing for longer if irrigation is kept up, while leafy greens and herbs that dry out are likely to bolt and stop producing.
Remember that weeds are competing with crops for the available water resource (as well as for the available space, nutrients, and light as well), so keep yanking out those usurpers to ensure your edibles get the water they need.
Birds and insects are feeling the heat too, so make the effort to top up birdbaths daily.
The Legend of Baron To’a (RP13, 103mins) Directed by Kiel McNaughton Reviewed by James Croot ★★★★
It was a place Fritz (Uli Latukefu) never wanted to return to. Kinloch Avenue might have been the cul-de-sac where he grew up, but decades later, it’s clear to him it’s somewhere he’s very much outgrown.
But now, under the pump at work and on the cusp of something great, he’s been forced to come back across the Tasman to sell the family home. Buyers are interested, but his Uncle Otto (Nathaniel Lees), who has the other half-share in the property, has gone silent. Still, so confident is Fritz of a quick resolution, that he hasn’t even brought spare clothes.
However, even he isn’t prepared for dealing with life again on this ‘‘left testicle’’ of a street. The Pig Hunters gang and its prospects have imposed a reign of terror on all the residents, Otto is constantly having his lawnmower stolen and their next-door neighbour (Shavaughn Ruakere) is being harassed by the local law enforcement (Xavier Horan).
Then, after an exhausting first evening, comes the kicker – someone has purloined Fritz’s famous father’s championship wrestling belt – and Otto won’t even countenance selling up until it is safely returned.
What follows is a crowd-pleasing action-comedy that feels like a cross between Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, cult Kiwi movie Tongan Ninja, and the weird and wacky criminal world of Guy Richie movies.
The Legend of Baron To’a offers a South Auckland suburbia filled with colourful characters and menace around every corner, wonderfully choreographed fight and chase scenes, choice dialogue and plenty of over-the-top male posturing.
Writer John Argyll (Netherwood, Darryl: An Outward Bound Story) ensures the story isn’t just a series of set pieces, as Fritz’s psychologising comes up against the ‘‘back in the days ways’’, while former Shortland Street-star-turned-producerdirector Kiel McNaughton (Waru, Find Me A Ma¯ ori Bride) delivers the action and comedy with a freshness and flair that truly delights.
Not everything works. A twist is well and truly telegraphed, while one or two of the characters feel underwritten, but that’s more than compensated for by Legend’s feelgood factor and hilarious hijinks.
Star Latukefu (Doctor Doctor and soon to be seen in Taika Waititi’s football tale, Next Goal Wins) is a charismatic presence in the mould of Robbie Magasiva, while veteran Lees has his best role since Sione’s Wedding. The real scene-stealer though is a bulked-up Jay Laga’aia (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Street Legal), who offers Fritz a friendly face when he first arrives back in Kinloch Ave.
While very much a lighter look at South Auckland life than Once Were Warriors and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, Legend still packs a narrative punch. That it will likely appeal to both younger audiences and those who grew up watching pro-wrestling on TV in the 1970s and 80s just makes it even more of a triumph.
In English and Tongan with English subtitles. The Legend of Baron To’a opens nationwide on February 20.