Bennik’s Egg Farm
Bennik’s Eggs is a family owned and operated business and after 50 years at the 35 Buller Road site has moved the farm shop to a more eyecatching and traffic friendly location, stocking quality produce from local business around Horowhenua.
Owner/operators Harry and Rhonda Bennik pioneered modern cage-free egg farming in New Zealand and were the first to be accredited for good animal welfare practice.
The business is one of only a few egg farms approved by Ministry of Primary Industries to export eggs.
“Our philosophy is that happier hens produce better quality eggs, and the feedback from our customers and our taste buds shows that this is true,” Mr Bennik said.
Local and travelling through shoppers enjoy the fresh eggs and can also purchase from the shop other reputable Horowhenua brands such as award-winning Thoroughbread products, Genoese products, locally produced honey and chocolates, frozen table hens, sauces, apple cider vinegar and other great products.
The Garden Depot
On the same site is “The Garden Depot” garden centre which again is owned and operated by Harry and Rhonda, who boast more than 40 years of experience in gardening and plant care between staff members.
“It’s our top priority to deliver you the best service and delight you with our amazing products and expect to be greeted like family when you visit, by our friendly team who love solving garden problems and providing advice to our customers.
From providing pest or weed solutions, to providing something special from our impressive range of shrubs, perennials, houseplants and trees, we have all you need to transform your slice of paradise. Whether you are looking for something colourful for the deck, greening up tired flower beds, creating low maintenance gardens, to growing vegetable patches.
Our giftware range also has something for everyone, gift vouchers are available for the gardener who has everything plus check out our great range of outdoor living products.
We look forward to meeting you and showing you around our great shops; you won’t be disappointed.”
Gardening lifts your spirits, even if it can be a tad hard on the knees at times. We thrive when we’re immersed in nature especially when our hands are in the soil, planting and sowing seed. Scientists are now even saying that ditching the gardening gloves and having direct contact with healthy soil and all its millions of fungal and other micro-organisms can improve our immunity levels.
When times are tough, nurturing edible plants is a soothing reminder that life goes on, that with a little love and attention they will grow and produce crops. Growing some of your own food can restore your faith in the future; eating that food will take you to a whole new happy place.
And if you want to improve the mental, emotional and physical health of your kids get them off their devices and out into the garden too.
Even apartment dwellers and those with little or no room to grow food and herbs are gardening too, mostly with decorative indoor plants - the indoor plant renaissance has never seen such a dramatic increase in sales.
It’s the care and love you give plants, and their response to that care that makes you feel good, not the price tag. For indoor plants to thrive you need to think about the space where the plant will live. Is that room suitable as far as light and humidity (most hate dry air) levels go? Is it a fussy plant that needs lots of cossetting? Best go for an easy-care aspidistra or peace lily if you’re too busy to give a plant much attention.
Autumn/winter garden tips
If you do have an outside area, don’t be put off from growing stuff because it’s a bit nippy out there. If the soil is cold or frozen you can certainly grow a few vegetables and herbs in pots, raised beds or greenhouses. Some vegetables such as peas, broad beans, broccoli, silverbeet and spinach prefer cooler weather and do well in pots. Add plenty of compost or other organic matter to soil at least three weeks before planting. Peas and broad beans can be sown directly into the garden (or pots) while broccoli, silverbeet and spinach are best sown in trays then planted out as seedlings.
Garlic is also a great one for Winter Solstice as in theory, you plant on the shortest day of the year and harvest on the longest.
If you have the space, give asparagus a go this year. June is a good time to plant asparagus crowns, spaced about 30cm apart and around 15cm deep in fertile, well-drained soil. Of course, as with anything you plant, rules can be bent a little on timing, depending on the conditions in your part of the country.
No matter what you plant or how small your outdoor space, don’t let the cold stop you enjoying it. Putting a seat or chairs and table in a sheltered spot outside is a good trick to entice you away from the heater even if it’s just for a quick cuppa in the morning sun. Add an outdoor fireplace and you’ll linger longer in the evening. Plant some winter flowering or fruiting species such as camellia, aloes or crab apples nearby and the birds will happily join you.