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It's inspirational to meet a family that's taken the plunge to leave the rat race and establish themselves in the country. This couple not only managed to keep their jobs, but also build a stunning house on the Coromandel Peninsula that has caught the eye of NZIA judges.
Is there a carpet layer locally in Titirangi that could stretch our lounge carpet?
Not a big jobq
Don't let those picked-over supermarket shelves stress you. It's easier than you might think to grow fresh veggies and herbs for yourself and your family.
By Lynn Coulter
The good news is that many fruits and veggies are easy to grow, even for beginners, and they’ll thrive whether … View moreDon't let those picked-over supermarket shelves stress you. It's easier than you might think to grow fresh veggies and herbs for yourself and your family.
By Lynn Coulter
The good news is that many fruits and veggies are easy to grow, even for beginners, and they’ll thrive whether you’re gardening in a backyard plot or in containers on your patio, porch or apartment balcony.
Grow beans in a snap
You might be surprised to know you don’t need a big garden to grow green beans. Bush beans are space-savers, but you can also grow beans vertically, by choosing pole varieties and training their vines onto a trellis, fence, or other support. Full sun, regular waterings and moderately rich soil will pay off in a plentiful harvest, and beans don’t need much fertiliser, although they’ll benefit from a side-dressing of compost in mid-season if you didn’t work a lot of compost into the soil before you planted. Check your seed packet to know approximately when your variety will be ready to harvest, and keep the plants picked so they’ll keep producing. Freeze your green beans to enjoy them all year long.
Plant prolific zucchinis
Zucchinis have a reputation for being so easy to grow, and so prolific, gardeners joke about having to leave their extras on a neighbour’s doorstep, ring the bell, and run away. Just one plant can yield 2.5-4.5kg of zucchinis in a single growing season. Plant their seeds directly in your garden or a large container. They need full sun and moist, easily-draining soil amended with compost. Give them a couple of centimetres of water each week, if there’s no rain, and harvest when the fruits are small (botanically speaking, zucchinis are fruits) and the skins are tender. You can freeze zucchinis or bake them into breads, slice them into strips for pasta, grate them for fritters or chop them into vegetable chillis. They’re also delicious when you know how to roast vegetables until they’re crispy and caramelised.
Raise crunchy radishes
Many gardeners love fresh radishes for that crunch that you get when you bite into them – but these simple root veggies are good for more than eating. Because the seeds sprout quickly – often within a week – you can use them in the garden to mark the rows of other crops that don’t come up as fast. Simply sow the seeds outdoors about 1-2cm deep as the temperature cools. Wait ten days and plant again for a continuous crop. They’ll thrive in a sunny spot that has loose soil amended with organic matter. Thin the seedlings to 5cm apart, so their roots won’t be crowded, and keep the plants evenly moist. Some varieties are ready to harvest just three weeks after planting.
Cultivate cucumbers
Like zucchini, cucumbers are prolific and easy to grow. Just give them a spot with moist, fertile soil and lots of sunshine. Start the seeds a couple of centimetres deep into the ground. They’ll sprout in a few days. Keep them happy with regular waterings and, if you didn’t work a lot of organic matter into the soil before you planted, side-dress them with a balanced, soluble fertiliser when the fruits set. The cucumbers are ready to harvest when they’re still small and the skins are tender. To keep a steady supply for the table, make successive plantings. If you’re short on space, train vining cucumber varieties onto a support like a fence or trellis, or plant a bush variety in a container or raised bed. Use your cukes in salsas, salads, gazpacho and smoothies or turn them into pickles.
Crack out some capsicum
Capsicums thrive in sunny climes, so make sure they have a warm, sunny spot not prone to wind or frost. They can also be grown in pots. Capsicums like a deep, warm, well draining soil, mulch and room to breathe, so leave about 50–60cm between your capsicums when planting out. Prepare the soil a month before planting by throwing in some fertiliser, then mulch.
Plant tasty tomatoes
The hardest thing about growing tomatoes might be choosing your favourite kind. There are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, heirlooms with rich flavours, Romas for stews, pasta and sauces, and hearty beefsteaks. Gardeners in cool regions may want to start with transplants to save time over growing tomatoes from seeds. The plants need full sun and soil that drains easily. For best results, your soil should contain lots of compost and be slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8. As the plants grow, apply a fertiliser recommended for tomatoes as directed on the label. This raised garden bed with an automatic watering system makes it easy to grow compact or patio-type tomatoes, even in a small space.
Sow lettuce for salads
Lettuces are great for beginning gardeners. They grow fast, take full sun but tolerate some shade, and can be tucked between other fruits and veggies or into containers. They’re also available in lots of tasty, colourful varieties. If you don’t have an ideal garden spot – for example, your soil contains a lot of clay or rocks – use a raised bed instead. Add good quality planting soil, you won’t have to dig. The loose soil will also make it easy to pluck any weeds that pop up. Sow your lettuce seeds in early autumn or spring and keep the plants watered regularly. Lettuce started in spring will last until the summer heat arrives and autumn-sown lettuce will grow until a killing frost. Harvest the outermost leaves first but don’t pull up the plants, so they can keep producing.
Set out onions
Make a little hole in the ground, tuck in a bare-root onion seedling, and stand back. In two or three weeks, the small plants will be ready to pull and use as green onions, or you can wait until the bulbs are bigger and then harvest them. Mature onions will let you know they’re ready when their tops turn yellow and bend over. Just brush off the soil and put the onions, with the tops still attached, in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place to cure for a week to 10 days. Then remove the top foliage and roots and store the onions in a cool, airy place until you’re ready to use them. Slice and fry them for onion rings, chop them for salsas and salads, or grill, roast or pickle them. Chopped or sliced onions can be refrigerated in sealed containers for seven to 10 days.
Fill a windowsill with herbs
A herb garden makes a thoughtful gift for a housebound friend or a fun and easy growing project you can enjoy without leaving home. Although the types of herbs you’ll want to include may vary, good choices include basil to make into pesto, mint to steep for tea or dill to add flavour to homemade pickles. So many herbs are easy to grow, you may not want to stop.
Happy Gardening
Baptist Lobo
Practicing Chartered Accountant
During April 2014 and November 2019, ANZ issued duplicate repayment insurance policies to customers that didn't provide any additional benefits or covers, and charged premiums on those policies, the FMA said today.
It's also alleged ANZ issued and didn't cancel policies for … View moreDuring April 2014 and November 2019, ANZ issued duplicate repayment insurance policies to customers that didn't provide any additional benefits or covers, and charged premiums on those policies, the FMA said today.
It's also alleged ANZ issued and didn't cancel policies for ineligible customers, also charging premiums on the policies. "ANZ sold a product that, for some customers, offered no benefit," FMA general counsel Nick Kynoch says. The FMA says the breaches range back to at least 2001, but the Financial Markets Conduct Act only came into effect from April 2014. The duplicate payment policy was identified around September 2017 and the ineligible customers issue around May 2018, the FMA says. But neither were disclosed to the FMA or Reserve Bank during a widespread review into the conduct and culture of New Zealand's retail banks in 2018. FMA says it was first notified by ANZ of the issues in June 2019. ANZ is being charged under the Act for making "false and misleading representations about the cover of the policies". "While ANZ has embarked on their own remediation programme, and ultimately self-reported this matter, the case points to a failure of internal systems and controls resulting in customer harm over a significant period of time," Mr Kynoch says. "In this instance, we felt it appropriate to put the matter before the courts." ANZ says it's already compensated customers around $440,000 in total, but admits there was a delay in reporting the issue to the FMA. Around 390 customers had duplicate policies and another 439 were ineligible to claim the insurance. The FMA's case relates to 307 customers. ANZ says it no longer offers the insurance. "We’re very sorry this happened," ANZ's Ben Kelleher said in a statement today. "We actively review our processes and systems to try and identify issues that could impact our customers. Where we find problems, we work to fix them for our customers." The FMA has filed the proceedings in the High Court and is seeking declarations of contravention of the Financial Markets Conduct Act, pecuniary penalties and costs.
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Across the months of May and June, we have been asking Aucklanders to create a Pest-Free haven in their backyard through placing traps, pulling weeds, and planting natives.
To help further support Aucklanders we ran a Q&A session with our Pest Free Auckland experts on Instagram and thought … View moreAcross the months of May and June, we have been asking Aucklanders to create a Pest-Free haven in their backyard through placing traps, pulling weeds, and planting natives.
To help further support Aucklanders we ran a Q&A session with our Pest Free Auckland experts on Instagram and thought we’d share a summary of the great questions and useful answers to get everyone started on their Pest Free Auckland journey.
Kia Ora,
Looking for recommendations for someone who is able to build us a cot into a space in our room with storage underneath.
We are after someone who has perhaps done this before as we want to make sure cot is safe for bubba and could perhaps last a second baby or into toddler years and be … View moreKia Ora,
Looking for recommendations for someone who is able to build us a cot into a space in our room with storage underneath.
We are after someone who has perhaps done this before as we want to make sure cot is safe for bubba and could perhaps last a second baby or into toddler years and be turned in to a bed.
Asking for recommendations elsewhere. Based in Titirangi.
Always wanted to try and bake your own bread?
Sourdough is a bread raised by aerobic yeast (yeasts in the atmosphere) that are captured in a mixture of flour and water and fed regularly to keep them alive. There are many different ways to make a sourdough starter — some people insist on using … View moreAlways wanted to try and bake your own bread?
Sourdough is a bread raised by aerobic yeast (yeasts in the atmosphere) that are captured in a mixture of flour and water and fed regularly to keep them alive. There are many different ways to make a sourdough starter — some people insist on using mineral water to feed the starter, others use water from boiled potatoes to get the starter going. It’s very effective to get a cup of someone else’s starter that you can then feed and grow yourself. Other people have sourdough starters that have been handed down through generations, but there’s no need for all that fuss: it’s incredibly easy to make your own.
Read the full recipe and method in the link below!
People are diagnosed with cancer everyday in New Zealand, but what about during the coronavirus lockdown? We're keen to talk to someone whose diagnostic appointments were put on hold during alert level 4, and how this has affected you. If you are willing to share your story, and be identified,… View morePeople are diagnosed with cancer everyday in New Zealand, but what about during the coronavirus lockdown? We're keen to talk to someone whose diagnostic appointments were put on hold during alert level 4, and how this has affected you. If you are willing to share your story, and be identified, please email kelly.dennett@stuff.co.nz.
The feral chickens of a leafy Auckland suburb that were removed because of a rat infestation are bac…
Update a boring old plant pot with an on-trend terrazzo paint effect!
Make the most of this weekend with this easy project idea from Resene. Find out how to create this quick and easy project yourself
We are sad to announce that Palmers Westgate will be closing its doors on June 10th. We would like to thank all our loyal customers for your support over the years.
We have really enjoyed serving West Auckland with great gardening products and expert advice.
Our closing down sale is now … View moreWe are sad to announce that Palmers Westgate will be closing its doors on June 10th. We would like to thank all our loyal customers for your support over the years.
We have really enjoyed serving West Auckland with great gardening products and expert advice.
Our closing down sale is now underway with loads of amazing deals in store including at least 50% off storewide. So come in store and fill your trolley with these unmissable deals!
We would love to see you before we close.
The team at Palmers Westgate.
I'm selling this car on behalf of my nephew who came to New Zealand for a work & travel holiday but had to return to Germany on short notice because of the Covid-19 lockdown...
The car is used, more thsn 20 years old and wasn't driven since the lockdown so expect some issues (however… View moreI'm selling this car on behalf of my nephew who came to New Zealand for a work & travel holiday but had to return to Germany on short notice because of the Covid-19 lockdown...
The car is used, more thsn 20 years old and wasn't driven since the lockdown so expect some issues (however the battery is newly replaced:-)).
The details are:
1996er Mazda Proceed
129482km
148hp
182nm torque
11l/100km fuel economy
Professional welding right front (invoice available)
New radiator at (122000km)
Pro rack roof rack
Original radio with aux
3 last Wof reports available
The car is based in West Auckland/Titirangi and viewings/test drives can be arranged in the evening or weekends.
Contact is 022 3092730.
Have you always wanted to delete old, embarrassing photos of yourself but haven't had the time to trawl through posts? Well, Facebook has your back. The social media giant has launched a new tool, Manage Activity, which allows users to get rid of unwanted posts in bulk. Manage Activity allows … View moreHave you always wanted to delete old, embarrassing photos of yourself but haven't had the time to trawl through posts? Well, Facebook has your back. The social media giant has launched a new tool, Manage Activity, which allows users to get rid of unwanted posts in bulk. Manage Activity allows users to delete or archive posts from a range of dates or involving particular people, so people can easily say goodbye to their exes, high school years and drunk outings.
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• Go to your Facebook profile then click on the ellipsis (three dots) under your name, then click on activity log.
• This will show you everything you have contributed to Facebook, including comments and reactions on other posts. Click on the Manage Activity link and then tap that you want to manage "Your Posts".
• From then you can filter posts. You can choose what kind of posts, such as check-ins, or photos. You can also filter the date range and the people who are tagged in them.
• Once you've selected some posts, you can choose to either "Archive" or "Trash" them.
The archive option hides them so only you can access them, but doesn't actually remove them from Facebook. The trash option puts them in a recycle bin for 30 days until they are permanently deleted. Unfortunately, users can't filter words by keyword for example, "drunk". But Facebook said it might add more in the future. In more bad news, people can't remove posts and photo made by others. The social media giant said in a statement that the new tool will "curate your presence on Facebook to more accurately reflect who you are today."
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The tool launched on mobile from June 3 before moving to desktop at a later date. "We'll continue building new functionality for this tool to ensure it meets people's needs to manage their digital footprint on Facebook," the company said.
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It was a pitch-black, two-second encounter with this amazing cephalopod that gave 14-year-old Aucklander, Cruz Erdmann an opportunity to capture the captivating winning shot of a bigfin squid illuminating the inky blackness of the ocean.
Cruz took out the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year … View moreIt was a pitch-black, two-second encounter with this amazing cephalopod that gave 14-year-old Aucklander, Cruz Erdmann an opportunity to capture the captivating winning shot of a bigfin squid illuminating the inky blackness of the ocean.
Cruz took out the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year category, being chosen from nearly 50,000 entries from 92 counties, honoured by the longest-running nature photography exhibition in the world! We spoke to this young creative on his incredible achievement.
As the Museum is now open, come and see all of the stunning images from the exhibition, extended for a limited time.
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