Diana Noonan

Keep your garden growing

Organic food-growing tips and tasks

Though growth will slow as the cold sets in, Diana Noonan gives ideas on how to keep your garden producing to offset the cost of living. While doing that, she advises that we must also look to the future and prepare for the coming spring.


“Mauri mahi, mauri ora; mauri noho, mauri mate –
Industry begets prosperity; idleness begets poverty.”

Sow-me-now

(In all but the coldest regions.)
Flowers: alyssum, dianthus, lobelia, sweet William, sweet peas, marigolds, Canterbury bells, delphinium, gypsophila, marigold, wallflower, stock.


Herbs: chives, coriander, garlic, parsley, oregano, rocket.

Veges: Asian greens, broad beans, corn salad, Florence fennel, kohlrabi, mizuna, mibuna, onions, peas, pea sprouts, snow peas, spinach, winter lettuce.


In very cold regions, under cover:
broad beans, corn salad, mibuna, mizuna, mustard greens, pea sprouts .

Transplant-me-now

(In all but the coldest regions.)
Flowers: pansies, polyanthus, primulas, violas, ornamental kale.


Herbs: garlic, perennial rocket.

Veges: cabbage, cauliflowers, celery, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garlic, leeks, onions, spinach, winter lettuce.

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Diana Noonan lives in the Catlins where she grows 70 percent of her food through a variety of methods from permaculture food forest to French intensive.