Natalie’s garden blog December '25 / January 2026. Summer gardening in New Zealand, summer flowers for the vase, planting for butterflies, fruitful berries and plants that will grow under trees

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer — Nat King Cole

Warmer weather and longer days are highlights of the summer months. Holidays, happy times and having fun — spending time with family and friends. December and January are wonderful months for a little reflection and best of all just relaxing!

December can be a tiring and stressful month as the year comes to a close. January however is a good time for a little escapism in the garden, giving us a chance to re-set and restore our creativity for the new year.

Paekakariki beach with Kāpiti Island in the background

Tips on picking summer flowers

It’s a wonderful time for flowers. Every morning I idly wander in my garden and am delighted when I spot a new flower that wasn’t there the day before. I love colourful gardens and am not embarrassed to admit I’m a bit of a bohemian when it comes to the many shades of different colours in my garden. I used to think colours could clash and now realise it’s more about our personal colour preferences.

Unsurprisingly I enjoy picking flowers for a vase. I also like leaving flowers in the garden and will be careful about not picking too much. It’s best to pick flowers early in the morning, or late in the evening when it’s cooler. Choose blooms that are just starting to open, and with your clean secateurs make your cuts at an angle. You can make the cut flowers last longer by sealing the bottom few cms of the stems in boiling water, and then placing them in cool water. Remove any leaves below the water line before placing in the vase. Make sure the vase is clean and change the water every 2-3 days to prevent bacterial growth which will help keep the flowers fresher for longer. Keep the vase of flowers away from direct sunlight and any other heat sources.

Plants that feed butterflies

Like us, butterflies like summer. If you’d like to invite more butterflies into your garden these plants will do the hard work for you: Verbena, Cornflowers, Zinnias, Bee balm, Lavender, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Asters, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Catmint, Echinacea (Coneflower), Ageratum, Solidago, Hollyhock, Lantana, Phlox, Swan plant, Salvia, Shasta daisy, Snapdragon, Sedum sp, and last but not least Sunflowers.

Fruitful berries

It’s berry fruit season. Cherries, boysenberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are in abundance, and gloriously delicious. Keep an eye on them all. Feed regularly and remember they don’t like getting too dry. Add some compost or mulch, water well and cover with netting to protect the fruit from greedy birds. It’s astounding how much they will reward you with fruit if you pay them a little bit of attention during the summer months. If there’s a berry fruit missing from your garden, add it to your garden now, before you forget!

Plants that grow under trees

Shady gardens are invitingly lush and green during the summer months. It can however be tricky finding plants that will grow under trees. There are some though that will, and these include Astilbe, Heuchera, Hosta, Solomon’s seal, Birds Nest Fern, Bluebells, Lily of the Valley, Witch Hazel, Japanese spurge (Pachysandra), Helleborus, Reinga reinga lily and Clivia. These plants are happy in dappled or full shade but will still need some watering, especially during the drier months.

Did you know?

The Romans in AD43 introduced 10 plants: Lentil, Chestnut, Cucumber, Turnip, Poppy, Plum, Grape, Fig, Mint, Lovage. I’m impressed with the range of plants, pretty much all options seem to be covered off!

Gardening Gems:

• Early summer is the best time to prune citrus to help prevent lemon borer laying eggs in fresh cuts.

• Keep on keeping an eye on targetted watering of new plantings, citrus, tomatoes and veggies. Remember to water deeply to encourage strong root growth

• Look out for pests and diseases and get onto managing them quickly

• Continue deadheading roses, and regularly pick flowers in your garden to encourage new flowers

• Gift this Christmas:

  • a bespoke bunch of flowers from your garden

  • a poinsettia for Christmas                                  

  • surplus fruit and veggies.

• Soak hoses are a cost effective and uncomplicated way of watering

• Plant out eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and courgettes

• Prune lower leaves of tomatoes, and pinch out new growth to keep plants open with good air flow to help prevent pests and diseases, and encourage good fruiting

• Prune grapevine back to one or two buds above the forming grapes

• Plant the Reinga reinga lily in place of the invasive agapanthus

• Remember with the warmer weather to water indoor plants a little more.  

• If you’re going away these holidays:

  • sit your household plants together in shallow water in your bath, sink or basin

  • pick fruit and veggies before you leave, weed and water deeply. The top     5-6cms of the topsoil needs to be damp. Don’t forget the best time for watering is in the early morning or evening. There’s less evaporation at these times, and your plants will benefit from the watering for longer.

  • fill outdoor pots with plenty of water and use saucers          

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) Easily recognised by its bright red bracts.

Thanks for reading this summertime blog - a time when our gardens are bursting with colour and plentiful supplies of veggies and fruit. Remember to spend some time to re-charge and explore nature whether it’s the beach, native bush reserves, or gardens. Treat yourself to some cherries, strawberries and some bubbles to celebrate your garden and the wonders of nature. We are very lucky to live in Kāpiti, New Zealand.

Natalie Quirke

Garden designer

Dip Hort, Dip Hort Mgt, NDH