Oops missed out that I would like to companion plant with flowers if possible to help the bees out. Thanks heaps for reading

I do hope you've clicked to be notified by email that you've had a response...

It's heaps better if you use the white page for making requests. This blue one is for if you want to swap plant materials and stuff. Like Trademe.

In Horowhenua you've generally got mild climate zone 9b/10, with either a sand-based soil (old beach dunes) or alluvial something. Both tend to be very hungry and 'early'. They warm up more quickly than a cluggy clay soil.

You might want to look at heritage-type seeds for your garden. King's Seeds, the Niche Imports seeds (seeds from all sorts of countries brought in by an Ashhurst company tel 0800 115 343) and Koanga Gardens up in Northland which also does heritage fruit trees. And, of course, Incredible Edibles for fruit plants.

Once you've started out, and you're using open-pollinate plants rather than hybrids you can save your own seed from tasty plants you like. Or swap with, say, Blenheim seed savers.

I'm not sure if you have any Permaculture groups in your area, or Biodynamic, or the Soil Association. I'm suggesting those because you're more likely to get advisors who share your interest in home varieties with great taste rather than commercial varieties that look better than they taste.

No matter what sort of soil you have you absolutely cannot go wrong by creating at least three biggish compost bins and actively scrounging to fill them.

Seaweed, woolshed wastes, horse manure and chicken run sawdust or straw (plus all the waste bits in it), mulched up tree and shrub prunings. (It won't take long to find out which shrubs Never Die -or have enduring thorns ;-(. )

Pile it on in autumn after you've cleared the ground. If you're going to plant a green manure crop you can combine the two jobs.

You can also add more in spring so long as it is seriously rotted otherwise it can slow down or even stop your seeds from germinating.

If your garden is windblown make it a priority to put in some shelter. It slows down the rate of water-loss. If you're on tank supply you'll know how valuable it is to reduce water needs. Corokia, Griselinia, akeake are all pretty drought tolerant and wind resistant. If wind is a real nuisance - have a look at that book 'Gardens of the Wind' - author I can't remember. He did it for Wellington-Wairarapa and he has some good ideas.

Bee plants. I went over to Palliser today and gulped at the 'weeds' along the roadside. Gazania, Lampranthus, Crassula, Echium, dog rose. All as cute as could be - and as weedy as.

However. Many of the herbs will be welcomed by bees. Thyme, borage, Melissa, aniseed hyssop are guaranteed favourites. Forget me nots. The honey bees love it in spring. It's better in a bed by itself, though. Unless you love weeding... But it looks great around the daffodils and other spring bulbs.

Beware seriously of south African bulbs such as Watsonia, Ixia, Sparaxis, Gladiolus, Crocosmia. They have rule the...