From the Garden with Margaret Wilson from Pacifica Garden Centre

November is such a special month in the garden when, literally, everything in the garden is lovely. And in the garden centres too. Coming up soon is the Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival – and there's no better way to see what does well in our area. Grab a ticket and a friend or two and enjoy!

Look out for the large-flowered climbing hybrid clematis, possibly twining through a contrasting climbing rose where it will enjoy the rich soil and touch of lime that you've provided. There are two different family groups of this range of clematis, so note the pruning details on the tag and prune accordingly.

For summer, colour petunias and their near cousins, calibrachoas, must be near the top of the list. There are some fabulous new cultivars to give zing to your pots and hanging baskets.

Calibrachoas look like small-flowered petunias; they come in show-stopping colours, don't need deadheading and love the sun. They seem to do better in pots and baskets than in the ground but will need some liquid fertiliser every two weeks or so to keep on keeping on. Don't overwater, wait until the soil surface feels dry.

I end this column with a little praise for white annuals to give sparkle to your garden. Small groups of white impatiens, stocks, cosmos, petunias, lobelia and allysim will give your garden a lift – especially during those long evenings we're all looking forward to.