Ruud Kleinpaste: Big beauties in the garden this time of year

Ruud Kleinpaste: Big beauties in the garden this time of year

From Saturday Morning with Jack Tame by Newstalk ZB

June 13, 2026 · 4 min

About this episode

Ruud Kleinpaste discusses impressive plants suitable for late autumn and winter gardens.

We have always tried to grow some plants that end up nicely in the late autumn and wintertime. It’s really impressive when there are some eye-catching flowers or plants in great sizes and wonderful shapes.   Miscanthus   Here is a Miscanthus species, known as “Morning Light”. A silver grass that can grow up to more than a meter high with pinky-brown flowers. It waves in the wind and can grow year after year in the border. It won’t need to be cut or run over with the lawn mower. When spring is announcing itself, the Miscanthus will retreat until next autumn.   Kermadec Nikau Palm and Australian Grass Tree   Two special, large plants that create some depth for many years to come:   Rhopalostylis baueri var. cheesemanii is a “Nikau” palm from the Kermadec Islands, north of New Zealand. It can slowly grow to some height, just like our local Nikau palms. The way it creates patterns with its large leaves is something that will impress.   Plant it in an area with not too much heavy sunlight during the day. Give it a small amount of liquid fertiliser in early spring and again later in autumn; not too much and not too “heavy” in the dilution (I use “Seafood…

People in this episode

Host: Jack Tame

Guest: Ruud Kleinpaste

Topics covered

  • gardening
  • plants
  • autumn
  • winter
  • landscaping

Keywords

  • gardening
  • Miscanthus
  • Kermadec Nikau Palm
  • Australian Grass Tree
  • autumn plants

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Seafood Soup, Blood and Bone, Miscanthus, Xanthorroea glauca, Rhopalostylis baueri var. cheesemanii

Places: Kermadec Islands, New Zealand

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