"Actively
Promoting Friendship Through Gardens"
MID-AUTUMN
If you have grandchildren or littlies (for our younger members) get them involved in the garden - its lovely to have an appreciation for plants and kids love to get their hands dirty. Now is the time to plant winter-flowering annuals such as Poppies or Primulas, the children will love to see the results. Grandchildren are the reward for having children. We can enjoy them and then hand them back at bed time (well sometimes!!) and also have a nice rest ourselves.
Daffodils do not do well in the Illawarra, unless you are prepared to feed them well during flowering, dig them up each year and still be prepared to lose a lot. The climate is too humid during summer and it does not really get cold enough. Many bulbs just rot in the ground. A solution is to plant fresh every year or get friendly with a florist. However, the Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) is an excellent flowering bulb in the Illawarra. They can be neglected and ignored, but will still come up year after year. Feed them with a light sprinkling of a slow-release fertiliser when they first show their shoots and they will respond the following year with a better show.
If you are thinking of planting a tree for foliage this is the time to visit nurseries to see the trees while they are in their autumn colour. Pistachio (Pistacia chinensis), colours well and has attractive red berries and is suitable for suburban gardens. The Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba fastigiata) has a slender upright shape and glorious golden autumn leaves. Nyssa sylvatica, native to North America, grows well in heavy clay and is quite hardy. The horizontal branches are a feature and look good against modern architecture. It is bare for six months allowing the winter sun through and suitable for under planting with bulbs or spring annuals. Ginkgo grows to about 9 metres and its leaves are vivid yellow and scarlet in autumn. Female trees also bear blue berries. Perennials flowering during Autumn, include:
- Michaelmas Daisies (Perennial Aster) which have taller growing flowering branches in lilac, pinks, red, blues and white.
- Easter Daisy (Aster Ericoides) with tiny white daisy flowers at this time.
- Anemone Hupehensis, Japanese Windflower, is a perennial which is attractive in its single or double forms in dark pink, light pink and white. Do be careful with this very vigorous perennial or it will spread underground rapidly.
- Plectranthus is reliable for its purple flowers
- Penstemons are delightful.
You may be disappointed the first year, but usually perennials flower better in their second season.
HINTS AND TIPS:
Do not use fresh chicken manure on ANY plants as it is too acidic. It will burn new shoots and roots. It is best if it is allowed to "age". Add to the compost bin to enrich or place somewhere in your garden, preferably away from the house so the "aroma" does not upset sensitive noses. Mix and cover with straw and leave until it has broken down. Then it will be safe to use.
While in the nursery cast an eye over the Sasanqua Camellias to see which colour, size and shape you prefer. Sasanquas are quite versatile plants. They can be espaliered, grown as a hedge or simply as a specimen plant. Like all camellias Sasanquas need acid soil and should not be planted near newly concreted or limed areas. Where the soil is alkaline growing Camellias in tubs is very satisfying. Sprinkle a handful of sulphur round the plants every 3-4 months.
April is a good month to tidy up the garden and plants, such as Chrysanthemums, Asters, Dahlias, Pelargoniums, Impatience and Roses. Divide plants such as Perennial Phlox, Stokes Asters and Shasta Daisies if clumps are getting too large, any time from now through the winter. Pot up surplus plants to give away to friends and family. Straggly growth on Dianthus and Carnations can be cut off and the strongest pieces potted up too. Dig up and divide clumping perennials, such as irises and mondo grass.
Prune your geraniums. Cut back the vigorous stems by two-thirds. Cut to just above a node. Remove dead woody stems and remove any dead leaves.
Snails and slugs, particularly baby snails, are in plague proportions especially in the Agapanthus. Don't spray, just remove and squash - the birds will eat them as by the middle of the next day there is no trace of their remains. Try not to use snail bait because of the bird life and larger lizard such as Blue Tongues. Native birds are attracted to Salvias, Camellias and Callistemons as well as the usual Grevilleas.
There are a couple of hundred different species of Grevilleas. The most well-known are Robyn Gordon and Sandra Gordon, a vigorous yellow flowering tree-like shrub. Moonlight has a lemon-coloured flower and Sylvia has very large attractive pink blooms. Bottlebrushes have attractive papery bark and the white flowering variety Citrinus White is lovely.
If this is a wet month, watch for petal blight on early-flowering Azaleas and spray with a fungicide. Mildew may be a problem on Hydrangeas, Roses and vegetables, so use the same treatment.
Duranta and Plumbago can be hedged or shaped as required. Abelias that are woody should have their old (grey) stems cut out at ground level. Take semi-hardwood cuttings from evergreen shrubs including Calliandras, Eriostemons, Feijoas, Gardenias, Pittosporums and Westringias. Potted plants that need re-potting can be potted on into larger pots or some soil removed and replaced with fresh compost if the pot is too large to move. Don't forget to mulch.
Don't mow grass too short now, because weeds will encroach in the bare spots as growth will be slowing due to the lovely cool nights. Sow new lawns early this month. Check local nurseries for seed suitable for your area and conditions.
Now is the time to start preparing your vegetable garden for the Winter vegetables. Fork in "old" manure, such as sheep manure or one of the commercially prepared chicken manures, which, unlike fresh chicken manure, is not acidic. Add blood and bone to complete the mix. If you are planting onions, add a small amount of dolomite to "sweeten" the soil. Dolomite has both calcium and magnesium, which improves our soils by helping to break down clay. Water well and leave for two weeks before planting up.
Plant spring-flowering bulbs. This is a good time to put in freesias and snowbells.