Do what you can now to ensure the garden is looking its best for Christmas! We’re well into spring now, and we’ve already had some high temperature days, perhaps a sign of a warm summer ahead. It won’t be too long now before it’s simply too hot to be out digging in the garden, so now’s the time to plug gaps in your planting, do some pruning, deal with the weeds and get everything mulched.
- Get your plants in! Especially with any subtropicals, like gingers, alocasias and bananas, warming soil conditions is a great opportunity to these plants bedded in before summer. Give them a good thick layer of mulch (making sure not to bury the crown, of course) and keep the water up to them over the hot months ahead, and you’ll be rewarded.
- If you’re looking to start a new hedge, there’s several options. Sweet Viburnum is a good one to be planted in spring, as it’s a quick starter and will put on a good flush of new growth before summer with adequate water. With its large foliage and bright, soft new growth, it makes for an absolutely lush informal hedge. This is also hedge I always recommend to be trimmed with shears or, ideally, secateurs, to keep it looking neat – a powered hedge trimmer will leave the large leaves ugly and damaged. So consider carefully how big you want the hedge to get, and choose accordingly – sometimes a smaller leaf is better!
- The warmer weather and longer days also mean it’s time to get in your warm-season crops, especially tomatoes and chillies, so you can begin harvesting as soon as possible. Try planting ‘indeterminate’, or vining tomatoes, if you have the space, so you can harvest successive trusses, or go for bush-type tomatoes for smaller pots and patios.
- While we’re talking about new plants, it might also be time to once again consider water-wise species. We’ve had several years of good rain, but signs are apparently pointing to a drier-than-average period ahead. Moving to exotic dryland species is not necessarily the answer, however; we think the right mix of local and native species suited to our variable climate, with some carefully chosen exotics, is probably the best option.
OUTHOUSE offers in-person consultations with qualified horticulturalists to help you get the most value out of your landscape. We can provide verbal advice, planting plans or a full landscape design. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
View past tips for October here!
