OUTHOUSE has been touring Japan over the last few weeks, and had the chance to visit some incredible gardens! There is a longer post just waiting to be written, but in the meantime, enjoy a couple of photos!

Now that we’re back, here’s our gardening tips for summer!

  • Summer can be one of the most rewarding times in the veggie patch – tomatoes and chilies are classic summer crops and it’s very satisfying to harvest beautiful colourful fruit, but they can be challenging in water needs and pests. Don’t overlook warm-climate leafy greens like buk choy, and silverbeet is another healthy, hardy crop. Basil is another fantastic summer crop and can be harvested multiple times – interplant with chives and spring onions for a generous picking garden.
  • Remember your indoor plants need attention too – many tropical or subtropical species will have been coming back to life over November from their quiet winter. This is an ideal time to be repotting, potting up or dividing plants that have spent too long in their pots as they are actively growing. As a rule of thumb, a good quality mix can be serviceable for up to five years depending on the size of the pot and the plant. Epiphytic climbers like pothos are quite tolerant of old, starved potting mix, while large-leafed perennials like peace lilies do better with fresh mix. As always, use your judgement! If the potting mix has shrunk away from the sides of the pot or the level has sunk significantly and the mix is difficult to rewet, or if the plant is frequently wilting, losing older leaves or the new leaves are smaller than normal, are typical signs that the plant has become pot-bound or the mix has become exhausted. An interim measure is to soak the entire pot in water for a few hours, and apply regular doses of soil-wetter, seaweed or similar conditioners and fertiliser – these can temporarily restore some lost nutrients and water holding capacity, but they can’t bring back lost soil volume, so eventually the plant will need to be repotted to fully restore its vigour.
  • Most pruning is now usually best left until after the summer heat has passed, to avoid the risk of sunburn on newly exposed stems. However, many hedge plants can be given a light trim to keep their shape. It’s probably also time to deadhead your roses, if you haven’t already! Remove the spent flower stems back by about 15cm or 2-3 nodes, to encourage additional flowers later in the season.

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 December here!