Gardening in North Otago June 4th 2010

Nice week after all the rain especially today (Friday)such a lovely mild day.
This week the pea straw went on with some energetic help, so good to get it on to keep the moisture in for Spring growth.
After the rain we have had gives a chance to see areas in the garden not draining well, if you have plants that are water logged dig them up and improve where they are growing by digging the hole deep down to the clay which is probably forming a pan and holding the water. Break up the clay as much as you can then put a layer of gypsum on top of the broken clay then add at least three shovels of gravel to create a sump for water to drain into. By doing this the plant of your choice can stay in that spot without drowning.
I have cut the leaves from all my hellebore's because they were very infested with greenfly wintering over and wanting to pounce onto my roses come Spring. They will soon produce new fresh leaves after the beautiful flowers have popped up and flowered on their own which looks wonderful in the middle of Winter.
Tidy up perennials and divide overgrown plants. Plant rooted cuttings from the outer edges of the clumps. Dispose of the old centre.
Keep planting lilium bulbs. These are best placed in raised beds. Don’t let the roots dry out at all.
Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering.
Roses will have finished flowering. As soon as the leaves fall spray Lime Sulphur or Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil spray to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss.
Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease.
Re-pot container grown buxus every second year or if they look pot bound.Trim the outer roots and replace any loose soil with new potting mix. They make a huge amount of roots every year and not all are needed.
Plant polyanthus for a bright patch of colour a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway.
Once wisterias has lost all their leaves prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year.
On the coast Sow broard beans, garlic, shallots and rubarb.
Colder areas nothing much can be planted.