English lavenders can be cut back now because I see them starting to put out new growth. Really old woody lavender bushes can be cut back hard to encourage new lower growth, time to replace them if they do not respond. Newly planted lavenders just need a hair cut. Feed them manure enriched compost and a little lime. Also catmint and purple sage has had all the winter protection cut off here.
Softer shrubs that are encroaching on drives and walkways can be trimmed back , they will soon recover with new spring growth. I have been reducing the height on some of my taller shrubs like phebaliums, pittosporums, psudopanax . You can do this if height is a problem without spoiling the shape.What I do is cut out the center branch down to where the other branches bush out, this removes the natural point at the top of the shrub and will sometimes reduce the height by 2 or more meters. Shrubs will soon send up a new leader. This sort of control at the start of the growing season works well because plants heal quickly, leave doing this for another month further inland.
A lot of climbers are in bud now ready to do their thing so when trimming watch you are not cutting off new buds. Hardenbergia ( happy wanderer) flowered in early winter so that is one that can be cut back, honey suckle can also be trimmed now, jasmines have been knocked by frosts in my garden, I will leave them a bit longer.
If you have still not pruned and feed your roses do it as soon as possible! they are moving fast now and need food kept up to them if you want them to stay healthy. The bags of pig manure I ordered last month arrived in the weekend, such a bonus for our garden.
If you have no time to do anything else in the garden now feeding plants is a must for health and vigour to take them right through to autumn, it is well worth the effort and will minimize disease. Slow release fertilisers are a safe bet for continual feeding over a long period. They are very clean and easy to apply, and now days formulated to feed specific plants.
Now would be a good time to mention plants that resent being fed. Many South African plants and Australian natives such as proteas, leucodendrons, banksias, and all grevillia's do not need feeding. I have lost some of these because they had absorbed fertiliser from neighbouring plants, also no food for tulips it will encourage more leaf than flower.
Keep an eye out for flowering camellias and rhododendrons now in the garden centers, most are showing buds and flowers, this is the time to choose the right shades for your garden, they thrive in semi shade or afternoon shaded areas of the garden.
It's the perfect time to sow seeds under cover as I mentioned last week, the seeds I planted two weeks ago are up already, Any seeds that say spring sowing on the back of the packet can be planted now, I use a tray of compost / soil with a layer of seed raising mix on the top.This way your seed raising mix goes further. Once planted cover the trays with plastic or glass, but use spacers to let air circulate between the plastic / glass and tray.
Fruit and Vegetables
This is also the time to give fruiting shrubs and trees a dressing of pot ash, to help with fruiting.
If you plan to grow vegetables this year get the garden ready now, dig in some weed free compost and let the soil settle again.
In area's not be planting out for a while why not sow a green crop to add humus to tired soils, mustard, blue lupine, barley or wheat, dig in when lush, soft and green.
Deciduous fruit trees should be planted in August at the latest along with all small fruits and now is a good time to shift citrus trees.
Cheers, Linda.
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