May has sneaked up on us and all that rain this week, what is that all about in this baking, ripening time of the year!
Much lovely compost had been applied to gardens here before the rain which will have washed down to needy roots with the help of wonderful Stan who helps in our garden once a week. At this time of the year plants are slowing growth down and not needing nitrogen so no fertilizer now but definitely compost / mulch will be beneficial to trees, shrubs and plants by keeping the ground warmer and being there when roots start needing nutrients in early spring. Especially on high ground because North Otago got to the almost flooding stage last week and nutrients needed in spring will have been depleted.
Heavy rain encourages a lot of snails into the garden, my bantams are great slug and snail hunters but I can still find them in dark sheltered spots among pots or behind plants growing up against walls, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring snails to multiply fast and be ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because they have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to their garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so why not try a humane way, gather up as many as you can find and put them in a plastic bag, close it tight and put in the freezer, this way they will go to sleep and not wake up, yes I know "what is she on about"? working with Nature is what gardening is all about with me and snails belong in gardens until you remove them.
May is the month to plant tulips, there are so many beautiful varieties on offer now and some that are so double they do not look like tulips. For planting choose ground in good light, a sunny spot but not baking that does not hold water, Bulbs like to be cool so plant deep at least 8 inches, measuring from the base of the bulb digging even deeper, to loosen the soil for drainage.They can be grown undisturbed along a south wall with limited space to grow anything else, where they will multiply annually and eventually fill the space.
Conifers have been out of favor for a number of years but I consider conifers along with tree's the bones of any garden and now that leaves are disappearing from deciduous trees I am appreciating the wonderful conifers I planted many years ago. To find the right conifer for a particular spot needs a little homework because size and preference to shade and texture need to be considered. A conifer can be used as a focal point, to add interest at the end of a vista in an other wise bleak winter garden. Find an image of the right conifer for your garden and get the information required then order because Garden centers do not carry many varieties these days. Conifers planted along side erica's and callunias are the perfect combination for a low maintenance planting to make a winter garden interesting.
Lawns have still not slowed down and will not until we get hard frosts, I have sown grass seed on the bare patches (only in very sunny areas) in the hope the ground will stay warm long enough for it to germinate. Don't waste lawn fertiliser on grass now, save it for spring, add a sprinkle of dolomite lime instead to work down by spring to sweeten grass roots.
Vegetables: Plant board beans, cabbage, carrots, and spinach here on the coast, further inland forget about the vegetable garden apart from planting a green crop to be dug in and left to break down over winter.
Our garden, Rockvale gardens at Weston is open daily displaying wonderful autumn colours, plus Scruff the dog,(Cairn Terrier who thinks he is an Alsatian!) is still barking at any one who dares to come onto the property until he gets a tummy rub which is a bit off putting I am sure for visiting Garden enthusiasts.
Cheers, Linda.
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