Drying winds are the last thing fresh Spring growth needs but they arrived last week so we had to deal with it. Soak hoses are the way to get moisture down into deep, wind and evaporation zaps the ground and gardeners as well I am sure. I have been leaving the majority of the watering until late in the day. Keep water up to maples and shallow rooted shrubs like rhododendron, camellia and azaleas. Newly planted tall tree's move down to the roots in wind if they are not secured to stakes. A couple of large rocks around the base will add weight if bare rooted trees have just been planted.
The pretty froth is now gone from early flowering cherries as new leaves take the place of blossom and thankfully it continues with the lovely white Mount fuji then Kan Zan with bright pink blossom bursting and lastly Shimidsu sakura, so beautiful.
Hydrangeas and roses should be well leafed up now so need watered daily during strong winds. When leaves are firmer they handle the elements without this attention.
Bedding plants: Many on offer now to plant for summer colour in gardens, pots and hanging baskets. All bedding plants, once planted need attention, water and folia feeding.
I have been sifting soil for resowing patches in the lawn and decided to use sifted soil as a top layer before planting annuals and seeds. Sifted soil packs round new roots firmly so they don't dry enabling roots to grow quickly. Soil, is after all nature given for growing and here long before we had so many other growing medium choices! BUT planting comes to a stand still on windy days, don't be tempted to plant out anything until the ground can hold moisture. Plants will last in pots and punnets until the time is right.
Plants for the right place starting with dry areas of the garden, under hungry trees or areas that drain too readily. You will be wasting your time and money planting shallow rooted plants like rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, roses or hellebore's in these areas unless you are prepared to mulch and water often. It's best to group with plants that will work their roots down to look for moisture like: Euphorbias in all their varieties, colours and sizes, Agapanthus: large and small varieties they are great on a slope. Buddleias will fill gaps at the back of a border, lovely sliver blue foliage and blue to cerise/ purple flowers, must be cut back well after flowering to keep bushy, also a great food sauce for butterflies.
Grass's always look good grouped together as they are in nature, they do well in the dry and add movement to the garden. Geraniums also require little attention in a dry spot once established but do need water until established. Lupins: Are wonderful in big groups, they also need water until they become established, after the first flowering they will self seed to make their groups larger. All these plants once established will cope with dry conditions.
Damp, Shade loving plants to consider are hydrangea, Hostas, Heuchera. Not all shade loving plants have to be green. Heuchera plants come in a delightful variety of colors. Plant these as borders around the base of trees or even along the edge of walkways!Acanthus mollis Aluminum plant: (Ground cover) Hellobores (Winter rose) a must for every shade garden.
Vegetable garden: Keep molding up potatoes as they show leaf, this keeps them cooler allowing more depth for them to grow a bigger crop.
I have sown mixed lettuce seeds in a tray and plan to transplant them into the garden as I need them, lettuce seedlings will hold in a tray for a long time in a shady spot and only really start growing when they are fed and watered in a sunny spot. Soil is a perfect temperature for veg growing, every seed planted will germinate and do well.
Cheers Linda.
No comments:
Post a Comment