Gardening in North Otago February 18th 2020

The first sign of a chill in the air last week which means Autumn is just around the corner. I am still cutting back plants that looked stunning through summer but are now just tied and straggly like most cottage plants, bush lavatera, mignonette, lavender tops and geraniums, they will all leaf up again to go through winter. Seed collecting, there are so many ready now, dianthus, delphinium, annual lavatera, salvias, hollyhock, sweet peas plus many more. I plant a few now but save most to sow in early spring. This is the perfect planting time for trees, shrubs, spring bulbs, perennials and annuals. As I have mentioned before buying punnets of annual and perennial seedling now to pot on into individual pots and nurse over winter will give you a head start for early planting and flowering, some will bud up and flower others will grow strong roots through winter and flower when the ground warms in spring. Try this with pollyanthas, Iceland poppy, lupin, primula, wall flower, stock, snapdragon and if sweet peas are planted in late Autumn they will pop up and sit through winter to flower in August. This month is also the best time to plant conifers, there are such a lot of different types, I consider conifers to be a component in creating the bones of a garden. Tall narrow conifers planted in groups give larger gardens a vertical push and formality. Conifer labels need to be read carefully they give the height and width for the first ten years, after that they do keep growing and should be removed if they start to look untidy. Most ornamental and ground cover conifers look wonderful for years and years. A web site with a comprehensive selection is ttp://www.conifers.co.nz , a good contact for those who like to bonsai. Bulbs:It's difficult to think about Spring when Autumn has just begun but if you want that beautiful spring splendor in your garden after the chill of winter it is now that spring bulbs are on offer, all that beauty dormant in bags waiting to be planted. Daffodils along a roadside fence line, grouped in a vacant paddock, under deciduous trees with bluebells, best of all they can be forgotten about and happily multiply year after year. Tulips are planted last in the month of May. Compost:This is an excellent time to start building a new compost heap and get it heating up before winter. The heating process stops during the coldest months so get one started when leaves fall and lawns still need mowing. Hen manure becomes too hot for heaps during other months but it is ok to add now. If you have no time or space for making compost ring Gregg, 0272293215 for a delivery of ready made from our local meat works which is wonderful for feeding plants and suppressing weeds. Not recommended for the sowing of seeds. Lawns. Autumn is said to be the best time to sow a new lawn because perennial weed growth is slowing and the ground is warm with dew adding moisture, grass seed will be up in no time. Water your new lawn early in the morning instead of during the day, between 6am and 10am, this will ensure that the moisture actually gets down into the soil and to grass roots before the suns evaporation. Mature lawns may need aeration with a fork or a push along spikier, or if a lawn is chocked with thatch then hiring a detaching machine will solve that problem. Vegetables: That last rain was a benefit to dry gardens but evaporation is great right now so watering is important for all new plantings. Keep planting in rotation, leaf veg where root veg has been, it is a good time to sow Root plants like Beetroot , Carrots and Parsnips also Chives, Leeks ,Onions , Shallots , Spring Onions. and Asparagus. When potatoes are dug they need to be kept in the dark or they will go green, when storing there are products which will inhibit sprouting, but many gardeners avoid chemicals near food so I will once again mention a natural alternative with you. Layer the stored potatoes with sprigs of rosemary, sage and lavender, the essential oils given off by these herbs not only inhibit sprouting, they will also help to keep the tubers free from bacterial soft rots. Fruit: Apples, quince, plums, walnuts and late peaches so much at once! the birds must be overjoyed by their feasting and the rats / mice will be munching sunflower seeds and waiting patiently for walnuts to ripen, I am sure they are pleased with the work we have put in to feed them! Cheers, Linda