Gardening in Waitaki April 6th 2022

Another mild April week just past, this is such a lovely settled time of year to enjoy before we get reminded that winter is approaching. Leaf raking will have cranked up a gear now as trees shed more and more leaves and there is still lots of cutting back, bulb planting and shifting shrubs that have become overcrowded. Shrubs and hedges growth will be starting to harden to cope with the coming cold so get any hedge trimming done but don't be too hard on them, spring is the time to take them back hard. Roses I know how tempting it can be to want to keep deadheading roses when blooms have finished, but resist because you will only be encouraging new soft growth which will result in die back during the first harsh frosts. Leaving the spent flowers to run to seed helps harden rose wood ready for the big winter prune in July/August. Hydrangea stems will be hardening as well and flower heads are either going brown or changing into new stunning autumn shades, keep water up while they are looking so pretty and leave the flowers on for ages yet. Further inland they can be left all winter to protect new growth. Resist taking old flower heads off just yet, wait until stems are harder here on the coast. Leucodendrons develop rich colour as days and nights become colder, picked bracts will last in a vase for weeks, even months. Picking the bracts is a must to keep both leucadendrons and proteas from becoming top heavy and blowing over. They resent any form of phosphates. potassium and nitrates fertiliser, a little blood and bone in spring will keep them looking good. Camellias are budding up now and some will need opening up to let in light needed for buds to develop well, remove inward facing and cross over branches. Feed camellias and rhododendrons with acid fertiliser watered in well and mulch, then forget about them until they reward you in spring. Azaleas are different. They need food, as soon as they have finished flowering but if you did not feed them then feed them along with Rhododendrons and camellias. On the coast prune back perennial wallflowers now to encourage new growth for a good winter flowering, do the same to Marguerite daisies. Further inland take hardwood cuttings of both and protect over winter. Break up clumps of viola like Maggie Mott and the clumping primula vulgaris, plant sections with roots attached into pots or trays, they will grow and clump up ready to be planted out in spring, both of these make lovely edging plants. Keep planting all the bulbs on offer, ranuncula an anemones also to add a vibrant or soft mid height colour to an early spring garden. I really enjoyed the drifts of blue from Agapanthas around town during the last couple months. Now finished spent flower stalks need to be cut off and clumps can be broken up, both large and dwarf varieties to fill gaps. Once shifted they need a lot of water to get them started in a new spot. Keep planting well grown evergreen shrubs and perennials as there is still time to get them settled in the ground before winter. Vegetable garden: I have mentioned growing a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden, oats is probably the best one to plant in autumn, it will germinate and grow in no time, dig in while still soft and green. First timers might like to follow the green manure suggestion of using blue lupin as a nitrogen additive, mustard as a good soil conditioner in spring and summer, changing back to oats in the autumn. Vegetable seedlings will be targeted by birds and white butterflies right now so best to cover them with open weave frost cloth while small. Birds will not be so interested when the plants plump out a bit. Broad beans can be planted now, try a little potash in the soil just below the bean when planted, it is said to help prevent rust. Bring pumpkins in and store in a dry aired place, protect the last tomatoes and peppers from frost, the sun is still warm enough to ripen them a little longer. When nights become really cold vines can be dug up and hung in good light on a warm porch or well lit shed to finish ripening on the vine. Fruit: Walnuts are falling along with the leaves, late ripening peaches should be picked now before the birds take them all. Feijoas seem to be plentiful right now as well, Feijoa, vanilla and fresh ginger jam on a warm scone is an autumn treat. We are settling into our new home, the back lawn seed has been sprayed on, gardens are going in and Scruff the dog is being trained to be a town dog after spending his eight years roaming a large vegetated property. The way he is carrying on I feel he thinks he has to not only defend our new home but the whole subdivision as well!! Cheers, Linda.

Making a start on my new gravel garden.