Gardening in Waitaki May 28th 2024

Pretty sasanqua camellia

Here we are now almost June, it feels like winter but still nice warmth in the sun on those fine days. Moisture is holding well in the soil and annual weeds should be minimal from now on. Those still growing are easy to remove from damp ground.  Shallow-rooted rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and maples may still need a good soak to get moisture right down around roots before the big freeze, Especially mature maples, I have lost one or two over the years when not having enough moisture to push them into new spring growth. Early flowering sasanqua camellias are putting on a show, it almost seems wrong with every plant nearby shutting down for winter. You will probably see these lovely flowering camellias in Garden centres, the perfect shrub to add interest to a garden in late autumn / early winter. Compost: Instead of the big compost heaps needed in my past garden, I now have two plastic composters which work fine for a small garden if moisture is kept up to them as they have lids to keep rain out. Being black they generate warmth but if the contents are dry organic matter will not decompose. Roses: We need some good frosts to harden stems and take care of fungus and bugs.  Later in the month,  spray lime Sulphur first which defoliates bushes then wait several weeks before spraying Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil usually leaving this second spray until after the July proon.  New seasons, bare-rooted roses arrive early in Garden centres these days, if planting, prepare the ground by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. If planting a rose in the same place a rose has been growing, you will need to remove most of the soil and replace it with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another.   New season non-native trees will also be arriving in Garden centres, I will list a few worth selecting below. For large gardens: Fraxinus (ash) deciduous fast-growing attractive shade trees 5m high in 5 years,( est )height 30 m. Golden ash / Claret ash and pendulous weeping ash.Fagus (English beech): beautiful deciduous shade trees or hedging, 4m in 5 years (est) 30m, Fagus sylvatica purpurea attractive wine leaves, Fagus sylvatica, fresh green.Crataegus (hawthorne) Paul's scarlet, deciduous 3m in 5 years,est 6m very hardy displaying full clusters of dark pink flowers in November.Ginkgo biloba: Deciduous, colourful, unique foliage, Pest and drought resistant mature height 13-20 m / mature width 12m, one for a shelter belt. Smaller gardens: Gleditsia emerald cascade: A very attractive weeping form, smaller growing making an ideal garden focal point. 2m high by 3m wide.Cotinus Goggygria / Grace (smoke bush) large spreading shrub, with stunning plum coloured leaves, and plumes of smoky pink flowers in summer. Height 2m after 5 years / 3m when mature. Michelia: very pretty, evergreen large shrub / tree with creamy-white blooms.Can be used for hedging or screening. Height 4m width 2m in 7/10 years.Robinia lace lady: A deciduous, very daintily branched, small leafed tree which will not grow heavy hard wood branches or roots and can be kept to the size required. Vegetable garden:Keep planting shallots, butter crunch lettuce plants, beetroot and broad beans and keep water up until they get settled. Cover with frost cloth to protect from frost and birds when small. Fruit: Tamarillos, if lucky enough to have these in your garden they will be hanging like jewels from almost bare branches, such a treat at this time of the year. Because the plants do not make hardwood they are frost tender but here on the coast in a sunny location, they ripen and are ready to pick now. Tamarillos will grow from tip cuttings, a bush will last for a decade if protected during winter, and they prefer to be outside not in a glass house.Feijoas are a treat right now as well, they do not ripen all at once but drop from the bush when ripe.Lemon “Meyer” are cold hardy and will fruit all year, if planting a new plant remove all flowers and small fruit for the first 3 years to get branch work established then it will produce for years. They do fine west facing with roots mulched until the shrub can shade its roots.  Feed with citrus food in early spring and early autumn.NZ Cranberry(Myrtus ugni) has a taste combination of strawberry, pineapple and apple my Grandchildren pick and eat them whenever here. A small evergreen bush, very fragrant when fruiting, can be hedged. Cheers, Linda.