Gardening in Waitaki July 24th 2024

New low maintenance garden

Dull damp days and then one out of the box on Tuesday but the days are beginning to lengthen slowly and with increased daylight plant roots begin to stir. During the rainy days, I have been busy with Garden design work and the fine days have been perfect for spending some time repotting plants that will burst with growth again in spring. My design work has changed dramatically from when I first started creating new Gardens for Clients back in the '80s and '90s. Back then it was all about pushing fences out to create more gardens and planting roses, trees, and wide borders filled with shrubs and perennials. Today homeowners are kept busy with other activities and require limited outdoor maintenance so growers have become obliged to grow large numbers of structured plants to fit this need. I like to encourage Clients to include a small flower-picking garden along with a low-maintenance look. The picking garden can be planted out with perennials, bulbs, and annuals to fill vases while introducing prettiness and perfume to the garden while also attracting beneficial insects and bees. Where space is available in new or existing gardens large trees can be introduced to give privacy and shade but when planting along a neighboring fence thought must go into the choice of trees. In my new town garden, I have planted the large trees I value in grow bags for Simi Bonsaing. The grow bags contain tap roots and restrict spreading roots. Feeder roots will still be nourished when fed and mulched to retain moisture. I have planted maples, birches, elm, and natives this way and almost 3 years on they are growing smaller and doing fine, the grow bags I use are locally made and distributed by https://www.evergroworchard.nz/evergrow-bags. We still have weeks of cold weather to come but I see so much spring plant growth happening here on the coast, tulips and all other spring bulbs are well up, and rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, and magnolias are pushing out fat buds to introduce the beginning of a new growing season. Roses: Apply a thick layer of mulch on and around your roses to keep moisture there, this also protects the root zone and enables bushes to concentrate on root movement. In early spring an application of Rose Fertiliser high in potassium will enhance the healthy growth of roses being the nutrient responsible for promoting large, vibrant, healthy blooms. For established roses apply 200 g (1 cup) per square metre and water in. Apply again in mid-December for an autumn flush of blooms. Fruit: There will never be a better time to choose and plant ornamental and fruiting trees than right now! Each tree will have an informative label to tell you exactly what you will be buying with instructions on how and where to plant. All fruit trees need to grow in an open sunny position. Vegetable garden: To have Christmas new potatoes you need to start thinking about them from now on, all varieties are available in shops now. Potatoes have a natural dormancy from the time they are harvested to when they begin to sprout and start their next growth cycle. This can only be modified slightly by storage conditions. I set them out in a box on damp newspaper and pop them in a dark place in the warmth of the house. Some leave them in a warm well-lit place, whatever works for you, I go with the theory that it is very dark down in the soil where they eventually end up. FIRST EARLY VARIETIES: Cliffs Kidney, Jersey Bennes, Maris Anchor, Rocket. SECOND EARLY Ilam Hardy, Karaka, Red King. MAIN CROP: Desiree, Agria Mondial, Nadine, Pentland Dell, Red Rascal and Rua. Sow vegetable seeds in trays for planting out later, cauliflower and Cabbage seedlings on offer can be planted now undercover to keep birds off. In warmer garden areas silverbeet and Broccoli seedlings can go in. Asparagus crowns should now be available to be planted out in a well-composted bed, (no animal manure for asparagus) Cheers Linda.

Cherry trees in evergrow bags.