Gardening in Waitaki April 18th 2023

More rain during this, usually known as the dry and settled time of the year and School holidays as well making it hard for Kids to be entertained outside.  Autumn colours are really happening now brightening dull days.  As all the vibrant leaf colours fade we are knee deep in leaves so much raking with the promise of mulch to go back to the garden in the form of compost and leaf mulch. Don't be too worried about raking every leaf from the garden when adding compost, leaves soon break down. However too many leaves left piled on gardens will be offering homes for garden pests to winter over while also creating a shield to stop rain soaking in. Snails and slugs will be searching for damp hidden places for winter protection from birds so plants like geraniums, hellebore, heuchera, hostas and low leafy perennials need to have the ground cleared around them. Gardeners will still be cutting back summer flowering perennials, piles of soft plant matter go onto the compost but the stringy hard wood trimmings are better shredded or put in a slow composting pile, the more we can put back on the garden the more the garden benefits. I am leaving hydrangeas alone to finish the wonderful autumn show they are offering right now, but have been taking some semi hardwood cuttings as I cannot get enough of these wonderful plants and it takes a few seasons for cuttings to grow into a good sized bush. Semi / hardwood  cuttings need to be taken from close to the base of the bush. Cut at a leaf junction, remove bottom leaves ( not too close to the stem) leaving a set of two leaves and the tip growth, remove the soft tip growth. Use a good nutrient free medium, I use river sand. Dip cuttings in rooting hormone to stimulate root growth then firm in and water, place in a shaded area over winter and Spring.  Still time for sowing seed under cover here on the coast and getting them to prick out size before the days become really cold and growing stops. Once they are pricked out into punnets or pots they will need to be nursed through until spring. Sowing seed now gives you a head start and the seedlings carried through are much stronger and will do better than the new punnets of seedlings offered in Garden centers come spring. Seeds to sow under cover: Antirrhinum (snapdragon), dianthus, pansy, viola, poppy, scabious, sweet William, polyanthus, primrose and primulas.  Seeds to sow straight into the garden now Alyssum, aquilegia, calendula, cornflower, lupins and sweet peas. Lift gladioli and clean corms, after drying dust with flowers of sulphur before storing in paper bags, never plastic.  Winter roses: will benefit from feeding now, take most shabby old leaves off because they harbour green fly over the cold months, but leave enough to protect the new growth then remove when the flowers come up.  Tall asters: Any one growing tall asters should have had them flowering for a while. If they are falling all over the place and need support you need to remember to trim back the new growth by half at the end of next September, this will make them grow bushier rather than tall, I must remember to remind you then. Asters exhaust the soil as the clumps get bigger so divide often when finished flowering.  Lawns are slowing down now, I have given mine a dressing of dolomite lime to keep them sweet over winter, lime takes a season to work down to do its job so if put on now the benefits will be had in spring. Lawn lime application corrects the PH balance in soil by neutralizing acidity and alkalinity. Fertilization of lawns causes the PH to become acidic, limestone will bring the Ph level back down to a natural balance. This has been the perfect Autumn for sowing a new lawn and rain to water. If you notice patches of established lawn browning off and the birds showing interest and scratching grass out, you will probably have grass grubs eating the grass roots, Grass grubs start hibernating in May so this month is the very last chance you will have to deal with them. Grass grub granules need to be watered in.  Vegetables: Watch pumpkins don't get frosted from now on, if they are big and sound hollow when you knock on them they can be picked (leaving the stout stalk attach), sit them in a sunny place to ripen more,  Anzac day is traditionally the time to plant broad beans, if you missed that day any time now is good. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki April 11th 2023

Well we are still getting rain as I write this so gutters filled with autumn leaves will be overflowing, seed ripening and produce harvesting will be put on hold until hopefully a stretch of baking autumn weather. April into early May offer us the last mild pleasureable days to be working in gardens before we slip into winter. BUT until then, light hedge trimming, cutting back of all that has finished flowering, clearing gardens and pots of summer annuals to allow replanting, dressing cleared gardens with compost / mulch, and yes all those leaves need to be raked, composted, leaf mulch started or burnt......sorry to point out such a list of to do's. Cuttings: Growth starts slowing as days shorten, tree and shrub wood begins to harden as seeds are produced and ripen. Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken from this year's growth, woody at the base and soft at the tip. I have taken cuttings from buddleia, fuchsia, lavender, hebe, geranium, pelargonium, felicia daisy, salvia, rosemary, sage and lemon verbena. Take cuttings at a node, where a leaf is on the stem of a plant, because this is where most of the plant's natural hormones are concentrated. Depending on the plant, make cuttings approx 10 -15cm long. Remove leaves from the bottom half of the cutting and also reduce some top leaves and reduce those left by half. I push cuttings into river sand, moist river sand stays tight around cuttings until roots develop. Cuttings can stay outside in a protected, semi shaded position with good overhead light. Seed raising: Winter and spring annuals will successfully germinate now before days become colder and shorter. Sow into trays of potting mix with a layer of seed raising mix on top. Place sown seed trays in a well lit protected place outside, Once germinated pot on into punnets before seedlings become leggy and cover with a layer of frost cloth to get them through winter. Germinating for me are pansies, violas, primula malacoides and wall flowers. Peony roses do not have to be divided every year, if clumps have not been producing as many flowers as usual then that is a sign to divide. Once finished flowering cut back the dead stalks and leaves and destroy, if left near new growth diseases will be passed on. If a clump does need divideding now is the time. Bulbs: Only feed bulbs and plants that are due to flower now, all other plants will be slowing their growth right down to sleep through winter. Don't waste good fertiliser on plants that won't use it. Move all spring flowering plants in pots into a sunny spot now, plants like camellia, azaleas and rhododendrons that have been tucked away in a shady spot over the hot months. If shrubs were fed with acid fertiliser when they finished flowering, they should be fine. If not, give them a little and water in well to give them a boost. Compost: Damp compost heaps after the rain still have time to build up heat now until the very coldest months. Layer leaves on compost along with animal manure, soft garden waste, un-sprayed grass clippings and left over compost from your last lot. Lawns will have enjoyed the rain, let's hope it drowned the grass grub! If grubs are a problem in your lawns, (birds hunting them will let you know you have a problem) you have until the end of May to treat lawns for grass grub, after May they stop feeding and burrow deep. Grass seed sown now should strike but once frosts start you will need to wait for a spring sowing. Fruit: If you have laden apple trees, pick as many as you need and store in a cool dry place and leave the rest for birds. Quince paste with cheese and quince added to apple jelly is a wonderful taste from the past. Vegetables: Time to clear and add compost to veg gardens for replanting beetroot, spinach, and all brassica. Sow seeds of carrots, swedes and broad beans. The ground is still warm and perfect for getting seeds and seedlings well on their way before the frosts cool things down. Concept Garden Design: Now that I am not maintaining the big garden I am putting more time into Garden Design. If in need of direction in this area I can help with a concept design for existing gardens or new builds. Contact me on 0274430256 and I will explain what I offer. Cheers, Linda. Concept Landscape before

Concept landscape ideas after

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Gardening in Waitaki April 5th 2023

Easter is almost upon us again and trees are now showing autumn colour after a slow start because of autumn rains.  Our Easter egg hunters are reducing as they become teenages but there are still a few expecting Nanas Easter eggs.  Normally at this time of the year new growth is not encouraged as all growth starts to wind down preparing for the dormant months but here on the coast we like to continue to have colour in the garden with polyanthus, primulas, pansy and cyclamen, these plants get a boost when dried blood is used around them. Dried blood is high in nitrogen and an easy way to replenish tired soil before planting. Compost will be working well with moisture in the ground and warmth. Generally speaking, stable and poultry manure contain practically all the elements required, particularly nitrogen, phosphate, and potash in a natural organic form. However not all plants require the same proportions, animal manure that is too fresh can cause rank growth with leguminous like peas, beans, lupins etc because of excess nitrogen but left to break down in a compost heap, then used in conjunction with a general fertiliser when planting will ensure plants get all they require in the growing season.  Plants that will not tolerate phosphate garden fertiliser are leucadendrons, Proteas, Banksia and Erica's/ callunas; just a good organic leaf mulch will keep them happy. Primula and viola clumps can be broken up now and planted out to create borders or fill gaps in front borders. Feed rhododendron, azaleas and camellias with an acid fertiliser mixed especially for them which will boost them for budding and spring flowering. Keep deadheading dahlias until frost collapses them, when this happens cut back ensuring large thick stems are not left open to allow rain in and make its way down to rot tubers. If dahlia tubers are sitting in water too long after heavy rain they will rot. Dahlias can be dug out at the end of the season and stored away in a dry place to be planted out after frosts in late spring / early summer. A topping of pea straw is good protection for dahlias over winter. Roses, Rain has spoiled autumn roses this year, remove rotting blooms and resist cutting back, roses need to start making seed and harden wood before the cold months but If growing in a warm sheltered sunny spot one last deadheading will produce late blooms. Lawns are still growing strongly, giving good full catchers to spread about the garden as mulch. New lawns will get good germination results if sown now. Patching up sown areas can be covered with net or frost cloth to keep birds off. Vegetables / fruit Time to dig up and divide Rhubarb crowns, mixing in heaps of compost before replanting. A good time for sowing Spinach and Snap Peas. Harvest Pumpkins now, remember not to remove the stalk from the pumpkin, this stops rotting. So much fruit is still dropping from trees. I have been harvesting apples and quince this week and after all the rain it is a good time to repay your fruit trees by applying any or all of the following lime, manure, rock phosphate, liquid seaweed and vermi liquid around trees. Prune tamarillo trees hard after last fruit comes off, staggered pruning will stagger next year's crop. Prepare strawberry beds, build up ground with compost/mulch, cut old leaves from plants and destroy, remove runners, pot up only those growing close to the Mother plant for new fruiting plants or fill in gaps. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki March 29th 2023

April now with these last days of March feeling like July, Brrrrrrrrrrrrr, what a shock to the system not only for Gardeners but for gardens as well. I could almost see the dahlias shivering, and now we wait to see if it has had an effect as dahlias will collapse with frost. Easter break is a good time to get work done around gardens, if weather allows. Autumn is known to be the ripening season as plants begin to harden as winter approaches, seeds, fruit and veg harvest time and a lot of cutting back. However the rain and cold we have experienced changes the normal. Blooms and seed heads have been damaged for seed collection but most fruit will have been harvested before the cold snap, apples and pears will hang on trees into winter. Autumn rain holds back leaf colour and drop, keeping the rake up ongoing. When leaves do change and fall we need to deal with them. Thick carpets of leaves on gardens may do more harm than good because they can create a rain shield keeping a winter garden dry. A thin leaf layer is fine and will break down but rake piles off and use in compost or bag and make leaf mulch. All gardens need humus and leaf mulch is an answer. Leaf mulch: fill a plastic rubbish bag inside an empty rubbish container. Fill with leaves that have been run over with a lawn mower, pack in shredded leaves shaking from time to time to remove air from the sides. Take the full bag from the rubbish container and tie closed leaving a hole to insert a hose, poke holes around sides and at the bottom of the bag for worms to find a way in. Soak leaves with inserted hose then leave bags in an open area on bare ground for 6 months before using. If it smells like the forest floor after rain it is ready to add to gardens. Feed rhododendron & camellias with fertiliser mixed especially for them and water in to boost them for spring flowering. (Azaleas are fed when finished flowering) Lily bulbs can be divided now and will be on sale this month, they can be planted from now until June. Vegetables: Time to dig up and divide Rhubarb crowns, mixing in heaps of compost before replanting and a good time for sowing winter veg. Harvest Pumpkins and corn this month remembering not to remove the stalk from the Pumpkin, this stops it from rotting. Spring onion seed sown in a pot in a sheltered place can be pulled as they’re needed and will keep growing through winter. Fruit: Still harvesting apples, quince and late peaches plus gathering walnuts during April and Easter egg hunts will be on again. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki March 20th 2023

What strange Autumn weather we are experiencing during what is usually a settled mild time, how our weather patterns have changed. With rain keeping moisture up to trees and plants new growth carries on and leaf change and drop is held back. A light frost was experienced inland last week so the change of sessions has begun.Weeds after the rain are small and with frosts not far away they won't get away like they do in spring. ( wishful thinking?)  Gardens will be tired now, cut back, lift and divide summer flowering perennials and shrubs, remove seed heads from ornamental grass if you have not already done so, clumps will look a lot tidier, if left seeds will spread.   This is a great time to make new perennial beds or reorganize existing beds, with perennial clumps increasing in size annually they soon over fill a space. Lift overgrown or stagnant clumps, break up and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants can be reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction then lift the cut portion out without disturbing the plant remaining. I do this with asters, phlox, aubretia, small grasses, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm. Rockery plants can be divided now as well. Once plants have been sectioned and rearranged, cover the bed and around plants with compost which will encourage new root growth and help keep the perennial bed warmer through the colder months to come. Lilies, this is the main time to shift or divide old overgrown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull old stems away from the bulb, it leaves a hole where water can enter and cause rot, cut old stems short and bend, never allow Lily bulbs to dry while out of the ground. Ponds have been overheating this summer encouraging oxygen weed and slim to grow rapidly, I use a leaf rake to lift it out where I can get at it. I always put barley straw at one end at the start of summer to help pond life. Water iris are a lovely addition to a pond and can be repotted now. To re pot water iris line a plastic pot ( large enough to stand the top heaviness of the iris when tall) with sacking or even a chux cloth place gravel then soil, a little stable manure, or slow release fertiliser granules, plant iris then top with a generous layer of gravel. The gravel on the bottom and top helps to prevent manure or fertiliser leaching from the pot while at the same time weighting the pot down when the iris becomes top heavy. Topping ponds up often during hot weather helps to cool water and keep ponds cleaner. Now would be a good time to cover a garden pond with netting to catch leaves as they fall.  Lawns: Get new lawns sown now, the cooler nights and mornings are allowing moisture to remain longer after watering and a strike will happen pretty fast in the warm ground. For established lawns dry weather encourages thatch to build up around grass roots and lawns can become thick with it killing out good grass. If you feel your lawn is being choked by thatch this is the time to address the problem. A dethatcher can be hired from our local garden hire business. Once a good portion of thatch is removed good grass gets a chance to grow strongly again. Scarification will also help remove moss and an added bonus is thatch removed can be added to compost heaps. Grass grubs are on the go munching grass roots and leaving dead patches, treating lawns can be done from now until May. Vegetables. March is an important month for planting winter veg, preparing soil prior to planting with compost, general garden fertiliser and lime (only if needed to bring the Ph up), I add lime to my compost. Keep planting all veg seedlings on offer but cover from birds and white butterflies. Prepare garlic beds with compost/ manure worked in then left to settle until planting out in June. Heartsease (small wild pansy) is a companion plant to garlic and onions. Fruit: Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds. Pruning stone fruit trees in late summer, early-mid autumn can be done, nectarines, peaches, apricots and plums. If you do prune in autumn, protect cut wounds with a water based paint, pruning paint or beeswax to seal wounds and prevent disease entering.Weed, manure, mulch/compost around fruit trees while the ground is warm. Citrus should be producing flowers and fruit well this season so give them citrus food as a reward. Apples are dripping from trees, it is best to pick apples for storing when not too ripe and store them in a cool dark place. Start pruning pip fruit trees any time after the leaves have fallen, remove dead or damaged wood, crossing or inward turning branches, excess leaders or sucker growth developing on the main trunks. Shorten back vigorous leaders by about a 1/3 to promote branching. Prune long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki March 8th 2023

With days shortening, mornings & nights cooling it will not be long before the major leaf drop and days filled with raking, Right now we need to play the waiting game for trees surrounding gardens to drop all before getting gardens ready for winter with spreading compost then mulch. However, branches can be lifted on large trees and climbers like wisteria, jasmine and honeysuckle can be trimmed along with hedges and shrubs to allow new growth to harden in time for a winter freezing. Deadhead dahlias and geraniums to keep them flowering through until the first frost and continue to remove spent summer annuals so ground can be worked ready for planting winter flowering annuals, such as primulas, wall flowers, polyanthas, pansies and viola's. Fork in some compost and dampen well before replanting beds. Be on the lookout for useful self sown seedlings, you will find quite a few for transplanting now to settle in before winter. Spring bulbs need to be planted during autumn and I see many varieties on offer. Plant in groups, at the depth suggested on packets ( 4 to 6 inches of dirt cover ). Peony roses will be on offer now, they are really worth planting having big showy blooms to take over from spring rhododendron displays. Peonies are very adaptable, but they do prefer a sunny, well-drained, slightly acidic soil benefiting from compost added when planting. Be careful when planting not to disturb the new shoots (eyes) forming as a peony root to be planted should contain at least 3 eyes that will eventually become stems. A root with only 1 or 2 eyes will still grow, but it will take longer to flower. Taking the time to prepare the soil before planting is time well spent, plant with the eyes facing upwards and the roots spread out. Peony roots should be planted relatively close to the soil surface; only about 2-3 inches deep. It may seem odd to leave roots so exposed, but they need a winter chilling to attain dormancy and set bud, so keep mulch away from the base of peony plants as they can remain in the same spot for upwards of 70 years. Lift gladioli now, you do not need to wait for leaves to die back, dry in a warm place with a dust of insecticide to prevent infestation before storing in a cool place for next growing season. They can be left where they are growing if there is not a pest problem. If you want to grow a great number of gladioldi and don’t mind spending a few years doing it, seed germination is a way. Leave the flowers on the stem for about six weeks after they die off to produce hard casings filled with seeds. Sprout seeds into miniature plants and you’ll have full-sized gladiolus in about three years and may even produce new varieties this way. For quicker results try propagating small gladiolus corms. Each plant will have a number of baby corms, known as cormels or cormlets, attached to the bottom. When you remove these cormlets plant separately and they’ll grow to flowering size in a couple of years being true to the Mother plant whereas seeds will develop their own shades. It is time to empty compost bins in readiness for incoming autumn leaves, spread around to give a boost to soil. Shrubs, plants and bulbs take so much soil goodness during each growing season until soil reaches a stage of needing more than Man made fertilisers which work as plant food promoting growth and in doing so depleting soil of humus. Compost / humus is a soil enhancer taken down to roots by worms to get the best results from both ornamental and vegetable gardens. Lawns: Autumn is new lawn sowing time, the cooler nights and mornings allow moisture to remain longer after watering and a strike will happen pretty fast with the ground retaining warmth. Fruit: Apples and pears are dripping from trees, pick when pips are brown and store carefully without bruising in a cool dark place. Vegetables: Good growth will still be happening as long as water is kept up, pumpkins and corn should almost be ready to harvest. Dry off pumpkin and squash skins before storing them in a cool dry place. This is a good time for planting above ground annual crops that produce their seeds outside like lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and grain green crops for digging in to decompose and become humus. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki March 1st 2023

Here we are already MARCH and how fortunate we are here in the south to have had the privilege of enjoying a perfect summer to lead us into the wonderful, ripening autumn season. The horror for growers and Gardeners in the far north is for me a tragedy like no other that I have known in my reasonably long life time. Affecting so many New Zealanders with some having lost not only crops and gardens but every single hard worked for possession owned. Here is a way to help from a distance. Kidscan: Donate $15.00 https://www.kidscan.org.nz/ Gardens will be tired now so cutting back is the only way to smarten things up and get plants and shrubs to push new growth and colour out. Petunias and begonias are loving the warmth and will keep flowering if dead headed often. Many new seedlings can be planted out once gardens are trimmed back and cleared of annual weeds, cut back what has been flowering and add new annuals to take over. Stock, statice, snapdragon and wall flower are good fillers at this time. Seed collecting: I am still collecting and storing seed pods from summer flowering plants and have a good collection of lavatera, delphinium, cornflower, poppy and marigold seed to name just a few. The hollyhock, foxglove and delphinium I will sow now and carry through winter once germinated, the others I will save for a spring sowing. Roses: Keep the rose dead heading up to encourage the last blooms of summer, it is 6 weeks from a prune to another bud which will take us into April, after that flowering it is best to not dead head, leave blooms to make seed which will help to harden wood for the winter ahead. No feeding roses from now on as it will only encourage soft new growth then die back when frosts arrive. March is defiantly a great planting month, soil is warm for newly planted trees and shrubs settle in well. There are a lot of well grown trees, shrubs and plants on offer right now in Garden centers ready and waiting to be planted. Gardner's further inland will need to read the labels to establish frost ratings before buying, if in doubt wait until spring. Spring bulbs : The widest variety of spring bulbs are now on sale in Garden centers so it’s time to plant for a stunning spring show. During the year surplus bulbs are bought into The Waitaki resource recovery park, they have been dried and stored and are now bagged for sale. Spring bulbs need to be planted 4 to 6 inches deep, that's 4 to 6 inches on top of the bulb, if not planted deeply eventually when they do come into leaf and experience a dry patch they wont take up enough moisture to come into bud. Herbs: This will be the last month to cut fresh herb growth for drying and using through winter. If herbs were cut back before making seed fresh new growth should be ready to cut. I cut rosemary, lemon balm, bergamot, bay, basil, borage, chives, dill, lemongrass, mint, oregano, sage, savory, tarragon and thyme which are bunched and hung or spread out on news paper in a dry well aired place to become dry and crunchy before rubbing and storing in glass jars. The mentioned herbs can be blanched and free flow frozen as well. Lawns. After baking hot days and a lot of mowing lawn growth starts slowing down, although catchers will still be filling up for a while yet. Don't feel you need to cut lower than usual because growth has slowed, a scalped lawn dries out faster and encourages weeds. Autumn is the best time to sow new lawns, weed growth is slowing, the flat weeds can be popped out with the blade of secateurs before they seed and spread. Fruit: Late peaches, nectarines, quince and apples will be ripe now, there are so many ways to use fresh apples, apple jelly, apple and quince jelly, apple pies, apple sponge, apple shortcake. Or just pick, peel, stew and freeze before birds get them all. I have just made chilli Worcestershire sauce, so good. https://www.instructables.com/Chilli-Worcestershire-Sauce/ Grape bunches will be plump and heavy, birds will be waiting. Vegetable Gardeners will be planting new crops for the cooler seasons, leaf veg should not bolt so readily now and will not mind the days getting shorter and root veg seeds will germinate well while the ground is still warm. A second sowing of peas will be up in no time, corn soon picked and the pumpkins will have out grown their space. Pumpkins should be picked before the first frost. Onions can be lifted once leaves have bent over, don't bend or damage leaves before they are ready to bend naturally if you want them to store and keep well. Once dug lay them out in a warm place to fully ripen then store in a cool place. Root veg seed should germinate quickly in warm/moist autumn soil. Cheers Linda