Best Planting Time Ever!


You may not have enjoyed the roller-coaster of recent weather personally but believe us your garden has!

Why?
Because the rain has fallen on still warm soil, creating the perfect environment for new plants to develop a strong root system before winter comes. They’ll repay you by romping away when spring arrives!

Anne and Heather's ‘How to plant a shrub’:

• Soak the plant in a bucket of water until the bubbles cease to rise.
• After digging the hole throw in 2/3 Gro-tabs before placing the root-ball on top.
• Always remember to incorporate some good quality compost through sandy or clay soils when you plant.
• Fill the hole with soil and remember to firm around the plant with a good heavy foot! (This is a really important aspect as it helps hold your plant upright when the next southerly blows through!
• Water the plant and surrounding soil deeply – Wellington’s weather is so unpredictable – we can have long dry spells even in early winter.
• Pamper the plant with an eco-wool mat!

Best Gardening Tips

Bulbs
Arriving almost daily so get in early for the best selection. It’s a good idea to put them in the fridge for a few weeks and plant out as the soil cools later in autumn.

• Check out Tulip Tres Chic – a white lily type we’ve been seeking for years! It is really stunning rising up through a carpet of Euphorbia polychroma. And we’ve got some really daring striped and bi-coloured varieties for the more adventurous.
• Choose short and dwarf bulbs for fantastic pot displays which can be taken indoors while flowering. You can use quite shallow pots or bowls as the bulbs should be planted high up in the potting mix.

Tools
Ready to prune that out of control shrub or hedge? Drop your hedging shears, loppers and secateurs into us now!

Grass grub
Apply a granular insecticide to the lawn now to control grass grub larvae. Most control formulations such as Diazanon prills and Neem Granules are very effective when hosed into the ground or applied prior to a good shower of rain.

Powdery Mildew
So far in 2006 there seems to be plenty of this around on roses, perennial flowering plants and summer flowering annuals. The warm temperatures coupled with recent rainfall have contributed to this occurring.

Spray with a fungicide such as Nature’s Way Fungus Spray or Saprol to extend the flowering period of these plants.

Weeding
Take advantage of the recent showers of rain to do a little ‘outdoor housekeeping.’ You’ll find that weeds can be extracted easily, including roots. Follow this with a good application of Dalton’s ‘Mega-Mulch’ over the bare soil and around the plants. This will reduce weed re-growth and look attractive.

Two Questions we are often asked in Autumn

1) How do I tidy up my awful looking lavender?
2) How do I best prepare a new planting area that is predominantly clay?

Renovating Lavenders

Even the best looking lavenders benefit hugely from a cut back in autumn. This can be done any time from now to mid April as a general rule.

Prune by up to one third for healthy bushes and by a half to correct unruly growth. Don’t prune into the hard wood as your bushes may not re-grow. Lavender dentata (French lavender) is the exception to this rule.

A light application of garden lime ensures the soil is alkaline enough for their taste and Garden Galore may be sprinkled around established plants

If your lavender is in a pot and is no longer a good pot specimen - get rid of it! (who wants to look at cut back sticks for long periods while it re-grows)? Top-dress pots of lavender with garden lime and slow release fertiliser.

Preparing Clay Soils
Even if you’re not quite ready to dig you can improve drainage in clay soils simply by applying a bag of Gypsum over the area and leaving for a few weeks.

Before compost is added repeat this step, but do turn over the clay to a reasonable depth before adding the compost.

When preparing clay soil it is really important to incorporate good quality compost into the clay – we stock Liivng Earth and Tui Organic composts.

Throughout the year we’ll be keeping you up to date with our newsletters, full of ideas for the garden, the latest garden trends, upcoming specials and reminders about helpful products and tools for the garden.

Until next time.

Anne