CLIVEAS
IRIS VERSICOLOUR
SCHOTIA BRACHYPETALA
THIS MONTH
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
OCTOBER
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
OCTOBER
CATTLEYA ORCHID
SALVIA 'Mystic Spires'
HIBISCUS Splendens
Let nature be your guide
PHALAENOPSIS ORCHID
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Shrubs/Trees Abutilon Alloxylon flammeum Ardisia Azaleas Bauhinia Bougainvillea Brugmansia Brunfelsia Buddleia Calliandra Calodendrum capense Callistemon Dombeya calantha Echium Eremophila Eupatorium (mist bush) Euphorbia cotinifolia (new leaves) Fiddlewood (turning yellow) Gardenia Graptophyllum ilicifolium Grevillea robusta Grevilleas Hibiscus Jacaranda Lorapetalum Photinia Polygala Pomegranate Raphiolepis indica Robinia Pseudo-acacia ‘freesia’ (new leaves) Rondaletia Roses Ruttya fruticosa Schotia brachypetala Spiraea cantoniensis Viburnum |
Perennials Aloes Angelonia Begonia Brillantasia Cleome Coleus Coreopsis Cosmos Daisies Dianthus Evening Primrose Gaura Gerbera Heliotrope Impatiens Justicia Kalanchoe Lavender Leonitis Mandevilla Nasturtiums Nicotiana Orlaya Orontium (water) Pansies Papaver Pelagoniums Pentas Plectranthus Russellia Salvias Scutilleria Statice (perennial) Torrenia Turnea Waterlillies |
Orchids Arpophyllum spicatum Cattleya Cymbidium Epidendrum Oncidiums Phaius Phalaenopsis Softcane Dendrobiums Zygopetalums Vandas Bulbs Alstroemeria Arthropodium (Renga Renga lily) Bulbine Cliveas Day Lilies Gladioli candidus Hippeastrums Iris Lousiana Iris versicolor Knifofia Lapeirousia grandiflora Lilliums Ornithogalum Rhodophiala Tulbaghia Watsonias Bromeliads Aechmea Billbergia Guzmania Hohenbergia Tillandsia Vriesia Vines Clytostoma callistegioides Cobaea scandens Banksian Rose Dalechampia Jasminum Mandevilla Maurandya (climbing foxglove) Pandorea pandorama Phaseolus caracalla Tecomanthe ‘Roaring meg’ Wisteria |
We have had a dry spring so far and with no rain forecast and high temperatures. Before the really hot weather comes, do all the jobs like, mulching, cutting back and planting. Mulching will help to keep the soil cooler and moisture in.
LET NATURE BE YOUR GUIDE
It is very hard NOT to be a tidy gardener. I have met people who will not have a tree in their garden as “They drop their leaves everywhere” and some grizzle about the camellias dropping their petals. Some people are so tidy, that as soon as the flowers on shrubs or perennials start going brown, they chop them off!
A garden is not like a house that you can shut up and keep tidy. The grass does go brown and leaves, sticks and bark does fall. Managing and accepting that is part of gardening and enjoying all the seasons is what is so wonderful about a garden.
I leave my flowers on the plants as long as I can, particularly if the bees are into them. That is why we grow flowers, for the insects, and that is how we will get more plants; by pollination; allowing flowers to go to seed.
Trees that drop their leaves and their spent petals are creating mulch, which will enrich the soil around them and therefore feed them in the future as well as keeping the soil cool and moist. We must allow nature to take its course and allow this to happen so that our plants will grow to their full potential.
I tell my orchid workshop participants never to cut any part of any orchid off unless it is completely dead, because the old stems often re flower and they also throw keikies, which are baby plantlets.
If a plant is not growing well, there is a reason which we must look for; is it in the wrong place; too much shade, too much sun, too dry, too wet? If it has a pest, i.e. scale, mealy bug, ants, this probably means that it is not happy and to get rid of the pest we must first find what is causing the plant distress. Because if a plant is happy and thriving it usually does not have pests.
When old flowers die back naturally, they put nourishment back into the plant, like bulbs which have thick fleshy stems. Bulbs are a natural storage for nutrients, allowing the plant to re-generate for the next season. Just like Bromeliads not only collect water in their vases but also leaf litter and insects for nourishment.
That does not mean you don’t need to cut back plants and trees. Cutting back plants is essential in a garden, as plants over-shadow other plants and can sometimes smother them. I do like to mulch the cuttings and put it all back onto the garden which replenishes the soil.
I garden for the plants not for looks.
The Irises are putting on a wonderful show. They look particularly good planted en-masse as most bulbs should be planted. Some like water and others like to be baked dry. Louisiana and Versicolour like their feet in water. Versicolour is blue and Lousiana come in a range of colours from white, pink, yellow and blue. You can put them in pots in the pond if you raise them so that they only have about 5 -10 centimetres in water. Alternatively, you can plant them at the edge of a pond or in a pond with shallow water.
Iris tectorum is a lovely shorter Iris which is blue and thrives in a dry spot on the edge of the garden. Irises have a rhizome and can be easily divided by cutting a good size piece of rhizome with at least 1 section of leaf.
Jobs to do:
Cut back Eranthemums, Senecio petasites, Poinsettias, Spiraea, Photinias, Banksian Rose and Eupatoriums after they have finished flowering. It is always wise to take cuttings of perennials in case you lose them or if you want more plants to put in. The cuttings can be put in a pot and put in a shady place and keep well watered. The Poinsettias will strike better if they are left a week to dry out a bit before you put the cutting into a pot of soil. Early morning is the best time to take cuttings.
Collect seeds from Sweet peas and nasturtiums for next year’s crop. Store them in an envelope and mark with date and name. I also do this with vegetable seeds as I think it is better to re-seed tried and true vegetable strains than buy in ones you don’t know. When I collect seeds from Frangipani trees or vines which are large, I tie a paper bag around the stem so that they automatically disperse into the bag instead of the air and loosing them.
Nasturtiums are browning off with the heat, so rake all the long runners onto the garden beds and mulch over the top. Being from the pea family they do provide a good nitrogen source for the soil. They will come back again next year from this year’s seeds which you can leave or collect to sow them in a different place in autumn.
Vegetables:
Watering is essential in the vegetable garden in this hot and dry period. It is very rewarding to be able to pick a variety of herbs as well as silver beet, beans, lettuce and tomatoes.
Orchids:
Repot any orchids that have over filled their pot or the media has broken down. A good sign that orchid media has broken down is if there are weeds in the pot or if you see a white mould in the base of the pot. Roots hanging over the side of the pot or basket is not a problem as the roots of orchids search for food and water
Good Gardening
Jan
LET NATURE BE YOUR GUIDE
It is very hard NOT to be a tidy gardener. I have met people who will not have a tree in their garden as “They drop their leaves everywhere” and some grizzle about the camellias dropping their petals. Some people are so tidy, that as soon as the flowers on shrubs or perennials start going brown, they chop them off!
A garden is not like a house that you can shut up and keep tidy. The grass does go brown and leaves, sticks and bark does fall. Managing and accepting that is part of gardening and enjoying all the seasons is what is so wonderful about a garden.
I leave my flowers on the plants as long as I can, particularly if the bees are into them. That is why we grow flowers, for the insects, and that is how we will get more plants; by pollination; allowing flowers to go to seed.
Trees that drop their leaves and their spent petals are creating mulch, which will enrich the soil around them and therefore feed them in the future as well as keeping the soil cool and moist. We must allow nature to take its course and allow this to happen so that our plants will grow to their full potential.
I tell my orchid workshop participants never to cut any part of any orchid off unless it is completely dead, because the old stems often re flower and they also throw keikies, which are baby plantlets.
If a plant is not growing well, there is a reason which we must look for; is it in the wrong place; too much shade, too much sun, too dry, too wet? If it has a pest, i.e. scale, mealy bug, ants, this probably means that it is not happy and to get rid of the pest we must first find what is causing the plant distress. Because if a plant is happy and thriving it usually does not have pests.
When old flowers die back naturally, they put nourishment back into the plant, like bulbs which have thick fleshy stems. Bulbs are a natural storage for nutrients, allowing the plant to re-generate for the next season. Just like Bromeliads not only collect water in their vases but also leaf litter and insects for nourishment.
That does not mean you don’t need to cut back plants and trees. Cutting back plants is essential in a garden, as plants over-shadow other plants and can sometimes smother them. I do like to mulch the cuttings and put it all back onto the garden which replenishes the soil.
I garden for the plants not for looks.
The Irises are putting on a wonderful show. They look particularly good planted en-masse as most bulbs should be planted. Some like water and others like to be baked dry. Louisiana and Versicolour like their feet in water. Versicolour is blue and Lousiana come in a range of colours from white, pink, yellow and blue. You can put them in pots in the pond if you raise them so that they only have about 5 -10 centimetres in water. Alternatively, you can plant them at the edge of a pond or in a pond with shallow water.
Iris tectorum is a lovely shorter Iris which is blue and thrives in a dry spot on the edge of the garden. Irises have a rhizome and can be easily divided by cutting a good size piece of rhizome with at least 1 section of leaf.
Jobs to do:
Cut back Eranthemums, Senecio petasites, Poinsettias, Spiraea, Photinias, Banksian Rose and Eupatoriums after they have finished flowering. It is always wise to take cuttings of perennials in case you lose them or if you want more plants to put in. The cuttings can be put in a pot and put in a shady place and keep well watered. The Poinsettias will strike better if they are left a week to dry out a bit before you put the cutting into a pot of soil. Early morning is the best time to take cuttings.
Collect seeds from Sweet peas and nasturtiums for next year’s crop. Store them in an envelope and mark with date and name. I also do this with vegetable seeds as I think it is better to re-seed tried and true vegetable strains than buy in ones you don’t know. When I collect seeds from Frangipani trees or vines which are large, I tie a paper bag around the stem so that they automatically disperse into the bag instead of the air and loosing them.
Nasturtiums are browning off with the heat, so rake all the long runners onto the garden beds and mulch over the top. Being from the pea family they do provide a good nitrogen source for the soil. They will come back again next year from this year’s seeds which you can leave or collect to sow them in a different place in autumn.
Vegetables:
Watering is essential in the vegetable garden in this hot and dry period. It is very rewarding to be able to pick a variety of herbs as well as silver beet, beans, lettuce and tomatoes.
Orchids:
Repot any orchids that have over filled their pot or the media has broken down. A good sign that orchid media has broken down is if there are weeds in the pot or if you see a white mould in the base of the pot. Roots hanging over the side of the pot or basket is not a problem as the roots of orchids search for food and water
Good Gardening
Jan
WHAT IS FEATURING IN THE GARDEN IN OCTOBER:
