Senecio petasitis
JUSTICIA ADHADOTA
DENDROBIUM SPECIOSUM
THIS MONTH
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
AUGUST
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
AUGUST
DOMBEYA CACUMINUM
CYMBIDIUM ORCHIDS
DENDROBIUM
Let nature be your guide
SCADOXUS PUNICEUS
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Shrubs/Trees Abutilon Acalypha (leaves) Ardisia (berries) Azaleas Bauhinia Bougainvilleas Brugsmansia Brunsfelsia Buddleia (B) Calliandra Callistemon Camellia Dombeya cacuminum (B) Dombeya calantha (B) Dombeya ianthrotricha Eranthemum Erimophila Erythrina Euphorbia Cotinifolia (leaf) Euphorbia millii Grevilleas Hardenbergia Hibiscus Justicia Adhatoda (B) Liquidamber formosana (B) Megakepasma Michelia doltsopa Pycnostachys urticifolia Rondeletia Roses (B) Ruellia macrantha Senecio petasitis (B) Spiraea cantoniensis Strelizia Strobilanthes Goldfussia Teucrium fruticans Thryptomene Tibouchina Westringia Xanthostemon(golden penda) (B) (B) loved by Bees |
Perennials Aloes Angelonia Anthurium Argyranthemum Daisies Brillantasia (Giant Sage) Coleus Crassula Dianthus Euphorbia ‘Diamond frost’ Gerberas Heliotrope Justicia brandegeana Kalanchoe Lavender Limonium perezii Nasturtium (B) Osteospernum Daisies Otacanthus Pachystachys Pelargoniums Pentas Plectranthus Polygala Porphyrocoma pohliana Reinwardtia indica Rosemary Ruellia Russellia Salvias Scutellaria Statice VINES Cobaea scandens Dalechampia roezliana Maurandya Pyrostegia venusta Thunbergia mysorensis |
Orchids Angraecum Cattleya Cymbidium Dendrobiums Native Dendrobiums Softcane Epidendrum Phalaenopsis Vandas Zygopetalums Bromeliads Aechmea Billbergia Guzmania Hohenbergia Tillandsia Neoregelia Quesnelia Vriesia Bulbs Anemones Chasmanthe Clivea nobilis Cyrtanthus/Ifafa lily Hyacinth Iris Ornithagollum Scadoxus |
The nights are still cool but the days are warm if there is no wind. Wind is more drying than the sun so it is important to mulch to try to keep as much moisture in the soil as our spring is usually dry.
WINTER JOBS
Our main winter job is getting rid of mould off tiles, seats and ramps in the garden. I find that the easiest way to do this is to first pour a little vinegar on the mould the day before you plan to hose the area. I use straight white vinegar and pour sufficient vinegar on so that it doesn’t run away.
If you do this yearly then a jet wand attached to the hose is usually sufficient. This is provided the hose is not too long. The longer the hose the less pressure you get to the wand. If the mould is very old you may have to use an electrical pressure system like a Karcher.
Because our winter is dry, once the mould is off it stays off until the summer rains come.
We also try and do all the heavy jobs during winter, like mulching, cutting back and preparing new gardens. If it is really dry, I will prepare the garden but not plant out until the rains come in summer.
Garden edges are important so that the grass from lawn is not allowed to grow in the garden. We put chippings on our paths, so garden edges help to retain this. Our paths also allow the water run off from heavy summer rain to get away easily. The Garden borders are all edged with sandstone which is pretty tough and looks good. Sandstone Is easy to whipper snip against on the lawns
Preparing garden beds. At the moment I am putting in fruit trees and because these are in the paddock, they are formed with treated sleepers 2.4m x 200mm. I put the sleepers 2 high and stake them with pickets cut off to the height of the sleepers plus what goes into the ground, so about 600mm altogether. You get 3 per 1.8 stake.
TRIM AND TIDY UP TROPICALS
Once the coldest weather has passed, we can start tidying up the tropicals, such as Gingers, Costas, Heliconias, Thalias, Calatheas, Marantas, Allamandas, Brazilian cloak, Mussaendas and Poinsettias. The Poinsettias can be cut back as soon as they have finished flowering and all can be nourished with some mulch. With the gingers and heliconias, only cut the stems which have ‘yellowed’ and the old stems that have ‘spent’ ends. Leave all the juvenile canes intact as these will give the clump a good start for summer flowers. This is also a good time to divide them if the clump has got too big for their area or are too ‘congested’.
VEGETABLES sown in winter are coming on nicely and being encouraged by the compost tea which I dilute 1:4 with water. Seeds of lettuce and pak choy have been sown and talk about instant germination, they were visible after a matter of days. I am keeping the water up to the vegetables as this ensures tenderness with constant growth.
Plant beans and snow peas as this will add nitrogen to the soil and will give you pickings over spring. Sweet Corn kernels can also be planted. Plant them in a block of 4 rows at least as they are wind pollinated. I have also planted seedlings of Kale and Ruby Chard as this looks great and is also great for picking leaves as you want them.
ORCHIDS
There are many native orchids that we can grow here in our gardens. The most popular is Dendrobium speciosum or the Rock Orchid. Most of our native orchids will have spikes now and you need to watch carefully as some don’t flower for very long and you can miss the display. I grow Dendrobium speciosum on rocks in part shade where they have survived for many years.
There are many hybrids from Dendrobium speciosum and a lovely natural one is Dendrobium delicatum which is a hybrid with Dendrobium kingianum.
Once the flowers have gone new leaves will be produced from which next years flower spikes will come. Keep a sharp eye out for the Dendrobium beetle as they love these new leaves.
Good Gardening
Jan
WINTER JOBS
Our main winter job is getting rid of mould off tiles, seats and ramps in the garden. I find that the easiest way to do this is to first pour a little vinegar on the mould the day before you plan to hose the area. I use straight white vinegar and pour sufficient vinegar on so that it doesn’t run away.
If you do this yearly then a jet wand attached to the hose is usually sufficient. This is provided the hose is not too long. The longer the hose the less pressure you get to the wand. If the mould is very old you may have to use an electrical pressure system like a Karcher.
Because our winter is dry, once the mould is off it stays off until the summer rains come.
We also try and do all the heavy jobs during winter, like mulching, cutting back and preparing new gardens. If it is really dry, I will prepare the garden but not plant out until the rains come in summer.
Garden edges are important so that the grass from lawn is not allowed to grow in the garden. We put chippings on our paths, so garden edges help to retain this. Our paths also allow the water run off from heavy summer rain to get away easily. The Garden borders are all edged with sandstone which is pretty tough and looks good. Sandstone Is easy to whipper snip against on the lawns
Preparing garden beds. At the moment I am putting in fruit trees and because these are in the paddock, they are formed with treated sleepers 2.4m x 200mm. I put the sleepers 2 high and stake them with pickets cut off to the height of the sleepers plus what goes into the ground, so about 600mm altogether. You get 3 per 1.8 stake.
TRIM AND TIDY UP TROPICALS
Once the coldest weather has passed, we can start tidying up the tropicals, such as Gingers, Costas, Heliconias, Thalias, Calatheas, Marantas, Allamandas, Brazilian cloak, Mussaendas and Poinsettias. The Poinsettias can be cut back as soon as they have finished flowering and all can be nourished with some mulch. With the gingers and heliconias, only cut the stems which have ‘yellowed’ and the old stems that have ‘spent’ ends. Leave all the juvenile canes intact as these will give the clump a good start for summer flowers. This is also a good time to divide them if the clump has got too big for their area or are too ‘congested’.
VEGETABLES sown in winter are coming on nicely and being encouraged by the compost tea which I dilute 1:4 with water. Seeds of lettuce and pak choy have been sown and talk about instant germination, they were visible after a matter of days. I am keeping the water up to the vegetables as this ensures tenderness with constant growth.
Plant beans and snow peas as this will add nitrogen to the soil and will give you pickings over spring. Sweet Corn kernels can also be planted. Plant them in a block of 4 rows at least as they are wind pollinated. I have also planted seedlings of Kale and Ruby Chard as this looks great and is also great for picking leaves as you want them.
ORCHIDS
There are many native orchids that we can grow here in our gardens. The most popular is Dendrobium speciosum or the Rock Orchid. Most of our native orchids will have spikes now and you need to watch carefully as some don’t flower for very long and you can miss the display. I grow Dendrobium speciosum on rocks in part shade where they have survived for many years.
There are many hybrids from Dendrobium speciosum and a lovely natural one is Dendrobium delicatum which is a hybrid with Dendrobium kingianum.
Once the flowers have gone new leaves will be produced from which next years flower spikes will come. Keep a sharp eye out for the Dendrobium beetle as they love these new leaves.
Good Gardening
Jan
WHAT IS FEATURING IN THE GARDEN IN AUGUST:
