Brassolaelia cattleya
Sylvia Fry x Bullion
Sylvia Fry x Bullion
MONTANOA bipinnatifida
MEXICAN TREE DAISY
MEXICAN TREE DAISY
TETRADENIA RIPARIA
THIS MONTH
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
JULY
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
JULY
MONSIER TILLIER ROSE
ALOE
CHASMANTHE
Let nature be your guide
SENECIO PETASITIS
|
Shrubs/Trees Abutilon Acalypha Ardisia (berries) Azaleas Bougainvilleas Brugmansia Calliandra Callistemon Camellia Clerodendrun Croton (leaf colour) Dahlia Imperialis Dombeya cacuminum Dombeya burgessiae Dombeya Ianthotricha Eremophila Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ Euphorbia leucocephala Euphorbia millii Euphorbia pulcherrima Grevilleas Holmskioldia aurea Hypoestes floribunda Justicia adhatoda Justicia aurea Megakepasma Montanoa bipinnatifida tree daisy (seed heads) Pycnostachys urticifolia Reinwardtia indica Roses Ruellia colorata Ruellia macrantha Ruttya fruticosa Senecio petasitis Strelizias Strobilanthes Goldfussia Tetradenia riparia |
Perennials Angelonias Anthurium Centrantherum punctatum Cleome Coleus Cosmos Dianthus Gerberas Heliotrope Limonium perezii Nasturtiums Otacanthus Pachystachys Pelargoniums Pennisetum Grasses Peristrophe Plectranthus Ruellia macrantha Russellia Salvias Stachys byzantina Whitfeldia Succulents Aloes Crassula Euphorbia millii Kalanchoe Zygocactus |
Orchids Angraecum Cattleya Cymbidium Epidendrum ibaguense Phalaenopsis Hardcane Dendrobiums Vanda Zygopetalums Bromeliads Aechmea Billbergia Guzmania Quesnelia Vriesia Bulbs Chasmanthe Ornithagallum Vines Cobaea scandens Clerodendrun Dalechampia Ipomoea quamoclit Maurandya barclayana Pyrostegia venusta |
What an extraordinary winter! I can’t ever remember mowing the grass in winter before, let alone it being green instead of brown. I guess it will start to dry off a bit now but it is such a lovely site to see so many flowers and so much colour in the garden at this time of year.
CULLING CLUMPING PLANTS
An established garden gets to a stage when a lot of culling is needed. Plants start to encroach on paths, trees overhang lawn, walk areas and other plants. Clumps of palms spread and there is no longer room in the garden beds for plants to grow to their best.
There are a few plants that I put in as fillers and were great ‘doers’, but now they have outlived their welcome. These are Golden Cane palms, Butia palms, Aechmea blanchettiana, and some Neoregelia bromeliads.
I have started culling the Aechmea blanchettiana bromeliads which are very big and spiky bromeliads. They are stoloniferous which means that they propagate by sending out stolons from the mother plant. These stolons are usually about 30 plus centimeters long. By cutting off the stolon at the base of the plant, we can then put the vase top through the mulcher. There is also a Neoregelia stoloniferous bromeliad which forms a skirt around the base of trees. It also encroaches onto lawns and paths and this is easier to cut back as it is much smaller and not as heavy or spiky. All the dead fronds can be left to mulch down in the garden bed as new soil and mulch needs to be added to the new bed. If the lawn has been encroached, then by adding a thin layer of soil or fine chips, it will soon re-generate.
My next job is to make room in the borders, and this will entail cutting out some clumps of golden cane and Butia palms and some trees. A garden looks better if you can pick out individual trees and plants rather than a blur of greenery. Making more room also allows the other shrubs and trees to grow to their best.
Montanoa bipinnatifida the Mexican tree daisy will finish flowering and leave beautiful lime coloured seed heads in profusion. Mine do not germinate seed, so I leave the seed heads on. When these go brown, you can then cut the tree down to about 40 cms from ground level. The stems can be cut into 40cm lengths for propagating.
VEGETABLES will need constant water and it is a good idea to plant seedlings monthly to keep a succession of vegetables to harvest. Seedlings of root vegetables, Brassicas, Snow peas, Beans, Silverbeet, Onions and Tomatoes.
It is important that the beds are well manured, mulched and watered consistently to keep the vegetables growing well. Asparagus goes into dormancy over winter and needs to be cut right back, manured and mulched ready for the spring sprouting.
ALOES are putting on a wonderful show and are great for tough areas like slopes that have good drainage. They need full sun and don't need mulching. They are easily divided once the flowers have finished. The flowers are much loved by the birds.
GREVILLEAS are also putting on a great show and will continue flowering right through the winter months. It is important to plant the 'Queensland' varieties which not only tolerate our conditions well but are loved by the birds and insects. I find that they do appreciate mulch and really enjoyed the wet summer as long as drainage is excellent.
ORCHIDS
Cattleyas are putting on a beautiful show as are Cymbidiums, Phalaenopsis, Hardcane Dendrobiums and Zygopetalums. Don’t be tempted to over water orchids in winter. A misting daily is better than a heavy watering and this should be directed onto their leaves. Mist them in the mornings so that they are dry by nightfall as they hate being cold and wet.
Make sure that the temperature doesn’t drop below 10 deg Celsius for the Hardcane Dendrobiums and Phalaenopsis Orchids. We keep ours in an orchid house which is not heated but manage to keep it at that temperature by closing it up at night and growing ferns and other plants, therefore creating a micro-climate with extra humidity that these beauties enjoy all year round.
Good Gardening
Jan
CULLING CLUMPING PLANTS
An established garden gets to a stage when a lot of culling is needed. Plants start to encroach on paths, trees overhang lawn, walk areas and other plants. Clumps of palms spread and there is no longer room in the garden beds for plants to grow to their best.
There are a few plants that I put in as fillers and were great ‘doers’, but now they have outlived their welcome. These are Golden Cane palms, Butia palms, Aechmea blanchettiana, and some Neoregelia bromeliads.
I have started culling the Aechmea blanchettiana bromeliads which are very big and spiky bromeliads. They are stoloniferous which means that they propagate by sending out stolons from the mother plant. These stolons are usually about 30 plus centimeters long. By cutting off the stolon at the base of the plant, we can then put the vase top through the mulcher. There is also a Neoregelia stoloniferous bromeliad which forms a skirt around the base of trees. It also encroaches onto lawns and paths and this is easier to cut back as it is much smaller and not as heavy or spiky. All the dead fronds can be left to mulch down in the garden bed as new soil and mulch needs to be added to the new bed. If the lawn has been encroached, then by adding a thin layer of soil or fine chips, it will soon re-generate.
My next job is to make room in the borders, and this will entail cutting out some clumps of golden cane and Butia palms and some trees. A garden looks better if you can pick out individual trees and plants rather than a blur of greenery. Making more room also allows the other shrubs and trees to grow to their best.
Montanoa bipinnatifida the Mexican tree daisy will finish flowering and leave beautiful lime coloured seed heads in profusion. Mine do not germinate seed, so I leave the seed heads on. When these go brown, you can then cut the tree down to about 40 cms from ground level. The stems can be cut into 40cm lengths for propagating.
VEGETABLES will need constant water and it is a good idea to plant seedlings monthly to keep a succession of vegetables to harvest. Seedlings of root vegetables, Brassicas, Snow peas, Beans, Silverbeet, Onions and Tomatoes.
It is important that the beds are well manured, mulched and watered consistently to keep the vegetables growing well. Asparagus goes into dormancy over winter and needs to be cut right back, manured and mulched ready for the spring sprouting.
ALOES are putting on a wonderful show and are great for tough areas like slopes that have good drainage. They need full sun and don't need mulching. They are easily divided once the flowers have finished. The flowers are much loved by the birds.
GREVILLEAS are also putting on a great show and will continue flowering right through the winter months. It is important to plant the 'Queensland' varieties which not only tolerate our conditions well but are loved by the birds and insects. I find that they do appreciate mulch and really enjoyed the wet summer as long as drainage is excellent.
ORCHIDS
Cattleyas are putting on a beautiful show as are Cymbidiums, Phalaenopsis, Hardcane Dendrobiums and Zygopetalums. Don’t be tempted to over water orchids in winter. A misting daily is better than a heavy watering and this should be directed onto their leaves. Mist them in the mornings so that they are dry by nightfall as they hate being cold and wet.
Make sure that the temperature doesn’t drop below 10 deg Celsius for the Hardcane Dendrobiums and Phalaenopsis Orchids. We keep ours in an orchid house which is not heated but manage to keep it at that temperature by closing it up at night and growing ferns and other plants, therefore creating a micro-climate with extra humidity that these beauties enjoy all year round.
Good Gardening
Jan
WHAT IS FEATURING IN THE GARDEN IN JULY:
