|
APRIL
April in the garden and we have had some rain, the garden has revived after the summer heat, the mornings are becoming crisp and wonderful autumn colours are emerging, what a great time to get out in the garden and plan some changes, plant evergreen trees and shrubs and prepare the garden for winter and bare root plantings.
Autumn is a great time to tidy up the garden, reinvigorate a tired lawn, empty compost bins, and use all that garden refuse and abundant autumn leaves to start another batch for spring planting.
In the vegetable patch plant
seedlings of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot, leeks, lettuce
and spinach, sow seeds of broad beans, climbing and dwarf peas, kohl
rabi and turnips.
Keep these growing strongly with fortnightly applications of liquid
manure to ensure maximum growth before the shorter days and colder
temperatures of winter.
Watch for slugs and snails which attack your tender seedlings at this
time of the year, a quick patrol in the garden after dark with a torch
is an excellent way of disposing of these pests.
Snail pellets are effective but choose an environmentally friendly variety which will not harm pets and wildlife.
If you haven’t already done so plant a green manure crop such as broad beans, peas, or lupins.
Dig this into the garden in late winter or early spring and you will astounded at the difference it will make to your soil.
Harvest pumpkins with the stalk intact if you wish to store them as
this will prevent spores entering and rotting your long keeping
pumpkins.
Remove spent vegetable stalks and vines to the compost heap.
Dig in compost and cover beds with mulch if you do not intend to plant
them up immediately, this prevents weed infestation and loss of
nutrients.
In the ornamental garden trim back tired summer foliage on hellebores, lavenders and daisies.
Plant late winter and spring flowering annuals, pansies, primula, cornflower, hollyhock, cineraria, sweet peas, nigella and ageratum.
Perennials such as scabiosa, wallflower, aquilegia, carnation and dianthus will establish well if planted now.
Overgrown and “woody” perennials will benefit from lifting, dividing and replanting now, it is a good way to increase your plants and promote flowering.
Plant spring flowering bulbs in attractive pots to brighten doorways and patios in early spring.
Now is a perfect time to move any plants you wish to relocate and to plant new evergreen trees and shrubs. They will have time to settle in and establish strong root systems before next summer.
For a tidy appearance over winter clip box and other hedges .
 Now is an excellent time to establish a hedge and once again good soil preparation is the key to success.
Dig the strip to be planted and eradicate any perennial weeds.
Add some compost or well rotted manure and a balanced fertilizer. If the site is prone to drying out in summer add some water storing crystals.
Planting should be based on the eventual size and spread of the shrub and can be formal or informal. If a formal appearance is required choose a species that will withstand regular clipping.
To rejuvenate a lawn which is looking tired push the prongs of a garden fork into the soil at regular intervals then fertilize with blood and bone. Top dress with a layer of compost or sandy loam, using the back of a rake to rub it into the grass.
In the home orchard remove all diseased and mummified fruit from trees and the ground beneath.
Remove any weeds which have grown under fruit trees, they will rob your trees of nutrients and moisture. Mulch well to prevent reinfestation.
Spray Bordeaux on peaches and nectarines for leaf curl.
Prepare soil for bare root planting of new fruit trees in winter, dig in some compost and well rotted manure, mulch to conserve nutrients and moisture.
For those with limited space the new dwarf form of the Meyer lemon “Lot’s A’Lemons” has sweet scented white flowers, an abundance of full sized fruit and grows well in either pots or garden.
 If you are planning on planting
fruit trees, a new garden, a rose garden or deciduous plantings, bare
root season is only 10-12 weeks away.
We are happy to take orders and discuss your needs with you.
If you would like to download either bare rooted and/or tubestock catalogues please click here and select as you please.
In the native garden autumn is a perfect time to plant, this allows time for natives to become well established before the heat of summer is upon us again.
Shrubs to plant include callistemon, melaleuca, hakea, grevillea, correa and larger acacias and eucalypts.
Deciduous trees are putting on a magnificent autumn display, with so many beautiful trees now available to choose from there is a tree for every garden whether large or small.
 For red/pink foliage the Lipstick maple Acer rubrum “October Glory” grows to 12m high, has green leaves on red leaf stalks and colours to a deep pink/red in autumn.
The well loved Claret ash, Fraxinus angustifolia “Raywood” has dark green foliage in spring and summer and deep red autumn colour. It likes a fertile soil and some summer watering and like the Lipstick maple tolerates warmer areas.
Acer platanoides the Norway maple is one for the larger garden growing to 25m it has large leaves which turn red, orange and yellow tones in autumn.
Also for the larger garden the Scarlet oak Quercus coccinea grows to 24m and lives up to its name with a brilliant scarlet display.
The Golden elm Ulmus procera and the Tulip tree, Lirodendron tulipifera, both put on glowing golden foliage in autumn.
A tree for the smaller garden, the “Forest Pansy” Cercis Canadensis is a beauty, it has heart shaped purple leaves `which turn red in autumn. In spring it produces an abundance of rose/pink flowers. Height is about 3.5m.
Often overlooked, the Crabapples, (Malus) proved themselves to be tough and hardy during the recent drought, copper and orange foliage in autumn is followed by a beautiful display of blossom in spring and attractive small fruit in summer.
The many varieties of ornamental pear (Pyrus) are also tough and undemanding plants which have low water needs once established. Foliage is red and purple in autumn and heights vary from 4-10m depending on the variety.
 The Crepe Myrtle, Lagerstroemia`indica is very popular for the wonderful display of flowers in shades of pink, rose pinks and deep mauves which blend so well with the other colours in the summer garden and is a blaze if colour again in autumn when it produces glowing shades of red and orange. Height is 4m.
These are just a few of the many beautiful trees available and we are always happy to help you choose the most suitable tree for your needs.
A well placed deciduous tree can protect our homes from the fierce heat of summer, and allow sunlight to penetrate and warm us in winter.
Well that’s it for this month; enjoy the autumn sunshine and the rain.
Happy gardening
Marg and the Team at Meredith Nursery.
|
Great pictures! The Crepe Myrtle’s are stunning!