Diane Beddison
‘”The love of gardening is a seed that once sown never dies.” – Gertrude Jekyll, 1843-1932
Spring is a time of renewal when gardens are full of promise. As the soil warms up, bulbs flower and other plants spring into action. Young leaves and flowers appear on deciduous trees and shrubs whilst herbaceous and self-seeding annual plants re-emerge.
Spring is also a busy time for gardeners. Whist the weather is still cool and the soil moist it is the perfect time to set your garden up to look it’s best for the next few months. Whether your garden is for your own pleasure, or you are hosting a special event, plant care is most important.
Plants of the Season
Blossom trees and bulbs provide a stunning show of flowers which can be rather fleeting. Now is the best time to select a blossom tree to feature in your garden next spring. If you prefer a more lasting display, look at native options such as Westringia. Westringia is a very useful plant which tolerates most soils, attracts bees and looks just as good in an exotic garden in an Australian native garden. It can be pruned to form a low hedge or into a topiary ball.
Gardening Fun
Pruning: Reshape cold-sensitive perennials and shrubs such as Fuchsias, Plumbago and Penstemons to promote new growth and flowers. Prune hedges into shape now to ensure that their new growth is bushy and shapely in spring
Protecting your Plants: Whilst many plants are emerging from winter, expect to see more weeds. Keep them in check over the spring months by manually removing them and pouring boiling water over path weeds. As a last resort for stubborn bulbous weeds such as Oxalis, spray with an organic herbicide. To protect nearby plants never spray when there is wind. You can also paint the herbicide on a some of the weed’s leaves, rather than spraying. Make sure that any weed killer you use is glyphosate free.
Protect peaches and nectarines from Leaf Curl with two to three sprays of a product such as Kocide while they are blossoming. This product can also be used to prevent fungal disease on roses and tomatoes.
Feeding: Most plants are putting on a lot of growth now and in the coming months so they will benefit from feeding. Many plants such as Roses should be feed every few weeks during flowering season. Feed roses with a specialist fertiliser to maximise growth, flowers and disease resistance. I prefer to feed citrus in autumn and mid to late spring as native wasps like to lay eggs on soft new spring growth.
If your lawn has weeds which cannot be removed manually, use a ‘weeder and feeder’ product. Ask your local nursery which product you need for your lawn type.
Planting: Early spring is a good time to split established perennials into several plants. Use these plants to bulk up your garden or give some away to friends. You can also move existing plants to a more suitable location. Note that many Australian natives and the more mature exotic plants don’t respond well to moving. Now is a good time to plant and new stock will become available in the coming weeks. Check out your local nurseries plus specialist and native plant growers.
Building soil and Mulching: If your garden consists of mostly exotic plant species (only a few Australian native plants), add a layer of manure prior to mulching to improve your soil. Make sure to water in before you add manure or mulch, unless your soil is very wet. Water again once complete. Spring mulching enables you to lock in existing moisture and reduce evaporation during the hotter months.
Organic mulches are preferred as they provide extra nutrients and improve soil quality as they break down. Make sure they are coarse and mature. Pea straw and Lucerne are rich in nutrients and are good for vegetables gardens. Because they break down, organic mulches must be regularly reapplied. However, if you are in a fire prone area you may want to use a gravel mulch to retain water and suppress weeds.
Diane Beddison is a frequent visitor to Daylesford and the Principal of Beddison Garden Designs. Diane writes a seasonal column for The Wombat Post. Visit her website at www.beddisongardendesigns.com
