maygardening
THOUGHTS
As summer’s green tints ebb
from deciduous leaves at
this time of year, gardens go
through a lovely transitional
phase. And though it’s the fiery
red foliage (mostly seen in cold
climates) that seems to get all
the attention, the softer shades
of russet, amber and golden
brown can be just as beautiful.
If you garden anywhere south
of the tropics, now's a great
time to seek out a colourful
deciduous tree to add to
your landscape, and enjoy its
changing shades year after year.
■ For small gardens, try Japanese maple, crepe myrtle, Chinese tallow
tree, Lipstick maple and golden ash.
■ For larger gardens, consider ornamental pear, pin oak,
Nyssa sylvatica
,
golden elm, Chinese pistachio and liquidambar (also available in dwarf forms).
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If you like garden art mixed with fine
music and dance, the place to be on
6-8 May is the Arts in the Valley
Festival in Kangaroo Valley on the
NSW South Coast -
about two hours from
Sydney or Canberra.
While the music
and dance take place at various locations, the
perfumed garden and walks of the award-winning Crystal
Creek Meadows property provide the location for the
garden sculpture exhibition, which attracts the work of some
of Australia’s top sculptors. Local landscape architect Michael
Bligh will talk about the art of garden design at noon each
day. The festival also includes solo recitals, vocal ensembles,
percussion and dance, with collaborations between artists.
Bookings for festival packages are essential — visit
www.artsinthevalley.net.au or phone 0438 631351 for details.
May
in the garden
■ Make use of the milder conditions
to plant a lemon tree. Find a well-drained
spot with shelter and good sun.
■
Plant pansies
for winter colour. A
lovely new variety is the creamy-white
‘Northern Lights', with pink-to-lavender
toned outer petals. It's stunning mass
planted, in pots or hanging baskets. From
Oasis (www.oasishorticulture.com.au).
■ Reduce the frequency
of watering
indoor plants as the weather turns cool.
■ Make Mum’s day
with a Mother’s Day
plant on Sunday, 8 May - perhaps a
climbing mandevilla on a frame, or a pot
of the double-red
Dianthus
'Passion' that
repeat flowers right throughout the year.
■ Move garden shrubs
while the
conditions are agreeable and minimal
growth is taking place.
■ Start a compost heap
using all the
autumn leaves about. It's easy, free and
your garden will love you for it.
■ If your soil is heavily clay based,
make use of late autumn rains by
sprinkling powdered gypsum over lawns
and garden beds. The rain will wash the
gypsum into the soil to allow it to do its
job of improving soil structure, making
it easier for the plants and lawn to grow.
■
Get busy in the vegie patch.
Pull out
finished plants, feed the soil with manure
and compost, and plant cool season
vegetables such as broad beans, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, peas and
spinach. It's also the ideal time for
planting anything in the onion family.
■
In southern areas,
plant a swathe
of tulips for a spring spectacular. Tulips
should have 6-8 weeks in a refrigerator
before planting to stimulate their growth.
■
Give the whole garden
an autumn
feed using blood and bone, manure or
a slow-release plant food.
■
Spray lawns with bindii killer
to
stop these prickly customers becoming
established through winter.
■
Silvery, scribble-like lines
on the
leaves of citrus trees and ornamental
flowers are caused by leaf miners. Spray
the plants with PestOil.
■
Order your favourite roses
for
planting bare-rooted over winter.
■
Divide clumping perennials,
like
lamb's ear, or rhizomes like bearded iris,
and replant the offshoots to fill bare spots.
Photography Tony Fawcett, iStockphoto
