Gardening

Want a gorgeous big flower that blooms in sun or light shade, doesn’t need watering, pruning, weeding or feeding, and will refuse to die even if a semi-trailer backs over it? Then you need some agapanthus. Agapanthus are among the most generous bloomers about but… (there are always ‘buts’ in the gardening world!): ‘But’ number […]

Palms are tough. I once saw a photo of part of Hawaii after a tsunami had passed over it. Only the palms were still standing! Most palms grow fast, too. Some accept any amount of tropical heat; others adore the cold. Some need water, and some accept years of drought. In other words, there’s a […]

Shade Roses won’t bloom in dense shade. Check they haven’t been overgrown by a tree or shrub. Roses grown against the house wall may be shaded by the eaves as they grow taller. Prune them lower or cut away vegetation around them. Starvation If the flowers are small or lose their petals after a day […]

When to plant your roses Now — spring to early summer. Because most roses bloom most magnificently in spring, so you can see them in bloom to choose which one you want to buy. Winter is the time to buy bare root roses, ones that have been dug out of the ground when they are […]

Frost-free climates Plants for beauty: Seeds or seedlings of ageratum, alyssum, amaranthus, carnations, celosia, coleus, cosmos, dichondra, echinops, erigeron, gaillardia, gazania, gloxinia, gourds, hymenosporum, impatiens, nasturtiums, phlox, salvia. Very hot and dry gardens: move a shade cloth to cover veggie and flower gardens now to shelter them from the worst of the heat, pull out […]

Chokoes are a no-fail veg. Starve them, forget them, and they’ll still give you an autumn filled with so much fruit you’ll be pestering the neighbors to take some and looking up recipes for choko chutney, choko pie, choko and ginger jam (which isn’t bad, actually). My favourite way of eating chokoes depends on growing […]

Hanging baskets are a cheat’s way to get early flowers. Baskets heat up faster than soil in the ground and you can hang them over nice hot paving, beside brick walls or on warm patios too. In fact you can REALLY cheat and buy your flowers already blooming – just bung them in the basket […]

Which variety? Grow at least two varieties, or three, for better pollination, and choose Hass as one of those, as it ripens much later than the others so you’ll get fruit for longer. Avocadoes are VERY easy to grow from seed – but you MAY need two varieties to cross-pollinate each other or you won’t […]

Frost-free climates Plants for beauty: any ornamental shrub in the nursery; seeds or seedlings of alyssum, Californian poppy, calendula, cleome, coleus, gerbera, helichrysum, honesty, impatiens, kangaroo paw, marigold, pansy, petunias, phlox, salvia, sunflower, Swan River daisy, torenia, zinnia. Temperate Plants for beauty: Bare-rooted or potted roses and other deciduous shrubs; seeds of alyssum, calendula, heartsease, […]

Mooch around your garden before breakfast and see where it’s coldest, where frost has gathered, or where there seems to be a sunny, sheltered patch. Most gardens have these “microclimates” – cold spots where bulbs may thrive, warm spots where heat-lovers will thrive. Warm yourself up with some heavy work in the garden – dig […]