Gardening: Pretty up comely camellias

Camellias come in a multitude of beautiful varieties, such as this one, a very frilly "Gwenneth Morey". Photo / Meg Liptrot

This time of year, much of the garden is about to nod off to sleep for winter. But it is also nature's planting time. Soil is easy to dig, and it's not too lumpy nor wet yet - it's just right. Plants are heading into dormancy and are easier to transplant or divide.

So there are plenty of things we can choose to do now, rather than leaving the work until winter or spring.

Camellia season

Autumn is ideal for planting hardy perennials, hedges, trees and shrubs. For a splash of winter colour, pick up a camellia or two for planting as fillers for a bare spot in your border garden, for large planters, or perhaps several sasanquas as a hedge.

Camellia flowers range from pure white and cream through blush and cerise pink, antique reds and burgundy. The range of flower forms is impressive, too, from simple singles to blousy doubles, providing a plethora of options for any style of garden.

I potted up several Camellia japonica 'Gwenneth Morey' for our wedding in early August last year. The flowers had vintage appeal with their anemone form in white warming to cream in the centre, and suited our 1930-40s theme.

In contrast, I spotted a striking hedge of Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' on the boundary of the ASB Community Trust building's modern addition on Ponsonby Rd. The hedge is covered with single, small red flowers with yellow stamens, looking much like pretty red daisies. This is a good example of how diverse camellias can be. Camellia sasanquas are flowering now. The other species flower later, in winter and in early spring.

Camellias prefer neutral to acid soil and do best in filtered sunlight, as do rhododendrons and azaleas. Soil should be friable and rich in organic matter. At planting, dig in compost and sheep pellets.

Keep mulched to protect their delicate surface roots, but avoid piling up mulch against the trunk. Water camellias deeply during summer dry spells.

Tidy up permanent fixtures

On a dry day, give hardy evergreen hedges a light trim if they need it to give clean lines to your garden structure. Remove dead or broken branches from shrubs and prune to shape.

Avoid trimming spring-flowering shrubs. Pruning in dry weather helps reduce the likelihood of fungal pathogens setting up shop on fresh pruning cuts. Look for evidence of overwintering pests under leaves (particularly on citrus), and apply an organic clean-up spray such as Neem oil or Aquaticus Glow.

Deciduous plants and trees that are losing their leaves should be left until they are completely dormant before pruning.

In frost-free areas, you can prune hydrangeas now. Alternatively, prune them in spring after the last frost.

Allow roses to set hips and resist the impulse to deadhead. Give them a rest rather than forcing them to put on new growth. In autumn and winter, roses drop their leaves, storing energy for the next growing season.

Autumn is a good time to transplant and get your plant settled in its new home. Ensure you prune back transplants by two-thirds to reduce shock and water loss, and water well.

Divide and rule

Get free plants by dividing perennials and filling up gaps. Low-growing clumping plants grouped en masse will nicely fill areas and cover bare soil, reducing the need to weed.

Divide other clumping perennials in orchards and food forests and plant around fruit trees and in guilds to support fruit tree health. Dig up comfrey roots and cut fat taproots into finger-length pieces then replant around the dripline of your tree. Use the leaves to make a potassium-rich home-made liquid fertiliser.

Flower and vege garden

Remove spent annuals and dig in compost for your spring flower garden. Plant hardy seedlings for winter or early spring flowering. Alternatively, sow lupins as a green manure crop for nitrogen fixing, which will feed your flower or vege garden. Now is time to sow broad beans and plant garlic.

What to do with autumn leaves ...

Abundant autumn leaves are a free resource for savvy gardeners. Use these in a compost system by layering with greens (hedge clippings, weeds, food scraps) and build your heap at once to make a hot compost. Add other free nutrient sources such as seaweed or a little farm animal manure. You can't beat home-made compost for a lush, healthy garden. Unsure how to compost or want to learn more about worm farms or bokashi systems (perfect for small properties or apartments)? Attend a free course near you with the recently launched Compost Collective.