Now's the time to get your hanging baskets planted up for a stunning display over summer. Photo / NZME
A number of gardeners have made observations to me over the past couple of weeks about how the spring season is running later this year.
It is a curious thing that much of July was warmer, which brought on the earlier flowering of magnolias, then a lot of grey, wet days during September and into October have slowed some of the later spring flowering trees such as the flowering cherry prunus Shimidsu Sakura.
Thankfully, we are having warmer temperatures now as we have reached Labour Weekend, the most famous weekend of the year in the gardening calendar. It is recognised as the time when soil temperatures have risen to germinate warm-season vegetable seeds such as beans and corn. Also, night temperatures should (hopefully) remain above 10C so the cucurbits (cucumbers, gherkins, pumpkins and many others) will actively grow.
Many rhododendrons, too, are looking amazing in full bloom. The intensity of a blooming rhododendron is impressive as the flower trusses hide the leaves and the stylish green structure becomes eclipsed by mass of colour.
Azalea mollis are coming into bloom now; like the flowering cherries, they are a week or so later than other years. Many hostas are now through the soil.
Vegetables
Now is the time to plant for a summer harvest of fresh, healthy vegetables for salads and other meals. Plan a programme of small, successive sowings and plantings for a continuous harvest throughout the year.
Seeds to sow and plantings that can be made in Whanganui now include beans, beetroot, broccoli, capsicum, carrots, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants, lettuce, peas, potatoes, melons, spring onions, radish, rhubarb, silverbeet, squash, sweetcorn, tomatoes, zucchini and more.
Hanging baskets
Now is the time to get your baskets planted for a stunning display for Christmas and summer. Growing hanging baskets is a wonderful way to garden and continues to gain wider popularity.
Today's lifestyle, often with emphasis on the full use of limited space, has led to the acceptance of any means by which plants can be used.
Almost any plant that will grow in a container can be grown in a hanging basket, creating new visual perspectives even in a small courtyard, balcony or veranda. Luxuriant mini-gardens can be developed without taking up valuable ground or floor space. In cities around the world where people are living in confined spaces, hanging baskets and wall troughs are frequently used for growing vegetables, flowers and herbs.
Hanging baskets are often an answer to interior decorating problems. For example, a basket containing a large green hanging fern will soften harsh walls or attractively fill an empty corner.
Flowering plants suitable for hanging baskets outdoors include impatiens, marigold, nasturtium, ageratum, begonia, fuchsia, lobelia, nepeta (catmint), pelargonium, petunia, portulaca, zinnia (dwarf) etc. Note that fuchsias are one of the finest flowering shrubs for a shady situation, with stunning displays in summer and autumn. They have a magnificent affinity with hanging baskets and their branches will cascade over the side of the basket.
Perennials
Perennials are plants mostly with non-woody stems and branches that burst into growth in the spring and summer. Many flower for long periods over the summer and autumn and die back to the roots or an evergreen crown for the winter season. They repeat this cycle year after year, gradually increasing in size and number.
There is a huge selection of perennials that can add interest and colour to the garden in summer and they come in all shapes and sizes. They often make a garden theme, such as a cottage garden where they can be the companions for more-permanent plants such as roses and trees. Herbaceous perennials such as hosta and astilbe emerge during spring, flower in summer and die down and become dormant in winter. They enjoy cool garden conditions. Perennials can complement many trees, shrubs, roses, annual flowers and bulbs. Many provide excellent flowers for indoor use. Others have attractive foliage in bronze, yellow-green, grey and silver.
Perennials prefer some good compost added to the soil with slow-release general fertiliser like Novatec when preparing to plant.
Favourite perennials
Osteospermum: Also known as cape daisies, these plants are hardy to conditions ranging from coastal wind and hot sun to semi-shady positions. They boast a continuous flowering habit with blooms almost year round. They are drought tolerant and look great in containers and garden situations.
Geranium & pelargonium: These plants are easily maintained perennial plants for pots, window boxes and hanging baskets as well as in garden plots. They thrive in most soils in sunny positions. Regular pruning after flowering keeps the plants compact. Popular flower colours are red, white, pink and mauve. Ivy (climbing) geraniums have long stems for trailing over walls and fences or for trailing over banks. They are also suitable for hanging baskets. The Pac range is exceptionally good; the breeding programmes of these plants give exceptional ability to repeat flower with high intensity throughout most of the year while maintaining an attractive, compact and bushy growth habit.
Heuchera: These grow well in full shade to half-shade position, moist soils, about 30cm x 45cm. They produce stunning foliage to add year-round colour in gardens, with clusters of small coral pink or white bells in spring and autumn. They love shade so are ideally planted under trees and shrubs or on the shady side of the house. Look out for varieties Marmalade, Plum Cascade and Plum Royale – all stunning.
Hosta: They grow well in full shade to semi-shade positions, most in the 25-40cm range. They form handsome leaf colours and textures from bright chartreuse (yellow and green) through forest greens, icy blues and silver greys and cream or yellow variegated foliage forms. They have small, bell-shaped white or lilac flowers, sometimes fragrant in summer. They thrive in moist, well-drained soils with plenty of compost added. Feed in the spring and mulch with compost, straw or similar to keep them cool and moist. Always be ready with slug and snail bait from early spring as they are often subject to voracious attacks.
Lavender: These are hardy flowering evergreen shrubs. The flowers of the English types are highly esteemed for their fragrance in a dry state and for distilling for perfume and oils, being grown commercially for the latter purposes. These versatile plants are popularly used as low hedges around garden borders, along driveways or grown as garden specimens or in pots. Most have attractive silver-grey aromatic foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes from spring through into summer. They enjoy a full sun to half-sun position in well-drained soils.
Penstemon: These are a hardy, bushy perennial. The tubular-flowering types have spikes of pink, mauve, white, blue and red flowers in late spring and summer. Grow in full sun position in garden borders or containers.
Tropical impatiens: Also known as New Guinea impatiens, these plants traditionally thrive in a shady, sheltered position. Recent breeding means we also now have a range of Sun impatiens that thrive in both sunny and shady locations. Where sites are frost free, they will grow happily for a number of years. They provide magnificent colour throughout the summer and autumn months. They prefer rich, well-drained soil but are very adaptable. Tropical impatiens grow well in pots making a colourful display.
• Gareth Carter is general manager of Springvale Garden Centre.
'We want to take a very detailed specific look at what Whanganui needs' – Chris Bishop.