APRIL is a gentle month on the garden.
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It's mid-autumn and the rains have come, making the autumn flowers so welcome after the harsh summer and inviting us to spend time preparing the garden for winter and spring renewal.
A number of club members visited the Bellingen Plant Market in March and had a great day of fellowship and buying some of the many different plants available from the 50 odd stalls.
New species are always becoming available along with different varieties of many we are familiar with.
Plectoanthus, along with Salvias are filling our garden with colour during autumn.
They are extremely hardy and grow easily from cuttings. 'Mona Lavender' grows neatly and does well in semi-shade. There is a pink and white variety. Larger bushes have blue and white flowers which can be cut to ground level after flowering.
Fertilise everything now that it has rained and whilst warmth remains and continue to tidy up plants dead-heading and cutting off burnt or whippy ground. Leave heavier pruning until later.
Any plants that need a new spot, due to a makeover or wrong-placement, may be successfully moved in autumn.
Make sure you have prepared the new site with water crystals and plant food. Water plants well, spray drought shield over the plants leaves. Carefully dig under the roots, keeping disturbance to a minimum. Trim any obvious root damage and branches. Plant no deeper in new site, than old position and give some sort of seaweed tonic every week or so to stimulate new root growth.
Remembrance plants for ANZAC Day include Rosemary, long a symbol of remembrance since ancient times and there are many varieties both large and small.
Citrus or rock rose became known as Gallipoli Rose, because it grew profusely on the hillsides. Doing best in full sun with white or pink flowers, this is such a pretty shrub. Forget-me-nots self-seed and are hardy with blue, white or pink flowers - a friend may give you seedlings. Flanders Poppy, with their blood red flowers became symbols of the massive loss of life during World War I.
Red paper poppies are sold, as a remembrance of that contribution to world peace so long ago by our forebears.
Good Gardening.