Plant in the right place for sun and shade.

I spent the whole day at home today, not venturing out once - which for me is quite a feat!  I have been craving some 'whole days' at home, but with kids at school this is not very easy to come by.  Of course I cleaned and pottered around, but made sure I had time to do some nice things for me too while the toddler slept.  I picked one of every flower in my garden, something my special Nana used to do and made a nice posy - some call it a 'tussy mussy', but without the metal holder it really is a posy.  It looks so pretty by my desk as I write tonight and the sweet fragrance of the Jasmine I can smell wafting in the gentle breeze by my desk.  I have to do this more often, I'd love to wake and clap eyes on a pretty posy to welcome me to another day.  I'm glad garden fashion is back to edibles and flowers, my two favourite things.  Having flowers in the garden really lifts a place, not to mention they are so important to bring bees and other great insects in to deal to the pests.  One thing for sure is even though our section is small I have to plant more flowers this summer.  

Just Joey rose

Heaven Scent rose

I have hunted out a spot to grow 5 roses if I squeeze them in like the botanic gardens do; 40cm apart will be all I can give them.  Mixed with these I will include some Lavender with pretty annuals and perennials like saliva, Alyssum for the Aphids and mustard and Heuchera for the deep wine foliage beneath.  The roses will have to be fragrant though - that is non negotiable.  Matthews roses Heaven Scent is at the top of my list, described as luscious, heavy, heady fragrance oozes from every pore of this perfectly formed lilac-blue flower - it's difficult to keep your nose away from it! Superb for picking. Healthy, vigorous growth on a medium height bush. A fantastic new rose in an extremely popular colour. Move over Blue Moon. Height 1m.  Just Joey is next on the list as that was the rose my Mother planted when I was born, and it was planted at the front gate of my childhood home.  The spot I have found is quite heavy clay which is perfect for Roses.  I will add a good load of garden mix and some Gypsum to unlock the nutrients from the clay and help break it down.  I have always been good at growing roses and have decided for the few times I would use a Pizza oven, I am going to leave this idea to when I visit my friend and eat from theirs; for our place, I will plant more in the garden instead.   Somewhere on my section I will find a place for year round floral with lots of 'pickables' to enjoy inside.  

Hosta and Athyrium Pictum

I tried sowing a cottage garden in the grass on the way to my office but they have not really struck - or maybe not fast enough for me.  I was a bit ambitious expecting them to raise a petal in this semi shaded area, and with the peach tree so laden with fruit the lawn is starting to look like dense shade; I'm not complaining of course as the branches are heaving with fruit that is fattening by the day.  I have set a small table and chairs right beside some overhanging branches of my balcony ready in anticipation of them being ripe in a few months.  Since it is too shady for my self seeding cottage mix, I am going to plant a mix of dry shade loving plants that will add foliage interest to this little space that needs a pick-me-up. Heuchera will be amongst my roses in the edging of the garden so planting some here in the shaded area since they do well in shade will be a nice balance to both sides of the garden.  Helebores and Hydrangeas will fill the space nicely.  White Hydrangea will bring a lot of light into a shaded area.  I love the Hydrangea flower even when dried in a vase, it reminds me of a pretty lace tablecloth.  Brunnera with it's silver shimmery foliage gives light to a shaded area and works well as a ground cover and for some elegant shade pairs try Athyrium Pictum and Hostas planted together.  

In the edible garden I have been planting lettuce every few days and have tucked them all in the shade of other plants or set them down in designated shady areas of my vegetable garden.  Lettuce sets to seed and becomes very bitter along with rocket, coriander, celery and mescalin when grown in the heat of the summer sun.  

Snails have been a terrible bain this season and nothing seems to be working other then warfare late at night with the salt shaker!  Another great trick is setting snail baits in cut in half milk bottles with snail and slug pellets left inside.   They have chewed off my peas and beans twice now that have been waking up in this sunny weather finally.  Some beans and peas won't germinate until the soil is over 15 degrees so don't give up if you haven't had any luck this season - it has just been really cool at night so far, but has been perfect breeding conditions for slugs and snails so plant now and bait now I say!  Plant cauliflower, brocolli, cabbage, beans, peas, courgette, tomatoes, pumpkin, squash, watermelon in the sun.  

A long hot summer is promised so get planting to reap reward in the new year. 

Happy gardening everyone

Maria Quayle-Guppy
Palmers national garden consultant
 

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