By Michael Heyne, Heyne’s Garden Centre
Here, we’ll be looking at creating a waterwise garden, kicking back and keeping cool with some shade lovers, and as always, touching upon a couple of jobs to tick off the list as we close in on summer. There are some important but simple things you can do for your green friends to keep them thriving in hotter climates, with plenty of time left for you to relax with a tall glass of lemonade.
Let’s dive into some gardening!
Water
The most important tip for summer is to know when to water your garden. A good watering regime is extremely important, especially when those heat waves begin to ramp up. Drip irrigation is a game changer, particularly if you live a busy lifestyle. These systems can be as simple as connecting a line up to a tap for manual use – just don’t forget to turn it off! Alternatively, it’s just as easy to set up a timer so that you can rest assured your garden is receiving its correct quota of water per day while you go on that holiday by the sea.
Watering by hand is often a therapeutic exercise and allows you to check your plant’s health while you quench their thirst. Early morning or evening watering is strongly recommended rather than during the harsh heat of the day, as this will avoid instant evaporation and even leaf burning in some cases.
A great tip for when we’re approaching prolonged periods of heat is to give your plants a good soak in the days leading up to the heatwave and during, ensuring they have water available when they need it most. Remember, overwatering can still occur if we’re not careful. Know your soil type and have a little dig around now and then to see whether the area is drying out or staying wet – and the same goes for the pot plants!
The great cover up!
The absolute must-have for the water conscious garden is of course… Mulch! Mulching is a great way to support your precious shrubs and trees during hot spells. The application of mulch not only greatly reduces evaporation but also acts to protect the shallow root systems of younger plants from the unforgiving heat. This is also very effective in establishing a healthy herb and vegetable patch! Just remember not to mulch too early while the spring rain is still falling, as this can keep your soil too wet. It’s best to wait until the summer heat gets here, and then it’s mulch to the rescue!
Still time to grow your veggies!
Get ready for a bumper crop – There are so many veggie patch options for you to plant out now, and our seedlings and herbs here at the nursery are ready to go. We have a great choice of tomatoes for you, and basil will do well if planted now as it just loves the heat! Create a delicious cook’s kitchen garden, and dream of all the pickled goods, relishes, dried herbs and fruit you can preserve as the season is predicted to be bountiful.
The early start to the season has really extended our opportunity to get more produce growing in the patch. Make the most of it and try something that you haven’t grown before! Here are my suggestions for excellent veggie garden performers that will suit all skill levels and cuisines.
You’ll have great results with these:
Grow basil when the weather has settled into a warm rhythm, as the cold spells and frosty nights have come to an end. Basil is what we call a “soft” herb, which quickly establishes a lush, productive crop. Sunshine is a non-negotiable requirement, and you’ll need plenty of organic all-purpose fertiliser in either liquid or pellet form. Water often and pinch out the heads constantly to encourage bushy growth and stop it from flowering. Your basil crop will thrive for the entire summer!
Lettuce is a go-to for having a constant supply of ready-to-pick greens for all your leafy needs. As a rapid grower, it’s beneficial to regularly feed your lettuce with some liquid food, also giving it plenty of sunshine and a morning water. Pick the outer leaves as you need them or cut the lot off with a sharp pair of scissors, leaving the base of the plant. The lettuce will regenerate ready for another bowl of salad in no time!
Zucchini is one of the most versatile and satisfying vegetables to grow, and if you get it right, you’ll have so many you’ll be giving them away! The most important requirements for zucchini are sunshine and pollination. You’ll have male and female flowers going on, but don’t worry, the pollinators will sort it out. If you’re seeing all flowers and no fruit, consider pollinator-attracting companion plants such as lavender. Your other job is to get through the summer without letting your abundant crop of zucchini get too large and tasteless, so remember to look under those big leaves on the regular!
It’s totally tomato time! If you’re new to the patch, start your tomato journey with a cherry variety! With lots of options in the selection, this style of tomato is sturdy, cheerful, forgiving, and super productive. Plant the cherry tomato in a pot or in your patch, and experiment with staking, trimming, or even espalier pruning. Find out what works for you and what best fits your space. Give it plenty of sunshine and feed periodically and you’ll be rewarded handsomely with the sweetest, mouth-popping tomato delights.
Keep an eye out for pests!
White fly, aphids, thrips and spider mites love these humid, hot conditions and are typically starting to run (or fly) rampant in vegetable gardens. Check under the foliage for signs such as leaf markings, yellowing and leaf drop and spray accordingly with a low-toxic insecticide like Mavrik or Pyrethrum.
Summer colour!
Look around you! Whether it be in the garden centre or along the streets, you’ll see all the bold and striking hues of the season emerge as a key trend for Aussie summer gardens. Growing flowers that bloom from late spring until early autumn will fill your space with glorious splashes in a sea of colour. Well-loved summer-blooming perennials such as Salvia, Bougainvillea, Hibiscus and daisy bushes are both spectacular and reliable, and become less reliant on frequent watering once they’re established.
Speaking of keeping it water-wise, consider adding a few never-fail natives to the mix for the drought-tolerant garden. Wispy Lomandra and strappy Dianella moving in the breeze, exciting Eremophila or cute Correa shrubs adorned with pretty bell flowers, and Carpobrotus for a succulent groundcover with giant pink flowers. Our Aussie battlers will still require attention to get them established and thriving but will prove to be a rewarding choice for the water-saver.
Let’s seek some shade now after our time out in the sun, and delight in those refreshingly lush, large leaves and big balls of flowers we all know and love. I’m talking about Hydrangeas! A versatile addition to the garden, whether your style is modern, traditional, cottage or tropical and wild, these beauties are a breathtaking feature to instantly catch the eye. You’ll need to keep the water up as they do love a drink, and remember to deadhead spent blooms as the season rolls on. Flower colour is determined by the pH of the soil, so if you’ve taken home a blue Hydrangea to keep in a pot, you’ll require an acidic potting mix, or neutral for pink. This is important to remember when it comes to feeding, as while they love some organic general-purpose food to stay healthy, you can keep up those vibrant colours by using blueing or pinking soluble fertilisers. Have the fungus spray ready and keep an eye out for silvery leaves, as powdery mildew is no stranger to the Hydrangea!
Love your lawn
Hot days are hard work for our luscious lawns. Much like us, they get parched and dry after days of heat and sunshine. Keep your grass taller in summer, as longer grass will naturally shade the soil and keep it cooler. Raise the blades up on your mower so not to scalp the grass and leave the catcher off to gift the lawn with a light mulch that will assist with keeping moisture in the soil. Water late at night or early in the morning. If you’re feeling energetic you can fork the lawn, opening channels for precious water to enter where thatch build-up and hard soil may be causing issues with penetration. Remember – you’ll be feeding in autumn, so hold off on the fertiliser for now.
Happy gardening, see you next time!
Michael Heyne
Heyney’s Garden Centre
