Summer’s non-stop stars
Go potty with petunias
It’s hard to beat the flower power supplied by perennial petunias which bloom prolifically and continuously from early summer right through to late autumn. Some have trailing forms which makes them ideal for containers, hanging baskets, window boxes and cascading over retaining walls. Others have a more compact upright habit, suitable for pots and mass planting in garden beds.
There’s a great range of flower forms too – bold or pastel; striped, plain, patterned or bordered with contrasting colours; frilly, double or single; large or small – you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Look for them at garden centres where they masquerade under various names – Colourwave petunias, Bubblegum petunias, Crazytunias, Happitunias and SuperCal Petchoas (petunias crossed with calibachoas).
They flower best in full sun in well-drained potting mix. Although they tolerate dry conditions, they’ll perform much better with regular watering. Use slow-release fertiliser at planting time topped up with liquid fertiliser every two to three weeks. Most varieties don’t need deadheading but an occasional trim will promote more flowers and keep the plants looking neat.
Plant or sow lettuce for Christmas
Lettuce is fast-growing enough that you could sow now and have leafy greens of a harvestable size by Christmas, in time to make salads for festive visitors and summer barbecues! Just scatter seed lightly over the soil and press down gently.
Want salad even sooner? Get a jump start by planting seedlings now. They should be ready to harvest at the baby leaf stage by mid December. For more variety in your salad bowl, sow mesclun and rocket too. You’ll be able to harvest leaf by leaf from 30 to 40 days.
Lettuces are a great crop for growing in pots, and if you opt for cut-and-comeagain varieties, a couple of big pots is enough to provide you with salad greens for several months – just harvest
leaf by leaf and plant a few new seedlings every three or so weeks.
Choose a decent-sized pot (the smaller the pot, the faster it will dry out). Use a good potting mix that contains a well-balanced slow-release fertiliser and a moisture retaining agent that will help hold water in the soil.
Herbs for summer
Freshen up your herb garden in time for summer salads and barbecues. Along with plenty of basil, plant oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage and chives, sow or plant parsley (curly and flatleafed).
Always sow coriander directly into the garden. It hates being transplanted and usually responds by bolting. Hot, dry conditions trigger this too, and it’s naturally short-lived – six to eight weeks in summer. For an ongoing supply of tender young leaves, sow a small patch of seeds every two to three weeks.
Plant mint in moist soil; ideally in an edged bed or a container to contain its tendency to colonise any available growing space. If a friend has a good mint plant, just grab a few sprigs and pop them in a glass of water on the windowsill. They should root up soon and be ready to plant.