Prepping poppies for special days
BE PART OF THE PEACE POPPY PROJECT
We’re calling on you to sow the poppy seeds included with each issue of the April NZ Gardener in a way that contributes to your community. That might be planting them at your place for passers-by to enjoy; gifting plants to friends; or working with neighbours to plant them at a school, retirement village, church or hall (with permission of course). Let us know what you’ve done and why (and send photos!) by emailing mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by November 30, 2018.
Poppies do best in well-drained soil and full sun. Scatter the seeds on bare soil or between existing plants. Seeds sown this month, on or near Anzac Day, will be flowering by Armistice Day in November.
HARVEST HERBS – MAKE PLANS FOR MORE
The first cold snap means the writing is on the wall for tenderleafed herbs like basil and rocket. It’s time for the hardier perennials like rosemary, thyme and sage to take their turn flavouring soups and stews. There’s still time to harvest the last of the summer crops and propagate more herb plants.
1. Basil. I’m still harvesting basil. I freeze some as pesto and some just whizzed up with olive oil. Cubes frozen in ice cube trays then transferred to shallow plastic storage boxes are very handy to pop into casseroles or to stir through pasta. I’ve been making a very moreish dip by adding feta cheese to pesto with a little natural Greek yoghurt to thin it a little. This mixture wouldn’t freeze well but that’s not a problem because there is never any left over. 2. Parsley: In warmer areas parsley grows year round. Prolong its life by chopping out the flower stalks. Or let one plant go to seed and self sow next year’s crop. 3. Chives: During a dry spell my garlic chives were infested with black aphids. I dosed the clump a couple of times with soapy water but I wasn’t diligent enough and the aphids prospered and colonised the spring onions, then eyed up the chives too. In the end I chopped the garlic chives down to the ground which made it easier to thoroughly wash the area with soapy water. New growth came through within a week and (fingers crossed) is aphid free. Now’s a good time to divide clumps of both garlic and ordinary chives. Replant divisions in a fresh spot in full sun with good drainage. Add compost to the planting hole and keep evenly watered. 4. Mint: By the end of summer mint leaves can look rusty and plants often die down over winter. Chop down to ground level and add a layer of compost. It will come away again with clean fresh leaves. 5. Lemongrass: Move potted plants to a warm place under the eaves. Reduce watering but don’t let them dry out. Protect inground plants with a cloche or a frame with frost cloth. Harvest any plump stems – they freeze very well. 6. Sage: Remove stems which have flowered, and trim lightly. Don’t be too severe as it can die back. 7. Rosemary: Trim back but watch out for bees if it’s still flowering. Take cuttings. Remove the lower leaves and place cuttings around the edge of a pot of sand, vermiculite or potting mix. Keep moist. Pot on into individual containers when the cuttings produce roots. Trailing rosemary is easy to propagate by layering.
GET GROWING
This column is adapted from the weekly e-zine, get growing, from New Zealand Gardener magazine. For gardening advice delivered to your inbox every Friday, sign up for Get Growing at: getgrowing.co.nz Scratch away a section of bark on a long stem where it touches the ground. Keep the stem in contact with the ground with a wire staple or a stone. Alternatively, attach the stem across the top of a pot of potting mix. Roots will grow from the stem. Cut the stem away from the parent plant when the roots are well established. 8. Thyme: Cut out any dead bits and give the clump a light trim. Look around the edge of the clump for rooted pieces that can be detached from the parent and potted up as new plants.