Outdoor diary May’s checklist
+ With the main growing season over it’s a good idea to assess where your garden is at, what plants need shifting, cutting back and so forth. Grab a notebook and do a slow tour of the entire garden, noting down the changes you’d like to make. This will help form an action plan to be carried out during winter when plants are dormant and therefore safer to move.
+ Wondering what to give Mum for Mother’s Day (12 May)? If she’s a gardener, forget the cut flowers – a plant is a much better option, especially one with a drop-dead gorgeous scent such as daphne or gardenia, or maybe a fabulous topiary or a sculptural cycad. Combine with a beautiful pot and she’ll never forget your gift.
+ In colder areas, container plants both inside and out often need protection during winter. Frost-tender potted plants such as citrus, hibiscus and frangipani should be moved to a sheltered spot or covered with frost cloth. Inside, many house plants will need warmth over winter, so move them away from draughty corners and cold window sills. Conversely, overheated rooms are less than ideal for many plants, so you may need to get the spray mister out to keep the humidity levels up.
+ Make sure there’s some life and colour in your garden during autumn and winter, even if you’re not out there much. Think about planting a few winter-blooming shrubs – such as camellia, banksia, gordonia, hibiscus, Indian hawthorn, pieris, tibouchina or viburnum – in a spot that can be seen from inside to chase away those winter doldrums.
+ Who doesn’t love a nice clump of daffodils or freesias? Spring bulb-planting season is nearly over, but it’s not too late, even if the selection in your local garden centre is no longer that extensive. There’s plenty of time to plant lilies (Asiatic, Christmas and oriental), though. Remember, lilies like their feet (roots) in the shade and their heads (flowering stems) in the sun. For plenty of blooms, feed with bulb food before and after flowering and water during hot weather. Drainage also needs to be top-notch. Lily bulbs are generally available online and in garden centres at this time of year. Choose plump bulbs and don’t allow them to dry out.
+ Kōwhai, abutilon and many other ornamental shrubs and trees are a magnet for lemon tree borer (which also attacks citrus trees). Prune out branches with tell-tale borer holes; these often have a tiny pile of sawdust beside them. If the branch is too big to remove, squirt borer spray into the holes then plug with pruning paste. Alternatively, poke fine wires into holes to skewer larvae.