Things to do before you go on holiday
Lawns: Contact a garden maintenance firm to come in once a week to cut your grass. The last thing you want to do when you arrive home is cut knee-high grass. If you are staying at home, ensure you cut every week because during summer, especially after all the rain, the grass will grow very quickly. Tall healthy lawns prevent weeds growing. so make sure you cut your grass as high as possible. Feed once a month with a high nitrogen fertiliser such as 3.2.1.
Pot plants: Place these plants in a shady part of your garden that may be near your sprinkler system so they will then get watered every few days with the rest of the garden. If you don’t have a sprinkler system, then place the pot plant in the shade and in a deep saucer with lots of water. This will allow the plant to absorb water and keep it medium moist. You could put some mulch around the base to help prevent water loss.
New plantings: Mulch these areas because new plants sulk when just planted. Water well before you go away and if possible get a house sitter in to ensure your garden is watered. Generally it rains during the summer months, helping those gardens that don’t have someone to care for it when you are away.
Overgrown areas: Cut back overgrown branches because these can set off alarm systems in windy periods. This can be done at any time of the year, but best once plants have finished flowering.
Fertilise: With the onset of the rains, now is the time to feed your garden. Lawns respond best to a high nitrogen fertiliser such as 3.2.1 and flower beds 2.3.2 which allows sufficient nitrogen but also phosphorous for root growth and potassium for flowering and fruiting.
What is in flower? Summer is Agapanthus season. Wherever you drive around South Africa Agapanthus is the dominant flowering groundcover. It is easy to grow, does not require much attention and has a very vigorous root system that holds banks and prevents erosion. It also comes in many different colour forms and sizes. Just watch out for the Amaraylis caterpillar that feeds on the leaves.
Erythrina humeana the dwarf Coral tree, Eucomis autumnalis or pineapple plant, Chlorophytum comosum, Chlorophytum krookianum, Calodendrum capense or Cape Chestnut, Scilla nervosa, Plectranthus zuluensis, Aloe cooperi, Gladiolus dalenii, Tulbachia violaceae, Kniphofia praecox, Scadoxus multiflora ssp, Katherinae, Cyrtanthus sanguineus.
Exotic hydrangeas or Christmas flowers form beautiful displays because they can grow into large shrubs that flower most of December. Once they have finished flowering you can cut these plants back to half their size, compost and fertilise well and give lots of water.
Happy gardening.
This article is sponsored by Chris Dalzell Landscapes, specialising in landscaping, consultation and Botanical expeditions.
If you have any questions please contact me on the following email address: cgmdalzell@gmail.com