Garden diary

This month…

Create colourful cuteness this autumn with plantings of flower-covered Easter daisy bushes. In a range of vibrant colours including pinks, blues, mauves, purples and whites, they’re guaranteed to brighten spirits and will return for a new show every year.

Mark Anzac Day (25 April) by sowing Flanders poppies to commemorate those who served and died in wars. These poppies grew on the French and Belgian battlefields of World War l and are traditionally worn on Remembrance Day (11 November).

Take advantage of milder days to establish a new hedge. Plant in a fertile, sunny, wellworked spot free of weeds. Water regularly when rain is not anticipated and fertilise occasionally. Contenders include autumn-flowering sasanqua camellias, now appearing in many nurseries.

Plant spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, bluebells, crocuses, freesias, ranunculi, hyacinths, ixias and babianas in cooler areas. In warmer zones, leave planting until late autumn.

Treat lawns to a sprinkle of lawn food as a pick-meup. If the soil has become compacted, aerate it with a large garden fork. This will allow rain to get into the soil around roots.

Get busy collecting fallen leaves for conversion into some of the best compost available. Toss a handful of blood and bone into the pile to help composting. Turn the heap occasionally with a garden fork.

Fertilise azaleas and camellias to encourage flowering later in the year.

Prepare for a bright winter by planting up pots of pansies and primulas.

Collect tomatoes that won’t ripen on the vine and place in a paper bag or cardboard box and store in a warm, dark spot. Confining them traps ethylene gas that helps the ripening process. Adding a ripe banana will speed things up even more.

Pep up vegie beds by digging in leftover organic mulch from previous crops. It’s also a good time to sow a green manure crop such as oat, mustard or mung bean. Once plants are up and thriving, cut them down with a line trimmer and dig in the foliage. It will quickly break down, injecting nutrients back into the soil and improving its structure.

Discourage neighbourhood cats from fouling your vegie garden by surrounding it with a line of chicken wire, as cats hate walking on it.

Get hold of catalogues to start planning your mail order for bare-root fruit trees and other deciduous trees for delivery and planting in early winter.

Fertilise lemon trees to get them strong and healthy for their coming fruiting period.

Check out the bestlooking autumn foliage trees around your neighbourhood and plant one or two yourself over winter.

Give perennials that have already flowered an autumn haircut, ready for new growth in spring.

April IN THE GARDEN

Zephyranthes