WHAT YOU NEED IN YOUR GARDEN

A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR MUST-HAVE PLANTS AND OTHER ITEMS

THIS time of year sees a flurry of activity in our gardens, brought on by the warmer days and the suggestion that we’ll see above average rainfall in the coming months (fingers crossed).

Nurseries and garden centres are seeing a large increase in those keen to purchase plants, mulch, potting mix, pots, seeds, and fertilisers as the weather becomes more favourable for plant growth, flowering and fruiting.

Over the last few years I’ve been carefully compiling a list of plants and other items that the average exceptional gardener would love to have in their yard, and thought that this would be a great time to reveal a few can’t-do-without items as a suggestion for your next purchase this spring.

1. What you need in your garden is…. a worm farm. Worms are wonders of nature that can take raw organic matter and turn it into ready-to-use, nutrient rich castings and biologically active liquid. Whether they’re residing in luxurious, manufactured, precision accommodation such as in this photo, or a rustic, homemade styrofoam box worm motel, these little munchers can be of great benefit to your garden.

2. What you need in your garden is…. an asparagus plot. Once established, asparagus is arguably one of the easiest vegetables to grow, with virtually no pest or disease problems if grown well. Spears appear in spring (now), plants can be allowed to grow after about 8-10 weeks of harvesting, and become dormant in winter. A good feed of organic fertiliser in late winter and mulching during dormancy is really all they need.

3. What you need in your garden is… a native bee hive. These stingless wonders are some of the best pollinators of a wide range of garden flowers, especially smaller vegetable and fruit blooms. In our region they’ll need to be sited in a sunny spot in winter, and a shady spot in summer. Mine are busy helping to produce another bumper crop of blueberries this year.

4. What you need in your garden is… a lemon tree. Of all the citrus varieties, lemons are usually the most productive and suffer less pests and diseases than their sweeter cousins. They’re also extremely useful in the kitchen, whether the juice is squeezed on your fish fillets, or enjoyed as a morning digestion starter. This dwarf Eureka lemon is growing happily in a 400mm pot containing a quality peat-based mix.

5. What you need in your suburban garden is… a battery-powered mulching mower. Light, manoeuvrable, and powerful, it’s a cinch to insert the battery, press the start button, and mow. There’s no need for messy fuel or oil, and it starts first time, every time. Mulching is great way to return nutrients to your lawn too.

6. What you need in your garden are… grevilleas. Now available in a staggering range of shapes, forms and flower colours, these are no doubt one of the best performing of our native plants. Many are non-stop flowering, and they attract an array of nectar and insect-eating birds to the garden as well. There’s a Grevillea variety to suit any sized space in your garden.

7. What you need in your garden is… a compost bin. For those gardeners who prune regularly, pull weeds often, catch their grass clippings, and produce a load of vegie scraps from their kitchen, a compost bin is invaluable for converting all this to rich, dark organic matter. They take up little room in the corner of your garden, and don’t smell if the lid is kept snugly fitted. And they are voracious.

8. What you need in your garden are … blueberries. Nature’s little bubbles of healthy antioxidants, blueberries can be easily grown in a good-sized pot (40cm diameter or larger). They can be kept as compact bushes and there are many varieties suited to a warmer region such as ours. Around three to five mature plants will produce around a couple of kilos of great-tasting berries each year. If you don’t have acidic soil (pH around 5–6.5), a peat-based Azalea and Camellia mix will support healthy plant growth.