What to do in the garden this week
Sow poppies
Red soldier poppies (
are the classic symbol of remembrance. They can grow up to 60cm tall, and their single, red bowl-shaped flowers traditionally provide splashes of colour in early summer. In New Zealand, poppies are sown around the time of Anzac Day, so that they are flowering by Remembrance Day on November 11.
How to sow poppies: Poppies prefer a site withwell-drained soil and full sun. Sow poppy seeds direct over bare soil and rake them in. If you prefer, you can also raise the seed in containers and transplant the seedlings in spring. Feed plants in early spring with a controlled-release fertiliser. They’rewonderful wildflowers for gardens because, once established, they’ll self-seed and pop up charmingly in random spots but they aren’t overly invasive.
On the shady side
My fingers type the phrase, ‘‘prefers full sun and welldrained soil’’, so often when I’m writing about veges and flowers that it is almost automatic. So it comes as a pleasant change to report that quite a few bulbs cope with both shade and damp.
The bulbs to consider for the south side of the house or that soggy garden bed, are those adapted to life in woodlands or alpine meadows with poor drainage that are saturated with snowmelt from late winter to early spring. Some direct sun is beneficial but not essential. Damp conditions are tolerated but the soil shouldn’t be saturated all the time.
Think of drifts of bluebells naturalised in the dappled shade underwoodland trees. Dogtooth violets ( also thrive in rich soil under trees and shrubs and so do crocuses.
commonly known as snowflakes, grow well in northern and southern areas and naturalise under deciduous trees where they get sun during the winter and shade in spring and summer.
Fritillaria also need the chill and are not suitable for warmer districts. Give them a cold, shady position, with afternoon sun.
Gardening under cover Now’s a good time for cleaning cold frames, tunnelhouses and cloches, while the weather’s still warm and drying off is a breeze.
Scrape if you need to, but be very carefulwith puncturable polytunnels. Use an eco-detergent or vinegar and baking soda to clean glass or polycarbonate panes and scrub down benches. Thosewill do the job verywell and can be safely washed off into the soil. Clean out any cracks that may be harbouring snails and other pests such as slaters and earwigs looking for awarm spot to spend thewinter.
I grow spinach, mesclun and microgreens inmymini greenhouse overwinter. Spinach does grow outside all winter in Auckland, but my under-cover plants grow very quickly and stay clean and tender – perfect for picking leaf by leaf to eat raw in salads. Outdoor spinach leads a rough and ready life and tends to end up cooked in stir-fries or quiches if the snails don’t get it.
If you’re lucky enough to have a full size greenhouse or tunnelhouse try growing kale inside. Kale is tough and survives outdoors, but given a comfy possie undercover it will reward you with an abundance of lush, tender leaves.
Try spuds inside too. Place the seed potato on the soil surface or in a large pot and cover with mulch. As the tops grow, build up the mulch to keep the tubers out of the light. This way they’ll be warmer than if they were buried in soil.
Bring frost-tender plants like citrus and chillies inside if you live in a region with bitter frosts. It might seem early, but better than too late. A frosted lemon tree recovers slowly, if at all. Sit them as near to the centre of your glasshouse as you can.
Chilli plants in pots can be overwintered successfully in a greenhouse or even a conservatory. The plants may look a bit the worse forwear by latewinter, but come spring they’ll be in flower much earlier than new seedlings. If your chilli plants are in the ground, rig up a frame around them to support frost cloth or a clear plastic cover.
Plant peas
Peas are in the legume family whichmeans their roots harbour bacteria that will fix nitrogen in the soil – this makes them ideal to go in a garden bedwhere root crops have been harvested to refresh the soil so it is ready for leafy greens next spring and summer.
Planting now will get the peas up and started before the cold of winter sets in but they do not like wet feet, so ensure the garden bed has good drainage. Make some sort of frame to support the growing plants and poke the seeds in about 2cm deep and 10cm apart.
Cover from birds as they will enjoy plucking the new seedlings out and lay slug bait. Ensure the seed stays moist but don’t over water as it tends to rot if too wet.
Every garden needs storage As sections shrink, a garden shed is a luxury, so your garden design needs to integrate storage solutions. Tidy tool storage doesn’t just prevent clutter and tripping hazards, it also extends the life of your garden equipment. Ideally there’ll be bench space for potting plants nearby and a place for potting mix supplies, a compost bin and a worm farm too.
When designing a service area, first start with a list of everything you want to store. This might include: large tools (broom, hoe, spade, shovel, rake); small tools (fork, secateurs, trowel); gloves; seeds; bulbs, rhizomes and tubers; seed-sowing and potting-up equipment; fertiliser; sprays and spray equipment; watering equipment; pots and bench space to work on. Ideally tools should also be cleaned and dried after use (this helps prevent spreading infections from plant to plant and extends the life of the tools). So that alsomeans your storage area should also be dry and organised.
This will give you an idea of the area you require. The next decision is where to locate your storage. Ideally you don’t want this far from your main garden as themore convenient it is to put your tools away the less likely you will leave them leaning against the fence when the work is done.
Handy storage tips
Make sure tall tools such as spades and rakes are secure. If you leave them leaning against a wall they can fall and cause a trip hazard.
Labels are a great idea to help equipment and materials stay in the right spots, especially if you (or your family) have trouble remembering where things go.
Make sure you check the size of tools and materials you want to store before deciding onwhere they’ll go.
If you’re converting old bookcases, or cupboards into outdoor storage, make sure you treat the timber appropriately, so it will endure the weather. Old house paintwill do the trick.
In an ideal world a service area is best paved or at least gravelled. Bark mulch is another option that is soft underfoot and easy to maintain.
An old barbecue framemakes an excellent potting up bench and if thewheels are still attached it is easy to move around the garden. An old ironing board does the same job, and as it can be folded up there’s room for one in even the tiniest garden.