AUTUMN PLANTING
Prime time for re-evaluating and adding or subtracting, says Leigh Bramwell
ISO LOVE IT when I read a knowledgeable article that tells me to plant more stuff right now because autumn’s the time to go for it. I’m on a mission at the moment to fill in a lot of lawn areas with thick plantings of trees and shrubs, and if I can quote a credible garden source to support my intention, The Landscaper is much more likely to take to the idea. Not that he doesn’t want more shrubs and trees — he just doesn’t want to spend every spare minute digging the holes.
No, I don’t dig holes — not because I’m lazy (well I am, but that’s not the reason) but I have arthritic hands that make it a
difficult job. However, I do stand by and make sure the plant is facing the right way and is upright and level, and I help kick the dirt back into the holes and tramp it down. Stop snorting.
Autumn is probably my favourite season here in the north. It’s not too hot and it rains regularly. Obviously it’s not as exciting as spring in terms of bright new things
happening, but it’s a prime time for reevaluating what you have, and adding or subtracting.
Having said all that, I am inclined to plant at any time of the year if the fancy takes me, but I do realise that autumn planting gives your stuff a head start. Trees and shrubs settle in a bit before it gets really cold, and you won’t have to do as much molly-coddling as you would if you were planting in spring.
But before you hit the garden centre, take a look back and reappraise what you’ve previously planted.
Evaluate which plants have lived up to expectations and could be used again in a similar setting, and admit which ones have either been a complete failure, or not worth the effort to keep them healthy and looking good.
In our garden, this sort of assessment also includes considering final size and shape, since our property has a number of trees and shrubs that have exceeded all size expectations despite labels promising a final height of three metres.
There might also be plants that should come out altogether and be replaced by something that will do a better job.
We have three particularly ordinarylooking pittosporums near the stream which have absolutely no reason for being there, and if I could wave a magic wand and turn them into sasanquas, I would do it in a flash.
Failing that, we will cut them down and spend some time deciding whether they should be replaced (with sasanquas, more than likely) or whether the area should be left as it is. Or, we might come up with a new design for the space using plants that work.
This could mean moving other plants that are in the wrong place, and autumn is a good time to do it with the air temperatures cooling and the ground remaining warm. Moving location is probably as stressful for plants as it is for humans, but you can help to minimise the shock by giving the plants a deep water both before and after transplanting them.
In my view it’s much more fun to get new plants, but what to choose? If you have plants that have been really successful in your garden, it’s very tempting — and sensible — to get more of the same. But if you yearn for the challenge of something new and different, drive around your own neighbourhood and check out what is doing well in other people’s gardens. I would never have bought a puka had I not seen several of them making up a border a few streets away, and now I have three which are thriving equally well here.