For instant garden colour now’s the time to plant summer seedlings
SUMMER is a time to be enjoyed, and a garden full of colour enhances the pleasure of one’s personal space. The easiest way to achieve long-lasting summer colour is to plant readygrown seedlings of summerflowering annuals. These versatile plants can be grown in borders or in containers, and an added bonus is that they have a long flowering season.
When selecting seedlings, check the labels to see if they require full sun or will tolerate some shade. Also check how tall they grow. In borders position the shorter ones at the front,medium growers behind them, and tallest at the back.
The fun part is selecting plants with a colour scheme in mind. Some harmonious options are pink and white, or blue and mauve, or multiple combinations such as pink, blue and white, or red, orange and yellow. Contrasting colours also look good together, such as blue and orange or mauve and yellow.
In sunny positions, grow ageratum, alyssum, celosia, cosmos, bedding dahlia, gazania, marigold, portulaca, petunia, salvia, snapdragons, verbena, vinca and zinnia. In more shaded places grow begonias and impatiens. Coleus and the polka dot plant have colourful foliage and grow in the shade.
What colours should you be planting this summer? This is your guide to planting beds of warm and cool colours this weekend: WARM COLOURS Yellow, gold, orange and red all attract attention and create areas of excitement. Plant seedlings in window boxes, hanging baskets or raised beds.
● Sunshine lovers – amaranthus, celosia, cosmos, bedding dahlia, marigold, portulaca, petunia, salvia, verbena, zinnia,
● Filtered shade – coral, orange, red, cherry or scarlet impatiens. Bronze-leafed, red flowering begonias. Or try coleus this year. Pansies are a winner in shade during summer. COOL COLOURS White, blue and violet are tranquil, soothing colours that give a cooling effect for hot summers.
● Sunshine lovers – ageratum, alyssum, lobelia, vinca.
● For light shade try green leafed, white flowering begonias or pale pale pink looks wonderful. White and pale pink New Guinea impatiens show up well at twilight. Also try larkspur, pansy and lobelia. Success with annuals To achieve the best colour from your bedding plants, follow these
tips.
● Increase the moisture-retaining capacity of your soil. Add organic matter (leaf mould or compost) at a rate of about 25 percent of soil volume to the flower bed. To reduce watering add moistureretaining granules according to the instructions on the packet.
● Choose sturdy seedlings with
Zone your plants according to high water needs and low water
needs. dark green leaves when shopping for bedding plants in trays. Lanky, floppy plants with yellowing leaves are often an indication that plants have had insufficient light and undeveloped root systems.
● For container plantings ensure good drainage by putting a few pebbles over the container drainage hole. Alternatively use a crumpled piece of the netting used to pack potatoes and other veg. Choose a soil potting mix that drains well. Also add waterretaining granules to the soil.
● Plant out seedlings during the coolest part of the day, either early morning or late afternoon.
● Water the garden bed or container soil thoroughly, as well as the seedlings, before transplanting.
● Remove the seedling from the punnet by pressing gently from underneath and releasing the seedling before handling it. Avoid lifting seedlings by their stem or leaves.
● Before planting, loosen the root ball so that the seedling can start its new growth immediately.
● Plant the seedling at the same depth as it was in the punnet.
● Press the soil firmly around the stem.
● Water thoroughly with a fine sprayer.
● Keep the soil moist at all times until the seedlings show signs of new growth. Then water less frequently. Container plants need watering every two to three days, as the soil in containers dries out quickly.
● Apply light mulch over the soil surface to help hold water in the soil.
● To prevent fungal attack it is best to water early in the day so leaves are dry before nightfall. Zinnia and petunia are particularly prone to fungal attack.