6 minute read
S pringing into the garden
Springing into the garden
Spring is certainly in the air and we cannot wait to get out into the garden. There are a huge number of things we can do in the garden this month!
Spring Tips It’s lovely to see the arrival of spring after a late cold winter. September is the month where more change can happen in the garden than any other month of the year. Blossom season is well underway with new flowers appearing every day but many plants are still dormant or just waking up at the start of the month but are flying along by the end of the month. Now is the time to encourage, promote and shape to get the best out of our plants.
Tomatoes are in season and lots of interesting new season stock available. A lot of the new season v eggies can be planted this month and some cold sensitive veggies like chillies, cucumber and zucchini will be available later in the month.
September is the time to feed everything! Plants emerge from winter at best rested but depleted and looking miserable so a good complete fertiliser applied now helps our established plants get most out of spring.
BY VICKEY TAYLOR
Feed all lawns, especially warm climate lawns such as Buffalo, Kikuyu and Couch, as they need help recovering from winter. Use a slow release lawn builder to keep them going over the coming months If y ou are quick, still prune hedges to shape before it gets too warm. This will ensure new growth comes where and how you want it Prune into shap e shrubs that have flowered winter/early spring such as Camellias Prune c old sensitive perennials like sunpatients, calibrchoas, and salivas and feed them to stimulate new growth and flowers Start planting new season Petunias, plant-spreading petunias in hanging baskets give such a great display Protect your Citrus trees with Citrus traps. You can further protect your Citrus tree by pruning back 10% when new growth appears. Feed with a high potassium, low soluble nitrate citrus food to further increase pest resistance Protect new growth on roses with rose gun, mancozeb and liquid copper. It’s time to plant! Whilst s oil and air temp is mild, get your plants in and established before summer. Always improve the soil at planting to factilitate growth.
Vickey Taylor is the owner of Burbank House & Garden, Kincumber. Phone 4368 2220
Plant of the month
Tomatoes Plant early varieties of tomatoes like the Roma, a traditional Italian tomato medium sized fruit small growing variety, Healthkick, a 50% higher in antioxidant than a normal tomato, plum shaped smaller growing variety, Sweet Bite a sweet cherry producing masses of fruit in clusters needs staking. Plant warm season varieties like Grosse Lisse a little later. Rules to successful tomato planting Plant into soil that been improved with compost or manure to prevent blossom end rot Water regularly but do not feed until the first pea sized fruit shave formed. Early feeding promotes growth instead of flowers, postponing fruiting and increase disease problems. Dust regularly to prevent pest and disease problems and feed with high potassium, low soluble nitrogen fertilizer when the plant is in a flowering/fruiting mode.
Café Burbank the perfect spot for a coffee!
Located inside Burbank House and Garden Nursery at Kincumber, our cafe is open 7 days. See over for our weekly specials.
Burbank house & garden
Be sure to mark your diary now.
The annual Plant Lovers Fair is returning to Kariong 28th and 29th September 2019
It’s the perfect place to find those hard to get plants not generally available in nurseries or garden centres. At the Plant Lovers Fair, you can find everything you need to start a new garden or renovate an older garden.
Whether you are looking for fruit trees, succulent, camellias or deciduous trees, they will be here. If you are looking for something special for your garden or seeking a particular plant you’ve always wanted, the Plant Lovers Fair is the place to go. It’s a regular event catering for both keen gardeners and amateurs and it's the only place on the Central Coast where you can find such a vast array of unusual and rare plants. There is also an enlarged source of decorative garden features as well.
Plant fairs are the big new trend for keen garden makers and the Central Coast’s very own fair is the gardeners’ friend – it’s close, it’s convenient and it’s a fun day out. Kariong is close to Sydney and it’s right here on the coast.
Once again this year, the passionate Costa Georgiadis, host of ABC’s Gardening Australia, has agreed to be our ambassador. Costa will be strolling around the fair on Sunday 29th September, speaking with growers and punters so come along and engage in conversation with our endearing host.
From talks in the main marquee to strolling and talking with both exhibitors and attendees, Costa will excite us with his passion for plants and gardens.
Our speakers program this year will feature our expert growers, all exhibitors at the fair, providing specific, detailed knowledge about the plants they grow and love. On Saturday, 28th September, Linda Ross, garden travel guru from The Garden Clinic and Radio 2GB will be giving an address at the Speakers Corner. Join us for her infectious enthusiasm and down-to-earth advice. At the Workshop Demonstration Program, you will find out more about the unique plants on offer at the fair. And if some are completely new t o you, this is the best way to get the dirt on how to grow them and how to best use them in your local landscape. Our growers are all expert growers of their chosen plants and there is no better way to find out their “trade secrets” to growing success.
Catering is an important part of any fair and there is a wide range of food and beverages available from Turkish gozleme, to Vietnamese treats and traditional sandwiches, wraps and pies and a sausage sizzle from Kariong Scouts. You certainly won’t go hungry.
There’s plenty to help you get your precious cargo home too. The crèche has been relocated so you can load your car with ease. And to assist you, scouts will carry plants and other purchases to your car.
Bookings to the fair are now open online. So click onto www.plantloversfair.com.au and avoid the queues. Plant Lovers Fair is a community event, run by volunteers and proudly sponsored by On the Coast – Over 55 magazine.
A day trip to remember... Ride the Ferry and have lunch at the Davo!
Ferry Trip & Lunch Package 2 Course Menu – Main & Dessert Minimum of 25 people ONLY $30 per head Only 2 minutes’ walk from Woy Woy station the M.V Saratoga departs Fisherman’s Wharf Monday to Friday at 10.45am and 12.30pm and on the weekends 9.30am, 10.45am or 12.30pm for a relaxing ride on the beautiful Brisbane Waters. There is an option of a 1 ½ hour COCKATOO ferry cruise departing from 10:15am with return on the regular ferry at 1:15pm or 2:15pm. Inform the Boat Captain and he will ring the club prior to your arrival where the bus will pick you up from Davistown Wharf and bring you to Davistown RSL Club. The bus will then depart the club at either 1.00pm and 2.00pm for your return journey home. Bookings are essential. For more information contact Davistown RSL Club on 4363-0103 and Central Coast Ferries on 0418 63 13 13. Email reception@davistownrsl.com.au
For your next group booking look no further than Davistown RSL with a wide variety of choices.
