May

PREPARATION, PLANNING AND PRUNING

Native plants are at their showiest in mid-autumn through to late winter. Callistemon, banksias, wattles and grevilleas provide nectar for some of our most beautiful songbirds and parrots. There are varieties that will suit most suburban back yards and will provide colour and interest when many European varieties are not at their best. Some are excellent shrubs, no more than a metre high, while others are magnificent trees. To explore this wonderful range of plants, why not visit the Grevillea Park at Bulli.

Hibiscus is also flowering and are not pruned until winter is almost over. They provide a wonderful show of colours that range from delicate pinks and yellows to vibrant oranges and reds. Most varieties will grow in the Illawarra. Even some of the more tropical varieties can be attempted where there is no frost or wind.

HINTS AND TIPS:

This is the start of pruning season, where lots of plants can be trimmed back. Check your secateurs, loppers and pruning saws. Make sure they are clean and sharp. Disinfect between plants by wiping with methylated spirits or dip into a bucket of water containing disinfectant. Then dry off on a clean rag. Remember to use the right tool for the job. Secateurs are only for smaller diameter pruning. Use a lopper for larger diameters (greater than 1.5 cms). Use a pruning saw for thicker wood. Always do an undercut first when pruning branches then saw from the top down to ensure the wood does not split.

Garden Maintenance

April and May are the months to contemplate additions or changes to your roses. Buy from local nurseries or order from any of the mail order rose nurseries. Whatever roses you decide to buy spend time preparing the soil - it will repay you with a healthy bush with lots of blooms.

Roses need full sun (six hours). If yours have become shaded by other plants they can be moved to a sunnier position during the next two months. Prune before moving and replant watering well. Don't add fertilizer to the soil before planting bare-rooted roses, wait till spring. The hole should be wide enough to accommodate the roots without bending and deep enough for the bud union to be at ground level. Make a mound of soil in the bottom of the hole and sit the rose on it with no air space under the plant. Cover the roots until the hole is half-filled. Water with about half a bucket of water and allow it to soak away. Finish filling the hole and firm the soil. Use the rest of the bucket of water on the rose.

Liliums are beautiful and now is the time to plant them. These bulbs do not have a real resting period and continue to grow even when the foliage has died back. Prepare soil at least a week in advance with fertilizer, as like roses, the bulb should not come into contact with fertilizer. Plant in filtered sun or partial shade to a depth of about twice the diameter of the bulb.

Dahlias past their prime can be cut back to 30cm above ground level. The tubers can be left in the ground if the soil is well-drained and you have plenty of room. If lifting, dig with plenty of soil attached and put them out of the way and store for the winter. To label Dahlias easily, fasten a plastic clothes peg or a strip of wool or ribbon the colour of the flower to each clump.

If you'd like to add some red colour to your winter garden, then Poinsettias could be just the plant. Poinsettia grows well and flowers for a long time and is not troubled by pests or disease. It can be pruned back hard after flowering so it doesn't take up too much room. Red Poinsettia looks good with a background of trees in autumn leaf.

The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) is at its best in autumn and winter. The flowers are small white and waxy like Lily of the Valley and are carried in arching sprays above the clusters of fruit which vary in colour from yellow and orange to bright red. Another lovely tree-like plant (usually about 4.5 metres) is the Gordonia. They are slow-growing and evergreen with glossy leaves and are covered with large white Camellia-like flowers with yellow stamens in autumn and winter. They are very beautiful and grow well in the Illawarra. Now is the time to plant either or both these attractive small trees as well as Azaleas, Camellias, Citrus, Conifers and all deciduous trees and shrubs.

Agapanthus, Amaryllis and Clivias can be divided at this time.

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