Pittwater Life November 2017 Issue

A sprinkle
of retro
sparkle
Summer is almost here
and the forecast is for a
good share of long, hot, dry
days. Make sure you are well
prepared. Fully automated
irrigation systems are great…
but not only are they very
expensive to install, they
need continual updating and
adjusting as plants grow, with
dry spots appearing as foliage
begins to block the water flow.
There is something to be
said for good old-fashioned
sprinklers. Large rainwave
sprinklers can be adjusted to
any rectangular shape, the
water goes high into the air
and falls evenly downwards like
rain; the original capitol sprinkler
is great in the shrubbery
– it will soak the ground without
wasting water.
There are any number of decorative
sprinklers – tall, spinning
ones and short ones that can
connect. Sprinklers are always
good gifts for gardeners.
Buddleja
Buzz – the
butterfly
bush
Buddlejas attract birds, bees and butterflies to the garden. They
flower from spring to late summer. Old-fashioned buddlejas
are very beautiful – but they can grow tall and get out of control.
The Buzz range is different; these are small, compact shrubs
that grow just over a metre high. Covered in honey-sweet
spears of magenta, violet, lilac, pink or white through the summer
months, these hardy and easy-to-grow bushes are ideal
for every garden.
Importantly, all the pollinators love them! Dead-head the
flowers as they finish, to promote new ones. As winter approaches,
be ruthless and cut them back hard (they will grow
back in spring). The flowers appear on the new season’s
growth. The butterfly bush is not choosey – it will grow in any
garden soil, in full sun or semi-shade.
A slow-release fertiliser applied in spring and again in early
autumn is all that they need to flourish.
Fragrant pelargoniums
stand the test of time
Regal Pelargoniums, which
are closely related to geraniums,
are easy to grow;
and they are tougher than
the new hybrid geraniums.
They flower from early
spring until summer, rambling
and spilling over banks,
creating glorious colour on
gravel beds, in large tubs
and in rock walls. The profusion
of large flowers can be
lilac, bright red, purple, burgundy,
pink, white or violet.
Once established they are
tough, hardy and droughttolerant;
the perfect answer
to hot dry coastal gardens.
Often thought of as ‘Old
fashioned Grandma plants’
pelargoniums are becoming
popular once more. Make
sure their drainage is good;
they hate wet feet and high
humidity. They need open
space and fresh air to grow
well.
Their huge velvety leaves
add a delicious fragrance
to the evening air when
crushed. Add a small amount
of dolomite to the soil when
planting and feed a couple
of times a year with an allpurpose,
slow-release fertiliser.
This is all the attention
they need. Trim them back
to keep them bushy after
flowering.
Garden Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
NOVEMBER 2017 69