Grey Power November 2018

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30 NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » NOVEMBER 2018 Garden tips for a hot summer BY GRAEME BURTON, RUKUHIA HOMESTEAD LANDSCAPER Ask any farmer or weather buff with some know how, and the prediction is for a long dry summer. If I were a betting person, then I think I’d be safe in betting that for eight out of the next 10 years, we will probably have similar summers. While it’s good news for those who enjoy the summer beach lifestyle, the long dry period can be challenging for your garden. This hot dry spell is becoming the new normal, so for anyone wanting to put in new gardens, they should be mindful of this weather pattern. Summer is often the time when we have the time and motivation to do some major (and minor) garden renovations or replanting. As a landscaper, the summer weather plays a big role in the planning I do when creating new gardens for clients. Many towns and cities have severe water restrictions in place, and often people living on lifestyle blocks rely only on rainwater filling the tanks, so water is precious and the amount of water required to keep your summer garden thriving should be taken into consideration when planting. I definitely recommend using plants that can survive and have a high tolerance to drying out, or need minimal water requirements. With decades of landscaping, planning and planting to draw on, I have whittled down my list of favourites to a top 10 of plants I like to use in dry summer situation: They Are: Convulvulus Cneorum Alstroemeria Princess Series Beschornaria Reality Lomandra Nyalla Nandina Flirt Raphiolepis Springtime Rose Flowercarpet Series Star Jasmine Lavender Pink Princess Callestemon Littlejohn These are just a few of many good drought performing plants, and are my personal preference. You can also help your plants to better cope by mulching your gardens with a good thick layer of garden mulch. This helps keep moisture in the soil, and keeps the weed population down to a minimum, which is always handy. If like many, you have downsized your home and section size, you can still enjoy plenty of vibrant plant life with container planting. Again, much of the success of this comes down to choosing the right plant for the job - this way you aren’t wasting time and money on a plant that isn’t designed to live in a pot or planter. These plants need to be happy being containerised- in other words having its roots restricted. It must also be very forgiving about getting watered, because no matter how diligent you are at watering , there are going to be times when you won’t get it watered as planned. The last thing you want is the plant turning up its toes with all the foliage suddenly going brown. I often see people putting plants into pots that are quite inappropriate. Sadly this is just a waste of money and time, because the plant is going to go backwards, not for a lack of attention, but because it’s just not the right subject for containers. Ten good performing plants that I like to use in container gardening are: Metrosideros Tahiti Podocarpus Gracilior Bay Tree Phoenix Canariensis Buxus Green Gem Westringia Grey Box Citrus Varieties Ilex Lago Syzgium Tom Thumb Podocarpus Matapouri Blue When selecting a pot, get a size that’s as large as appropriate for the area you are wanting to put it. Use only the best quality potting mix which contains water holding gel. Feed all of your plants in pots twice a year, in September and April, with a slow release fertiliser like Osmocote. This will help keep the plant in top condition. When watering, give your plants roots a couple of thorough soakings a week, rather than lots of light sprinkles. 10 plants suitable for surviving a dry summer: Convulvulus Cneorum Raphiolepis Springtime Metrosideros Tahiti Gem Westringia Grey Box Alstroemeria Princess Series Rose Flowercarpet Series Podocarpus Gracilior Citrus Varieties Beschornaria Reality Star Jasmine Bay Tree Ilex Lago Lomandra Nyalla Lavender Pink Princess 10 plants to use in container gardening are: Phoenix Canariensis Syzgium Tom Thumb Nandina Flirt Callestemon Littlejohn Buxus Green Podocarpus Matapouri Blue
NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » NOVEMBER 2018 31 Gardening guru Boasting decades of landscaping and gardening experience, Graeme Burton is from a well known horticultural family in Waikato. His father John Burton set the scene back in the 1970/1980s for being the leading plant retailer in Waikato. Burton was a household name in gardening, and at one stage the family had three retail plant outlets in Hamilton. Graeme has been ac- tively involved in the nursery industry for 35 years, most of it managing one of New Zealand’s largest plant wholesale nurseries. This gave him a thorough grounding about what makes plants perform and what situation suits them best. His creative flair for putting different plant combinations and creative landscape ideas together see him well respected among his landscape clients and he is now a sought-after speaker on the subject, attending home and garden shows across New Zealand. Graeme and wife Val’s historic Rukuhia homestead is testament to his skill and a showcase for the diversity of plants which can transform a garden. Framed by some of the oldest and most beautiful trees in Waikato, many of which are 120-150 years old (including camellias, copper beech, planes, oaks, rhododendrons, evergreen magnolias and evergreen oaks), Graeme has created a variety of themed gardens, spread over 2.5 acres. These include an English garden, a tropical garden (for a windy exposed site), Mediterranean, Balinese, beach/ coastal garden, formal potager, shade garden, a tropical garden (in a sheltered site), a New Zealand native garden for an exposed site and a French romantic garden. Graeme delights in sharing his knowledge and expertise and helping other people achieve their garden dreams. www.thehomesteadlandscaping.co.nz Nutrition for your garden There’s a definite satisfaction in looking out over lush lawn, healthy thriving plants and vegetables. When choosing garden fertiliser, there are some important considerations for your vegetable and flower garden. If you want quality vegetables and vibrant flowers, it is important to use a nutritious fertiliser. It is also important for our own health, as what we spread on the land passes through the chain to our table. While a fertiliser with a few minerals and trace elements might make plants grow, it will not add the full range of nutrients required for plant health, and subsequent nutrition to animals and people. Over the years the mineral content of soil has depleted, with minerals taken out not being replaced. Some sprays and toxins can remain in the soil for years. Plants still grow but may be termed “force fed”. With the reduction in minerals, it has been estimated that we need to eat six times the amount of vegetables we ate 50 years ago to obtain our base mineral needs. Coupled with this is the contamination of some fertilisers by antibiotics and sprays. This can lower our immune system, making antibiotics less effective. Also some sprays are labelled carcinogenic. Healthy people, plants and flowers are more disease resistant. Using a wide mineral fertiliser, which can include up to 185 minerals and trace elements, is an option to consider, as many of these minerals and trace elements are needed for optimum health and growth. Consider the use of organic or certified organic fertiliser prepared from a wide range of base materials. Sea Food & Fertiliser is an organic mix designed and cultivated in New Zealand and including seaweed, sheep dags, crushed mussel shell, crushed oyster shell, dolomite, humate, bark dust, salmon fish offal and soil micro organisms; all designed to assist in seed germination, growth, fruiting, plant health and helping boost the mineral content of soil. A healthy soil should have abundant worms and organism activity which allows a longer growing season. Take a look at your soil and assess its health. Like us, plants need to maintain a healthy base in order to thrive and enjoy longevity and quality. The saying ‘we are what we eat’ is also worth considering. Nourish your soil and vegetables with quality organic fertiliser to maximise nutrition and health. For more information on Sea Food & Fertiliser and the benefits of looking after your soil, visit www.mcseaweed.co.nz Poor pasture vs lush pasture WHY SHOP WITH US? We have a proven specially formulated product with many many satisfied users. Professional Customer service, guaranteed dispatch and tracking times, cutting out the middle man will give you the best product for the lowest price possible. Extensive ongoing research and development, so always have the best product available. All Natural and Soil compatible. GST Registered and available as Organic or Organically Certified. SEAFOOD & FERTILIZER LTD W: mcseaweed.co.nz P: +64 3 2175212 +64 27 296 3482 E: coley@mcseaweed.co.nz
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