The Star: September 26, 2019
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>September</strong> <strong>26</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
38<br />
GARDENING<br />
WHEN IT comes to getting<br />
bang for your buck in the spring,<br />
some flowering plants are head<br />
and shoulders above the others<br />
when it comes to vibrancy and<br />
colour.<br />
Consider magnolias. Deciduous<br />
magnolias have to be near<br />
the top of the list.<br />
All round the place at the<br />
moment they are smothering<br />
themselves in flowers that range<br />
in colour from crisp clean whites<br />
to soft pinks and rich purples<br />
and magentas. <strong>The</strong>se hardy<br />
characters thrive in a wide range<br />
of conditions and recent new<br />
hybrids have been developed for<br />
smaller gardens.<br />
Rhododendrons are starting<br />
to strut their stuff. Christmas<br />
Cheer, the early pink one, is<br />
always a signal that spring has<br />
sprung. However, it is the red<br />
ones that are eye-catching.<br />
Rhodos like a slightly acidic<br />
soil and once planted do not<br />
like their root zone being dug<br />
into. Camellias are certainly<br />
eye-catching at the moment and<br />
while many people shy away<br />
from them when they start<br />
dropping their flowers, the floral<br />
carpet they leave behind under<br />
the plants is attractive.<br />
Daphne takes a bit of beating,<br />
although often by mid spring<br />
their flowers have finished.<br />
White daphne makes a nice<br />
alternative to the powerful pink<br />
variety, whereas the himalayan<br />
variety is ideal for those who<br />
want a taller plant rather than<br />
a low spreading bush Pieris,<br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
Plant rhododendrons<br />
if you have acidic soil<br />
BLOOMING: Rhododendrons are starting to strut their<br />
stuff, it’s a sign spring has sprung.<br />
Lily of the Valley shrub is a<br />
hardy evergreen and a reliable<br />
flowering campaigner that<br />
makes its presence felt very early<br />
each spring.<br />
<strong>The</strong> long panicles of white,<br />
pink and coral flowers sit up on<br />
top of the plant and hang like<br />
Christmas decorations for a<br />
couple of months.<br />
Get herbs in now<br />
ALL THE promise of spring is<br />
out there in the herb garden.<br />
It’s a good idea to plant herbs<br />
close to the kitchen — the<br />
further away they are, the less<br />
likely you are to pick them,<br />
especially in rainy weather.<br />
Most of the cooking herbs like<br />
a place in the sun, though mint<br />
will grow in a damp shady spot.<br />
If you don’t have much space,<br />
stick to those herbs you know<br />
you’ll use in cooking.<br />
Consider growing them in<br />
pots, or plant herbs in the<br />
flower garden — most are quite<br />
decorative.<br />
Fresh coriander is an<br />
important ingredient in many<br />
Thai and Indian dishes and<br />
now’s the time for planting the<br />
seeds of this annual herb.<br />
Coriander plants are taprooted<br />
and don’t transplant well,<br />
so sow seeds where you want<br />
the plants to grow and thin out<br />
when necessary.<br />
<strong>The</strong> seeds are slow to<br />
germinate, so don’t give up on<br />
them too soon.<br />
Some varieties of chives<br />
die down in the winter, while<br />
others stay green the whole year<br />
through.<br />
If rust is a problem, cut the<br />
clumps back and wait for fresh<br />
rust-free growth. If that doesn’t<br />
work, it may be best to plant<br />
some new bulbs in a different<br />
FRESH: Curly-leaved parsley<br />
should be planted close to<br />
the kitchen.<br />
spot.<br />
Clumps need to be divided<br />
and replanted every few years<br />
in any case or the chives get<br />
overcrowded and loose their<br />
vigour.<br />
Garlic chives have a stronger<br />
flavour than regular chives and<br />
the flowers are white and starry<br />
rather than pom-pom shaped.<br />
<strong>The</strong> plants grow more slowly<br />
and the leaves stand up to<br />
cooking a bit better.<br />
Parsley comes in two forms –<br />
the curly-leaved variety and flat<br />
or broad-leaved parsley, often<br />
known as Italian parsley.<br />
<strong>The</strong> latter is currently more<br />
trendy but at a pinch you can<br />
usually substitute one for the<br />
other.<br />
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