03 Magazine: March 08, 2024

46 Magazine | Gardens
Hardy annuals
I germinate hardy annual seeds in late winter so they can
be planted out in the field in early spring, before the last
frost. They are not only tolerant of the cold but thrive in
cooler temperatures. Examples are snapdragons, annual
scabiosa, bells of Ireland, larkspur, Queen Anne’s lace,
sweet peas, corncockle.
Heat-loving annuals
These plants love the heat of summer but don’t tolerate frost,
so I germinate them a bit later and plant out in the field after
the threat of frost has passed. Try zinnias, amaranthus, annual
aster, celosia, sunflowers, cosmos.
Germinating hardy annuals in milk bottles
● Halfway down a 2-litre milk bottle, make a
horizontal cut around three sides, leaving enough
uncut so that it forms a ‘hinge’.
● Poke holes in the bottom of the bottle for drainage,
and a few in the top part for air flow.
● Fill the bottom of the bottle with about 10
centimetres damp seed-raising mix.
● Plant the seeds as directed on the packet. A good
rule of thumb is to sow at a depth twice the size
of the seed. You can plant them fairly densely, as
you’ll be dividing them up to transplant in spring.
● Spray the surface with water so the top layer is
quite damp.
● Label a stick and poke it into the soil – it’s less likely
to fade than if you write the name on the bottle.
●
●
●
Put the lid on and duct-tape the bottle closed all the
way around. Place it outside and let Mother Nature
do the rest.
You can leave the plastic cap on until the seeds
germinate. This will keep the moisture in and
hasten germination.
Once the seeds germinate, remove the cap to allow
rain to get in and air to circulate.
The Chelsea chop
The term comes from the UK, because growers do it in
preparation for the annual Chelsea Flower Show in May.
It involves cutting back your perennials by a half to a third to
extend their flowering, and in New Zealand it is done in late
spring or early summer.
Flowers such as mignonette will rebloom after a good
cut‐back; others will simply flower better and for longer.
Phlox, aster and sedum will not grow so leggy if cut back
prior to their first flush.
Examples of other summer- and autumn-flowering
perennials that respond to this pruning method are
penstemon, goldenrod, yarrow, campanula and rudbeckia.
Extracted from Secret Gardens of
Aotearoa by Jane Mahoney & Sophie
Bannan, photography by Jane Mahoney,
Josephine Meachen & Sophie Bannan,
published by Allen & Unwin NZ,
RRP$50.