Potted chrysanthemums – big and small
Giving Mum a living chrysanthemum in full bloom on Sunday is a great idea.
But there is now a very big difference between traditional “potted Mums” grown in small pots and those available in bigger containers, featuring much larger plants designed for display as well as growing in the garden.
Potted Mums will last indoors for three weeks and often more, given good light, not too much airconditioned warmth and watering only when the top soil is dry.
Look for plants with dark green leaves and a blend of flower buds that are both fully and almost opened.
Top tips: Removing old blooms as they fade will encourage unopened buds to develop.
After flowering, the plants can be discarded or cut back quite hard and planted into a sunny garden bed.
Garden Mums
Potted garden chrysanthemums also look fabulous when used as decorative plants in large feature containers.
- Inside: The blooms will last for many weeks and the sheer number of blooms will certainly appeal to all Mums.
- In the garden These are showy, compact, plants that are trouble-free and very easy to grow. The blooms are long lasting and held on strong sturdy stems. Perfect plants for growing in a sunny mixed garden bed or border.
Moth orchids (phalaenopsis)
For something exquisite, long lasting, and easy to grow, consider giving Mum a “moth orchid.”
These are magnificent flowering plants that you often see on the reception desk at your local doctors.
Moth orchids are happy to grow in conditions where Mum is comfortable when sitting. (Not too hot and certainly not too cold).
Each set of flowers will last for many weeks and given bright light, regular (but not too much) watering and a little fertiliser, a healthy plant should remain flowering for many months.
Winter veg? – They're not compulsory
If you have decided to not grow vegetables through winter, why not take the opportunity of improving the soil so that it is in top condition and ready to start planting next spring?
Buy a bag or two of animal manure from your garden centre and combine it with as much compost material as possible.
Spread the material over the surface of your vegetable patch and cultivate it lightly into the top few centimetres of soil.
Gypsum is great
If the ground is ‘heavy’ or hard to dig because of its high clay content, buy a bag of gypsum.
Spread this using one kilogram to the square metre.
Gypsum can be combined with the animal manure and organic matter.
Grow some green manure
Buy a few kilograms of peas, beans, vetch or a cereal such as cereal rye or barley from your local feed and grain merchant.
The seeds should be sown (using one kilogram of seed to 10 square metres) into cultivated soil and raked lightly into the top soil.
Add half a kilogram of complete fertiliser to each 10 square metres to improve the amount of bulky growth produced.
In early spring the crop can be dug into the topsoil just before it begins to flower and set seed.
The bulky material will take a few weeks to break down but the end result will be a very significant improvement in the structure of the soil and the ability of your vegetable patch to produce strong, healthy crops.
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Soil temperatures falling fast
Soil temperatures continue to fall, with the topsoil across Adelaide reading close to 16°C.
This is slightly above the April average (16.7) and is warm enough to stimulate vegetable seedlings into producing slow growth.
However, temperatures are likely to drop a further 4°C during May.
Growth will then be very slow and at the end of the growing season your harvest will be much lower than crops established earlier in the season.
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Autumn leaves for larger gardens
If you are enjoying the current kaleidoscope of autumn leaves provided by deciduous trees and space in the garden is not a problem, you may be interested in the list of medium and large trees that produce magnificent autumn colours, provided by Amy Woolard from Adelaide Tree Farm on ABC Saturday TalkBack Gardening recently.
Medium trees
- Ornamental pears (bright green leaves change to a range of colours but usually very vibrant) – healthy trees can change quite late in the city/plains as late as June.
- Chinese Pistacio – amazing vibrant oranges and reds.
- Sensation Maple (Acer negundo) – varies but usually a range of reds and oranges.
- Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria) – oranges and yellows.
Big trees
- Liquidambar – varies – they change late and hold onto leaves well into winter.
- Gingko – lime green leaves turn to bright yellow.
- Claret Ash – dark green leaves turn to burgundy red.
- Golden Elm – lime green leaves turn bright yellow.
- Scarlet Oak – green leaves turn red and burnt oranges.
- Red Maples – green leaves turn bright red early in the season.
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Establishing Australian plants
The key to establishing native plants is to achieve good weed control before you start.
Clear the ground for at least a metre around the planting hole.
In the garden, this can be achieved by hoeing or in large areas by spraying the ground with a weedicide such as glyphosate a week or so before planting out.
If the subsoil is heavy or contains stones, it is worthwhile cracking the area loose with a mattock or crowbar.
Heavy clay soils should be improved by incorporating compost and gypsum (half a kilogram to a square metre), while sandy soils should have plenty of organic matter including compost worked into the topsoil.
Native plants should not be over-stimulated with fertiliser during the early stages of growth.
A special six or nine month controlled-release fertiliser will give you good balanced nutrition and get the plants off to a steady start.
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Westringea Highlight
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Coastal Rosemary, hardy but attractive
Westringea Highlight is a landscaper’s favourite.
Popularly known as the Coastal Rosemary, this super-hardy Australian shrub not only looks good, it is also happy to grow in all kinds of locations.
Highlight is an ideal choice for exposed gardens, as it has excellent tolerance to salt-laden winds, frost and drought.
It is also happy to perform in sandy soils.
At the same time, small cream and dark green leaves and mauve flowers makes it a popular choice for Australian native gardens as well as traditional gardens – where it can be used as a specimen plant or for hedging.
Highlight is one of the many Westringeas and other Australian native plants available at State Flora.
Late autumn is a good time for establishing Australian plants in your garden.
 State Flora catalogue »
 State Flora is South Australia’s leading Australian native plant nursery. It stocks more than 1,800 species of native plants for sale to the public at its Belair and Murray Bridge nurseries.
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Last chance roses
The constant release of new rose varieties means some of the older varieties are no longer available.
Before this happens rose nurseries often make them available as “last chance roses.”
This week’s rose selection from Brian Wagner includes two David Austin varieties that will soon disappear from the market.
This last chance rose has attractive and formal, rosette-shaped flowers, with the petals recurving back later in life.
Radio Times is very much of an Old Rose in character – the colour being of the purest, rich pink.
Its fragrance is strong and of the true Old Rose type.
Its growth is short and bushy, with large, medium green foliage.
Height up to 120 cm - 90 to 120 cm wide.
Another last chance rose producing colours of pale blush pink that fade to pale white on the edges.
This rose displays shallow cupped blooms which later curve outwards forming a perfect rosette, packed with petals.
It has a distinctive and beautiful fragrance with fruity notes and hints of white grapes and mulberry.
Hardy with excellent repeat flowering. Height: to 90cm.
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Get your onions in while it's cool
Onions grow best when they are planted during the cooler months and encouraged to grow quickly through spring, before maturing when conditions are warm and dry
Onions are sun lovers and thrive in an open, airy position.
They need good drainage and grow best in soil that is not enriched with animal manures or fresh compost.
They are excellent when roasted, used in a stir-fry or cooked with meat.
Three top onions from Living Colour:
- Brown: A great multi-purpose onion, high yielding, excellent quality and stores well. The flesh is creamy with a strong flavour and aroma.
- White: Flavoursome with a milder flavour than brown onions. Used in salads and lightly flavoured dishes.
- Red: The flavour is mild and sweet in taste. Excellent when used raw in salads or sandwiches.
 Onion seedlings are in stock at Heyne's Garden Centre, Beulah Park, Semaphore Pets & Gardens and Barrow & Bench, Malvern and should be available at other good gardening centres.
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Grace Ward – an easy grow groundcover
Lithodora Grace Ward produces masses of intense blue flowers through spring and early summer.
The foliage is deep green, quite dense and, although matt forming (20cm by 60cm), it does not grow out of bounds.
This is the kind of plant that can be used as a groundcover, for under planting taller shrubs, used in a rockery or as an eye catching feature plant in front of a perennial border.
Lithodora Grace Ward adapts well to most garden soils but grows best where the soil is well drained but remains moist.
The plants perform best in a sunny location with light shading through the warmest months and a feed with slow release fertiliser during autumn.
A light pruning after flowering will help maintain a bushy compact shape.
Grace Ward are in stock at Heyne's Garden Centre, Beulah Park, Semaphore Pets & Gardens and Barrow & Bench, Malvern and should be available at other good gardening centres.
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Disease carryover risk in stone fruit
Gardeners planning to spray their stone fruit trees with an end-of-season copper spray to reduce the carryover of fungal diseases should also keep an eye out for “mummies.”
These are the shrivelled remains of ripe fruit still hanging on the tree.
They should be removed and consigned to the rubbish bin, as they also can act as a major source of fungal disease carryover.
Black spot on roses
In many gardens the leaves on rose bushes are seriously infected with blackspot fungus and over the next few weeks they will turn yellow and drop to the ground.
These infected leaves will act as a bridge between this season and next spring.
Best action: Rake up infected leaves as they fall to the ground and consigned them to your green waste bin and not your compost heap, particularly if you are likely to spread compost under your roses next season.
Make a note to spray your bushes with a protective fungicide next spring – soon after new growth has emerged.
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Citrus will respond to late autumn check
Keep your citrus happy and healthy though the cooler seasons, as they will reward you with zesty fruit over the months ahead.
- Soil: Keep soil (and potting mix) moist by regular deep watering. Remove weeds and top up mulch.
- Feed: Citrus respond best to small quantities of fertiliser – often. Apply a fast-acting liquid fertiliser such as PowerFeed PRO Series for Citrus & Fruits every two weeks.
- Pests: Check for aphids, scale, leaf miners and ants. If numbers begin to build, apply a natural pest control such as EarthCare White Oil insect spray.
More information »
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Feeding time
There is little point in applying animal manure or powdered fertiliser to the garden now the ground is cold.
If you need to stimulate winter-growing plants such as vegetables and flowering annuals, try spraying or soaking them with a liquid or soluble fertiliser.
A liquid seaweed product can be added, as it will increase your plant’s tolerance to cold.
Best time to prune trees and shrubs?
Most ornamental trees and shrubs growing in the garden are quite happy to thrive without a regular hard prune.
Nothing looks worse than the tortured framework of a tree that regularly receives a traditional ‘short back and sides’.
There are, of course, occasions when a light trim and sometimes a hard cut back can be beneficial.
- Deciduous trees and shrubs. (Excluding those that flower in spring) This task is best carried out in mid-winter - certainly before mid-August when the sap beings to flow. Some plants including vines, walnuts, birch and maples may bleed if pruned very late in winter.
- Spring-flowering deciduous. Wait until the blossom begins to fall. But, do not delay any longer as new growth follows very quickly. Winter pruning will remove potential flowers.
- Hardy evergreens. These should be cut or trimmed immediately after flowering, regardless of the time of the year.
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Lawn care
Stefan Palm, Paul Munns Instant Lawn
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Preparing your lawn for winter
Autumn is fading fast and so too are soil temperatures.
As a result, plants in many gardens are now in slow grow mode.
South Australian lawns are mostly summer active (couch, buffalo or kikuyu) and according to Adelaide-based turf consultant Stefan Palm these grasses are busy storing energy to get them through their winter hibernation.
The challenge is to get them through winter without losing their grass green colour.
In this week’s lawn blog Stefan raises a number of lawn management issues that may need your attention before winter arrives.
These include whether it’s now too late to fertilise, should you keep watering, is it time to change the mowing height and what action is needed to control early emerging winter weeds.
More information »
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Citrus leaves may start turning yellow
By the end of autumn, citrus trees in many South Australian gardens will look as though they need a good tonic as the dark green colour (a sure sign of good health) starts to disappear.
By the end of winter, the leaves on many trees will turn yellow and start to drop.
Feeding citrus now is rather pointless, as the ground is far too cold for the roots to take up the plant foods needed to restore the dark green colour.
In fact, applying large quantities of manufactured or granular fertiliser at this stage can be counter-productive, as the fertiliser will quickly dissolve, forming concentrated salts that may result in premature leaf drop.
Too cold for citrus
It’s advisable to delay the planting of citrus and other warm-loving evergreen trees such as avocados, hibiscus and frangipani, until warm conditions return in spring.
It is a little early to plant deciduous trees that are bare rooted.
However, cold-tolerant evergreen trees and shrubs including most Australian plants can still be planted.
Loads of lemons
If the lemon tree in your garden is still carrying a heavy crop, lighten the load (by 30 to 40%).
This will increase the likelihood of the tree producing a reasonable crop next season.
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Don’t waste those autumn leaves
Autumn leaves are falling fast providing keen gardeners with a once in a year opportunity to make them into mulch or even better, home-made compost.
All you need is an out of the way spot in the garden – behind or beside a tool shed or garage, or maybe beneath the canopy of a large evergreen tree.
The easiest method of recycling leaves is to hose them down, if they are not already wet, and rake them into a heap. 
Bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms will quickly multiply and feed on the leaves.
By the end of winter they should be soggy and partly decayed.
In this state they make an ideal mulch for placing between annuals and vegetables or beneath rose bushes in spring.
If you leave the heap long enough, (six to nine months), decomposition will proceed and the result will be compost.
Compost made from autumn leaves can be used as a mulch or dug into the topsoil to improve its structure and water holding capacity.
However, the leaves have little nutrient value and the resulting compost will also provide little in the way of plant foods.
To speed up the process and to produce a compost that is ideal both as a soil conditioner and a fertiliser, simply add animal manure.
One effective way is to turn your manure into a slurry by mixing the manure with water to a consistency of porridge.
The slurry should be poured over the leaves before raking the material into a pile.
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Please keep your questions
for Talkback Gardening
Good Gardening is unable to answer individual reader's questions via email. If you're looking for specific advice please give me a call on ABC Radio Adelaide's Saturday morning Talkback Gardening or ask at your local garden centre.
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Friday, May 12 to Saturday, May 13
South Coast Orchid Club of SA autumn show
Seaford Central Shopping Centre, Commercial Rd Seaford. Shopping centre hours.
Display of orchid plants, plus a trading table with a variety of orchids for sale. Experienced growers on hand to give advice, fact sheets available.
Saturday, May 13
Australian Plants Society (SA Region) autumn plant sale
Urrbrae Agricultural High School, Fullarton Road, Netherby. 10 am – 4 pm. Wide range of from local growers – list available on the website a few days before the sale » Books about Australian native plants – new, second-hand and hard-to-find. Free soil testing for those who bring a soil sample (surface and deeper). Children’s activities. Other groups – butterfly conservation, native orchids, wood turner, garden tools and more.
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Talkback Gardening tomorrow
 ABC Radio Adelaide Talkback Gardening this Saturday, 8.30 am to 10 am – phone Deb Tribe and me on 1300 222 891 and have your own gardening question answered.
Organic gardening authority Tim Marshal will explain how you can turn golden autumn leaves into black gold for the garden.
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Garden centre directory
Leading Adelaide garden centres recommended by Good Gardening newsletter.
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Heyne's Garden Centre
283-289 The Parade, Beulah Park. (08) 8332 2933
A Mum for mum!
Heyne’s is bursting with gorgeous chrysanthemums, a traditional Mother’s Day favourite- as well as cyclamen, beautiful garden art, garden tool gift packs and, of course, our huge range of indoor pots and plants.
Take a wander around our beautiful nursery this weekend.
Giftwrapping available!
South Australia's oldest established garden centre. Huge range. Expert staff on hand for personal advice. Visit online »
Semaphore Pets and Garden
119 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore. (08) 8242 7302
Mother's Day is here, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to every Mum and fur Mumma out there!!!
We are so excited ! We have so many Australian-made, homegrown products that help support our locals and help keep money here right in this beautiful state of South Australia.
Support local, support Semaphore Pets and Garden. Open 7 Days. Gift vouchers valid for 3 years.
Always a great selection of plants, pets and giftware – all under the one roof. Open 7 days.
Facebook »
Barrow & Bench Mitre 10
321 Unley Rd, Malvern. (08) 8272 8566
Lots of last minute Mother’s Day treasures in store.
Here are our favourites: cyclamen, gorgeous pot plants, We The Wild plant care gift packs, YETI drink bottles, gift vouchers and best of all, 20% off all outdoor pots until Sunday, May 14.
Sincerely wishing a very happy Mother’s Day to our customers and readers of Jon’s newsletter. Open 7 Days.
Specialising in providing quality plants and expert garden advice. Follow the Instagram feed »
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Coming soon
Sunday, May 21
Urrbrae Wetland open day
Short, self-guided walks, special child focussed activities and information sessions. Guided tours on request. Off Cross Road, between Fullarton and Harrow Tce.1.30 to 4.30 pm. Free entry
More information »
Thursday to Saturday, June 1 to 3
Tree For Life Annual Garden Plant Sale
Westwood Nursery, Brooklyn Park, 9 am to 1 pm.
Bookings essential »
June 18, 25 & July 9
Free rose pruning demonstrations
Run by experienced pruners from Rose Society of SA. These are “hands-on” workshops so bring your gloves and secateurs and practice with the help of experts.
- Sunday, June 18, 1.30 pm - 3 pm Carrick Hill, Springfield.
- Sunday, June 25, 12.30 pm - 3 pm International Rose Garden, Adelaide Botanic Garden.
- Sunday, July 9, 1 pm - 3 pm at 3 Para Road, Evanston Gardens (Gawler) as a fundraiser for SA Cancer Council.
More information »
Thursday - Saturday, July 27 - 29
Gawler & District Orchid Club winter show
Golden Grove Shopping Centre during shopping hours. Trading table & plant sales.
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Regular garden attractions
Check with each venue's web site for any Covid-19 restrictions on opening hours.
Adelaide Botanic Gardens – free guided walks
Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide guided walks for the public at Adelaide, Mount Lofty and Wittunga Botanic Gardens, and Botanic Park.
More information »
Carrick Hill
Heritage house museum and garden, the former home of Sir Edward and Lady Ursula Hayward. Open weekends & public holidays. Free admission into garden and grounds. 46 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield.
More information »
Cummins Historic House and gardens
23 Sheoak Ave, Novar Gardens. Gardens open and plant sales on 1st & 3rd Sundays of each month (except Dec & Jan) 2 pm - 4.30 pm. Plant sales also available every Friday morning 9 am to noon. More information » | Facebook »
Heysen - The Cedars
The historic home of two of Australia’s most noted artists, Sir Hans Heysen and his daughter Nora. This unique, 60-hectare heritage estate features the original family home, two artists’ studios and the celebrated cottage-style garden, planted chiefly with exotics, including the massive Himalayan cedar trees.
Heysen Road, Hahndorf. Open 10 am - 4.30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, and also open on public holiday Mondays. Ticketed entry, including guided tours at 11am and 2 pm.
More information »
Old Government House, Belair National Park
The former vice-regal summer residence of some of the early governors of South Australia. An excellent example of Victorian architecture, set amongst one acre of magnificent gardens. Features cottage plants and flowers cultivated in Victorian times, heritage roses and mature trees.
Tours and afternoon tea on the first and third Sundays each month and public holidays, 1 pm – 4.30 pm. Free entry into Belair National Park if you are visiting OGH - tell the info office staff as you drive in.
More information »
Urrbrae House historic precinct gardens
At the end of Walter Young Avenue, off Fullarton Road, Urrbrae, or from the Urrbrae House gate, Claremont Avenue, Netherby.
Open from dawn until dusk every day. Free entry.
More information »
Waite Arboretum, Fullarton Road, Urrbrae
Open free to the public every day of the year from dawn to dusk, except on fire ban days. Free guided walks on the first Sunday of every month, 11 am to 12.30 pm.
Meet at the West lawn (Croquet Lawn) of Urrbrae House. Bookings not necessary.
More information »
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Disclaimer: Although all reasonable care is taken in preparing information contained in this email, neither Jon Lamb Communications (JLC) nor its officers, staff or suppliers involved in the editing and production of this email accept any liability resulting from the interpretation or use of the information set out in this document. Information contained in this document is subject to change without notice and is of a general nature and should not take the place of professional personal advice. No responsibility is accepted by Jon Lamb Communications for the accuracy of information contained in web sites linked from this email. Publication of an advertisement does not constitute endorsement by JLC of any product or service, or warrant its suitability.
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