Welcome to the May Garden Club notes. Firstly we would like to wish all the Mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day. Our best wishes to you all and we hope you have a lovely day with family and friends.
Gifts For Mum
Giving the gift of flowers and flowering plants is a lovely way to say thanks to your mum for her love and support throughout the year. Traditionally, Chrysanthemums are the plant most associated with Mother’s Day. They are available in a large range of colours and flower styles, and best of all, you can plant them out into the garden afterwards. Put them in a nice sunny spot, prune after flowering, feed regularly and you’ll have a beautiful, hardy flowering small shrub!
Another popular plant is the Cyclamen, which also comes in a wide range of colours and styles. Best grown outside in a shaded, sheltered position they can be used for indoor colour and decoration too. Keep them in a well-lit spot, on a window sill with indirect sunlight is very good. Keep them moist making sure you water the soil, not the plant and a little on the dry side is preferable. Another tip is to put the cyclamen outside at night or for a few days in a shady spot; this gives them a break from being in the generally warmer, drier air in our houses. The classic saying is “At night pick up the cat in one hand and your cyclamen in the other and put them both outside for the night”, although to protect wildlife now we’d prefer the cat to stay inside at night!
Anthuriums, or Flamingo Flower as they are commonly called, are another fantastic indoor plant. These long-flowering plants which come in a wide range of colours look almost artificial but thrive in a well-lit position inside or even on the patio in a position protected from the cold winter winds; I have two outside flowering their heads off!
If you are buying Mum a plant you may need a nice pot to put it in. You can’t go past a Jessa Pot. These lovely pots come in three sizes and a choice of four colours, just perfect! Also available are the Jayda pots in three sizes, these are classic white or black pots on a wooden stand.
Veggie Garden Advice
In the garden it’s still OK to get your winter veggies in the ground but don’t delay too long as the colder nights are really starting to chill the soil, meaning that plants take much longer to settle and will be very slow to grow. Watch out for white cabbage moth on your cabbage etc., there are plenty around at the moment, dust or spray as needed.
Seed potatoes are due any day now and are very easy to grow. Dig straight, shallow trenches about 50- 60cm feet apart in prepared soil. Plant seed potatoes 25cm apart and cover with about 5- 6cm soil. When the shoots reach 20-25cm tall, use a hoe or shovel to scoop soil from between rows and mound it against the plants, burying the stems halfway. They can also be grown in pots successfully so don’t worry if you don’t have spare ground.
Final Note
We still haven’t had a lot of rain so be aware of what your plants need in the way of a drink; I’m still deep watering my fruit trees once a week at the moment. Weeds are starting to appear too, hand weed or spray as necessary to keep them under control.