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Only the brave plant seedlings at this time of year, especially if you plan
to be away for a week or two. Anyhow, in the veggie plot it is time to plant
the late tomatoes and ‘Burnley Bounty’ is the best late variety for this
area. No others even come close. Bred at the famous Burnley College of
Horticulture in Melbourne (as it was known then).
If you are not venturing away and want to plant a new colour bed then
Petunias are really the go. They love the sun and the heat, but nip them back
as soon as you plant them, to get the best set of laterals that will flower
their heads off for months to come. There is hardly a poor variety for this
area, since they all do well, even in containers.
Pick of the Petunias in my opinion are: ‘Groovy’ a local mix of deep red
and deep blue, ideal for Norwood football fans! ‘Witchcraft’ is another
local mixture of pale shades with a few deep ‘Groovy’ colours for
contrast. For those with Tuscan desires, the ‘Waltzing Petunia™’ of pale
shades or ‘Waterfall’ with soft blues will please you.
The grey leaf white flowering salvia ‘Victoria White’ is a beauty for
this area. It’s a very strong salvia and takes our dry summers better than
most of the red cultivars. Plant the red salvias by all means but only if you
have a micro-irrigation watering system that will give them a humid afternoon
on most days!
Another very tough bedding plant is the Vinca, more correctly known as
Catharanthus rosea. The Dynasty™’ series have all the white, pink apricot
and rose shades you’d expect and they really are tough. I’ve had a few in
pots for two years now in full sun and they have flowered for 9 months of the
year. Fed with nothing more than Neutrog’s Rapid Raiser™ for an organic
buffer and Cultisol for a potassium boost to aid recurrent flowering.
If you have almonds or any other nut crops, now is the time to net them or
they just finish up expensive Galah and parrot food. The nets are reusable and
cost a good deal less, than the average nut crop.
Here are a few suggestions to fill the Christmas stocking of a keen gardener
for under $10 each: A packet of Velcro plant ties: a Greenwell water saver:
gardening gloves: a soil thermometer: or maybe an Ant Farm for a junior
gardener
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