Growing Gardens

with Julia Hancock

Valentine Violas

Valentine's Day originated in Ancient Roman when Emperor Claudius II cancelled all marriages in Rome to ensure there were enough single men to conscript into his armies. Luckily a Christian priest named Valentine began to conduct clandestine weddings - until he was discovered. He was subsequently imprisoned until his death on February 14 in the year 270.

Like so many Christian festivals, Valentine's Day replaced a pagan festival, the fundamentals of which persist despite modern efforts to commercialise such holy days into a travesty of their former symbolism.

Keen gardeners can use Valentine's Day as a prompt to start thinking about doing some propagating and planting. Mid February is a perfect time to plan what types of annuals to plant in the garden for a spring display.

In our area, violas and pansies are perhaps the best choice as they flower for months on end and are available in every shade of the rainbow. Modern violas and pansies are hybrids of the old-fashioned heartsease Viola tricolor, itself a fitting reminder of this romantic month of the year.

If you favour propagation by seed it's best to sow in seed trays rather than direct, as the weather is still unfavourably warm for young seedlings. If sown now these will be ready for transplanting at the end of March when the climate is more benign. Garden centres and nurseries will have begun to stock seedlings by then too, although if you are after specific plain colours you may have to place a special order, as many retailers stock mixed punnets only.

Avoid purchasing plants with yellowing foliage or those with little black spots on the leaves. Both are indications of fungal infection. As a precaution against this developing as your plants establish, fertilise them on a fortnightly basis with a seaweed-based soluble fertiliser.

Pansies and violas may not be as sexy as red roses, but they last longer and are more reliable!

Lismore Garden Club

Members are invited by the Casino Garden Club to attend a Gold Coast Nursery Tour. The costs is $25 pp. Book with Betty on 6662 4080. Also remember, all gardeners are invited to book now for the fabulous Hunter Valley Garden tour for the end of March. For this one, phone Mary Betteridge on 6621 5293.

This Saturday is St Valentine's Day and there is a number of different beautiful flowers, including roses, that you could give to the love of your life. It's far better value to give a potted flowering plant that will go on flowering long after cut flowers have died. The plant can then be planted out into the garden when it's finished flowering. With care this plant will go on blooming as a reminder of your mutual love, year after year.

In this warm summer weather the garden jobs won't go away, so it's best to tackle them first thing in the morning. Be sure to put on a hat, start work by 6am and go inside by 10am.

Gardening Tip: We all want to be good, considerate neighbours, so don't start up that noisy line trimmer or lawn mower early in the morning. Instead, leave the mowing until around 6pm when the grass is dry and the day is cool.

Happy Gardening
Ron Burns