Growing Gardens

with Julia Hancock

Making Gardening Easier

Most of us are lamentably short of time, energy and money for the garden. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of available resources.

Time savers

• Make a list of outdoor tasks that need doing at the beginning of the week and stick to it – fiddling around spontaneously can waste hours.

• Only do jobs when it is the best possible time to do them. For example, prune shrubs once a year after flowering for maximum effect.

• Install a drip irrigation watering system where practical and use when water restrictions don't apply.

• Avoid having lots of plants in containers and hanging baskets – they demand a great deal of nurturing.

Energy savers

• Get rid of as much lawn as possible! (Minimising lawn areas also saves time on mowing and money on mower fuel, fertilisers and water).

• Make sure all tools are in perfect working order, for instance it's much easier to prune with sharp secateurs.

• Grow only those plants that can survive without being cosseted.

• Maintain regularly – it's much less exhausting to keep a garden under control by regular maintenance than to let it become overgrown and be faced with a huge mess to clear up periodically.

Money savers

• Invest in a moon planting guide and follow its advice; for example, far better results can be gained when applying fertiliser during the correct phase of the moon, rather than sprinkling it around when the plants are less able to absorb it.

• Research plants to determine their suitability for your garden before buying. Try to avoid making impulse purchases – irresistible plants are often problematic to grow.

• When mulching, put layers of damp newspaper down on the soil first, as this will extend the life of the mulch by as much as twofold.

• Propagate as much as you can at home – it's worth having a go.

Lismore Garden Club News

The Lismore Garden Club has arranged with Summerland Coaches to do a tour to the beautiful Hunter Valley. The tour departs Tuesday, March 30, 2004 and returns on Friday, April 2, 2004.

You don't have to be a member of The Garden Club to qualify. The main feature of the tour is a visit to what are possibly the best gardens in Australia, the magnificent Hunter Valley Gardens at Pokolbin. We will also visit the McGuigan Cellars next door to the gardens, for a wine and cheese tasting. We will then visit the historic village of Morpeth near Maitland on Thursday. Newcastle has had many changes in the last few years and we will have a drive around the city and redeveloped foreshore to complete a memorable tour of the Hunter. Anyone can go. You can look forward to a wonderful time.

The tour costs $370 per person twin share. Supp $100. This includes luxury coach, motel accommodation, three breakfasts and dinners plus one lunch. Contact Mary Betteridge on 66215293. Seats are limited so don't hesitate.

Jobs to do now

When Dahlia tubers shoot, divide and plant in a sunny spot in the garden. Keep soil moist. If Cymbidium Orchids are congested with back bulbs, remove old flower spikes and divide and re-pot in good quality Cymbidium mix.

Gardening tip

If Cymbidium Orchids have filled the pot, but have comparatively few back bulbs, simply re-pot into larger pots in good quality Cymbidium potting mix.

Happy Gardening
Ron Burns