After a hard winter, the season of growth has finally arrived
September 1 is the official start of spring, the season of rejuvenation when it feels like nature has given us the go-ahead to get out into the garden, sowing and planting. But patience is prudent in all but the warmest parts of the country.
Unless the soil temperature is high enough, many seeds will struggle to germinate outdoors. Soil thermometers can be obtained to measure the soil but an ordinary household one will also do the
trick. Bury the end about 10cm deep and wait for five minutes before checking. Most seeds like the soil
to be between 20°C and 30°C. Remember, the soil type will affect how quickly it warms up (and cools down). Sandy soils heat up faster than heavy ones, and dry ones faster than wet.
Starting seeds inside gives greater control of temperature. A hot cupboard or heat pad is handy for
a head start, although if you sow too early you are in danger of nursing plants that will become too leggy or big for their pots and for indoor life before it is warm enough to plant them outside.
Hold off sowing beans, chillies, corn, courgettes, melons, eggplants, cucumbers, pumpkins and tomatoes until later in the month or October. However, beetroot, carrots, lettuce, radish, silver beet, parsley, spinach and spring onions may be sown earlier – and direct in the garden – with no adverse effects.
Landscape 101
Burnt is the new black. The nation that brought us wabi-sabi, the art of imperfection, has another brilliant practice that is gaining more and more presence in international interior and exterior design. Yakisugi (aka shou sugi ban), the ancient Japanese art of charring wood, creates stunning finishes. For suyaki, the charring is left untouched, resulting in the timber assuming a stylish alligator-skin texture. The brushing of the charred timber once (gendai) or twice (pika-pika) highlights the wood grain to differing degrees. Aesthetics aside, the charring also preserves the wood, rendering it more impervious to the ravages of weather, insects and even fire.
Yakisugi is commonly used for house exteriors, but it also has many applications in the garden, from fences and posts to sheds, raised beds and a simple bench seat. These deep charred organic tones set off foliage and flowers simply and beautifully.
At least two companies in New Zealand supply charred timber. However, for smaller quantities and on existing structures or furniture, you most likely have to do it yourself. It’s fun and not difficult given the right tools.
Traditionally, cedar is used in Japan. However, pine is a cheaper and more accessible alternative here. A blow torch is used to (carefully!) char the wood to a recommended depth of 2mm to 3mm, which is when the grain begins to separate and blacken. Brushing, with a wire or strong-bristled brush, is optional. Brushing highlights the grain, although too heavy-handed a go could result in a rustic rather than chic appearance. Wipe down the wood with a damp cloth to remove any loose soot, then rub in an oil, such as linseed oil, to ensure longevity.
Blooming marvels
Flower seeds that can be sown straight into the garden in all but the coldest regions include aquilegia, bishops flower, calendula, cornflower, cosmos, larkspur, love-in-a-mist, nasturtium, phacelia, scabiosa, snapdragon and sunflowers. Sow delphiniums, didiscus, petunia, phlox, portulaca, salvia and zinnia under cover for planting out later. With all that growing ahead of them, just about every plant in the garden will benefit from a good mulch of compost and a liquid feed.
Steal this look
Through considered use of plants, furniture and hard materials, this tiny Spanish garden has all the luxe looks and life of one much larger. Height in a small garden extends the canvas. Here, the large leaves of brugmansia (angel’s trumpet) contrast texturally and in colour with the shaggy palm trunks behind. This layering also imbues the space with an illusion of depth, enhanced by the hydrangeas and impatiens inhabiting the shadowy background, and the potted plants on the ground and table. Plants in pots also have the benefit of being able to be shifted into a less prominent spot when not at their best. The more the five senses are catered for, the more stimulating an area. Witness the beautiful and highly fragrant brugmansia blooms. The furniture is appropriately small. A pale green and of fine metal, it is essentially see-through. Like the dark, unobtrusive paving, it appears to enlarge rather than clutter the diminutive space.
Consider this
Traditional Māori gardening implements have been reimagined for 21st-century tamariki by designers Johnson Witehira and James Prier of the design studio Paku. After Johnson observed the lack of Māori tools at his son’s kōhanga reo, he began wondering what it would be like for the tamariki to dig into the whenua with items that connected who they were – and the seeds of Paku were sown. Constructed of durable, locally sourced, post-industrial waste-stream nylon, the timo and toki are scaled-down versions of the customary gardening items. Available in white, pink, yellow and purple, and are $35 for one or $56 for two, from paku.nz
How to get rid of aphids
These little sap-sucking critters will be building up in numbers as the season warms and new growth appears, weakening your plants and spreading disease. Alas, there is no sustainable (or unsustainable) way of keeping them out of the garden – and many would defend their right to be somewhere, if not there. However, their numbers can be kept manageable and damage to plants minimal first by vigilance. In smaller gardens, squishing each and every one of them with your fingers can be enough; for larger gardens some suggest hosing them off – something I’ve never found works. Spraying with soapy water can be effective. Having a biodiverse garden helps as it encourages a whole range of insects, including those that prey on aphids. And take heart, these little pests are usually a pain only in spring.
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