Growth may be slowing down, but May is not too late to put in some cold-tolerant leafy greens for spring eating
And so to bed
As the nights grow longer and the temperatures fall, plant growth slows, sometimes to a standstill. Although less useful in warmer climates, most gardens appreciate being put to bed now, if not to sleep then at least to rest and recuperate a little.
So first a quick tidy up, a weed, a removal of dead leaves. Perennials may be cut back – or left for the seedheads both to provide food for birds and insects and to add visual interest over a dull winter. Hedges and topiary may be given a light trim, and perennials dug up, divided, replanted. Next, spread compost and/or well-rotted animal manure over the soil, followed by a covering of mulch, such as straw, leaves or grass clippings.
Act now and reap the rewards over spring and summer.
Golden garlic
Given the rocketing price of garlic at the supermarket and the ease with which it can be grown, it makes sense to grow your own. The old adage advises planting garlic on the shortest day (and harvesting on the longest), but there’s plenty of sense in giving it an early start and planting now in a sunny spot with plenty of organic matter worked into the soil. Compost, leaf mould, sheep pellets, seaweed and well-rotted horse manure is good – whatever you can get your hands on, for the richer the soil, the plumper the garlic. A lighter, sandier soil is preferable to heavy clay.
Plant cloves at least 15cm apart and 6cm to 8cm deep with the pointed end up. The best garlic to use is either your own saved from last season or that bought from garden centres. If using supermarket produce ensure it is New Zealand grown as often imported ones have been treated to stop it sprouting.
Consider this
A simple way to make use of fallen leaves is to gather them into hessian sacks. These are then stored outdoors in an out-of-the-way corner while the elements and fungi work their magic. By the by, in compost it is bacteria that do their thing. In a year or two the leaves will have been broken down into the softest, sweetest, crumbliest soil, aka leaf mould, which is brilliant as a mulch, soil conditioner and potting and seed-growing mix. Hessian, aka jute or burlap, is good as it allows the much-needed water to penetrate easily, however plastic bags with plenty of holes poked into them will suffice.
Jute leaf sack, $35 (for two), from Father Rabbit
How to divide perennials
As well as being a painless way to increase stock, dividing perennials reinvigorates them. Best done every few years, a tell-tale sign the job is overdue is when a plant’s central leaves are smaller and the flowers weaker – and, of course, when it is competing with neighbouring plants. A cool day is preferable for the task, with summer-flowering plants being divided in autumn and spring-flowerers are best done in summer when they produce new roots. Dig up the clump, being generous with the digging circle to minimise root damage. Depending on the type of root system, tease, pull, cut or chop apart the roots. Pieces from the outside of the root should perform the best. Replant in soil into which compost has been lightly mixed and water in well.
Steal this look
Seldom has less been so much more than in this deceptively simple scene. A grove of maple trees has no underplantings or other types of trees to detract from the species’ elegant beauty. The ground is carpeted in tree litter, changing colour with the seasons. The trunks have been skinned up, the smaller lower branches removed in a process also known as raising the canopy, revealing their slender and graceful curves. The fiery autumn colours are a stunning foil for the dark bark, but in all seasons – be the foliage fresh spring-green or completely absent in winter – the trees look fabulous. Charming in itself, the plain white building in the background with its circular entrance has an honesty complementing that of the plantings.
Landscape 101
Hillside gardens have slope to add an attractive extra dimension, a dimension which gardeners on the flat have to work a little harder to achieve. Enter hugelkultur (mound culture) an ancient eastern European method of building raised beds. These fabulously natural-looking mounds – of hillocks for the ambitious – also have good environmental cred, usually being created from natural materials found in gardens.
Long, straight, curving, swooping, serpentine, conical – the size and shape of hugel beds can be highly individualistic and easily achievable. Aesthetically,as well as adding height, the beds can serve to hide ugly features. It can also add a sense of mystery – what lies beyond the bund? Not being able to see all of the garden sows in the mind a sense of possibility and space. These bunds can create intimate zones – a circle only accessed by a single break – or fun hills for smaller children.
Planting may begin once the hugel has been built. However, in the first couple of years or so, it pays to plant only smaller plants – annual or perennial flowers, vegetables, soft fruits and smallish shrubs. In time, as the hugel material breaks down, larger plants may be added.
When planning, the sun and prevalent winds need consideration. To create, mark out and dig to about 30cm the desired shape, into which is piles fallen branches and logs, followed by smaller branches and prunings, straw, cardboard, grass clippings, farmyard manure and so on. The final layer should be either soil or a mix of soil, compost and wood chip. And the final hump shape may be steep-sided or gently rounded, but take into consideration that the pile will shrink considerably, by about two-thirds eventually, so go big.
As well as adding height to the garden and increasing the surface area for growing plants, a hugel bed creates a long-term supply of nutrients for plants, it acts as a sponge for water, sequesters carbon, and the heat generated by the composting wood extends the bed’s growing season.
Get it in
Plant trees (lots of them), shrubs, frost-hardy perennials, winter annuals, tulips and other spring bulbs, lilies, and vegetable seedlings such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and lettuce.
Words by: Mary Lovell-Smith
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