Spring is the peak of the gardeners year, the brief period when everything you have been working for finally comes together.

Spring is the time to give your bulbs some care. Do not cut off the foliage of bulbs that finish flowering as these leaves produce the food to make next springs flowers. Use some Maxicrop, Aquasol or Thrive and water the foliage regularly.

Perennials planted in winter for spring and summer flowering can be given a boost now, also with Maxicrop, Thrive or Aquasol, and a handful of blood and bone sprinkled around and watered in.

Regular watering is also important to maintain your spring display. Morning watering gives the flowers a chance to dry off. Plants watered in the evening can stay wet overnight causing fungus diseases such as mildew and rust. It is important also to keep the water off the flowers, such as Azaleas, Rhododendrons and some annuals. Avoid the sprinkler, and hose directly under the plants rather than over.

A Wonderful Time to Redecorate the Garden.

There is a wonderful array of potted plants, flowering shrubs, and foliage plants available in your nursery.

Try some of the following:

• Pieris
• Azaleas
• Rhododendrons
• Jasmine Natives
• Boronias
• Proteas
• Daisies
• Honeysuckle
• Roses
• Grevilleas

• Peach
• Apricot
• Lilac
• Cherries
• Crabapples
• Magnolias
• Maples

For planting in the vegie garden try some Potatoes, Lettuce, Radish, Carrots, Climbing Beans and, of course, Rhubarbs and Asparagus. Patio grown tomatoes are also wonderful - try a few this season.

The best lawn will need lots of tender, loving care through spring. Renovate the lawn before applying top dressing or Fertilizer - Replant bare patches with runners or seed - Fill hollows with sand and top dressing.

Winter

Plant new deciduous stock, choose the right spot. The size of the hole should be twice the size of the container. Have a good layer of compost in the bottom of the hole and a good strong stake. Water well and back fill, tamping the soil firmly, making good contact with the roots.

Plant late winter in the Mountains.

• Roses
• Dolomite Maples
• Deciduous plants, Paeonies, Iris etc.

Summer Time

Feed your spent bulbs.
Avoid sunburn - wear a hat, blockout on face, hands and ears.
Work in the cool of the morning.
Check roses for black spot and if it appears, spray with Triforine, and put affected leaves in the Otto Bin.
Water plants daily - deeply.
Feed fruit trees with blood & bone.
Check Rhodos and Azaleas regularly for Red Spider and Azalea Lace Bug - Spray with Rogor or Malathion and follow instructions on label.
Do not cut lawns too close.

Autumn

The Best Time to Plant - Spring flowering bulbs (Daffodils etc) Spring flowering annuals - Pansy, Poppies, Stock, Cornflower, Snapdragon Sweet peas - Seeds and Seedlings.

When Planting Bulbs:

1. Never place fresh manure under your bulbs.
2. Plant bulbs in groups for a greater effect.
3. Always let foliage die down naturally.

A good time to mulch those garden beds ready for the colder months.
Leaf mould is the most excellent of all mulches. A few inches deep will keep out the most severe frosts. They break down to form valuable humus in the soil, but clear off paths, as they become slippery. Dont burn or throw away as they are a valuable source of organic fertilizer.
The time to fertilise trees and shrubs ready for a beautiful Spring display.

Perennials

Perennials will stay in the garden for many years so they will need good conditions for their perpetuation. Well-drained soil, with loads of lovely compost well dug in, some cow manure and a dressing of complete fertiliser can be sprinkled over and dug in well.

Try some of these:

• Astilbe
• Phlox
• Stokesia
• Daisies
• Lupins
• Iris
• Helleborus
• Hostas
• Alstroemeria and Anemone.

  The list is endless.

Some favourites from Mums garden, or the nearest neighbour, Foxgloves, Hollyhocks, Platycodon, Penstemons, Oriental Poppies.